How to clean Turkey ?

[BaldguyLee]

Hey guys. I may try for a turkey this weekend. If I luck out, what do I do once the bird is down ? I can cook it, I just need field-dressing help. De-feathering, gutting, etc.

Thanks, fellas.

--Lee

[G-Man]

Depends if your going to skin it, or pluck it. Skinning is easier but you need to pluck if your planning on deepfrying it. If skinned, remove crop ( found between breasts where neck enters) then cut around anus and remove innards (its a small space and the lungs and kidneys are recessed in to the ribs and pelvis respectively). Same way is done when plucked but keeping skin intact. Thats for a whole bird cut off legs at knee joint and wings at 2nd joint. Many people just breast a bird. Which is just pulling back skin and removing just the breast from the skeleton. ( no gutting required)

[arrow nocker]

i just get a pot of boiling water and dump the turkey in it for a minuite to get rid of the feathers.They fall right of like nothing.Its how my wifes gramma used to do her chickens.

[Early]

I don't gut 'n pluck; I skin just enough to remove the breast steaks and the thighs, both of which make delicious eating. The drumsticks are another story: I continue to try to find something good to do with them.