TURKEY day coming! Need advice on "frying" a Turkey

[1Old Pro]

It's time for me to start planning so that I can fulfill my promise to deliver a tasty fried Turkey this Thanksgiving Day.

I know many of you have had experience with this culinary process and am looking for input and advice. I'm told that there is simply no better way to cook a Turkey so I am going to give it a go.

1) First, I have a series BTU outdoor gas cooking grill but I need to buy the pot. They come in many sizes so I'm wondering what is a good size (not too big or too small).

2) I see some pots have the "liner" pot with holes so it's easy to remove the bird from the oil. Others simply have "hooks" to lift the bird out. Anyone have suggestions here and perhaps even a website to purchase these?

3) What kind of oil, and how long do you cook various weight birds?

4) Any special (secret recipes) cooking suggestions?

5) Any websites that offer good info on frying a Turkey?

Thanks for your help and perhaps this post will encourage others to try something new.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

Fried turkey is good! That's all I can say.

[Vladiator]

DO IT OUTSIDE!!!!!

Even if it is pouring down rain or snowing. The fire resulting from the cooking (well, possible fire) will then be limited to your grass, and not your garage.

[1Old Pro]

DO IT OUTSIDE!!!!!

LOL, thanks, that I figured out by myself.

[ppaul]

Make sure you get a stainless steel pot - not aluminum.

[HAL9000]

For the Manly Art of Turkey Frying, Goggles, Sobriety Are Recommended

[HAL9000]

Deep Fried Turkey Recipes

[hispanarepublicana]

Of no help to you, but possibly a good suggestion to others: I read somewhere that if you only have a small pot and a btu burner, or if you're only feeding a small crowd, you can fry chickens whole, and they only take 12 to 15 minutes as opposed to turkeys that can take up to 45 minutes or so.

[Jack of all Trades]

Series fried turkey bump. I've got to give this a ty this year too.

[Hillary's Folly]

Don't fill the deep fryer to the brim with oil. UNDERESTIMATE the amount of oil needed!

[1bigdictator]

Make sure that whatever the container is you use to fry the bird that it has at least 2.5-3 times the volume of the bird itself. The oil will rise considerably upon dunking the bird and if there is spillover you will be looking at a serious fire and a ruined turkey.

[1Old Pro]

Thanks Hal

[FreePaul]

I've never tried "frying" on a gas grill. It is probably too high to be safe and would take forever to heat the oil. Best thing to do is buy (or borrow) a cooker complete with burner, pots, thermometer and utensils. They aren't very expensive. Ususlly takes about five or six gallons of peanut oil. If you are cooking "a" turkey it makes per pound cost of the meat very high.

Last year I borrowed the cooker and propane, bought the oil and cooked five turkeys for family members. We got the turkeys free for previous purchases at a grocery store. Oil cost around twenty dollars. Took about five hours to cook.

Just some things to think about.

[nov7freedomday]

Try looking here http://www.tznet.com/lwittman/turkey.html

[Beelzebubba]

My thoughts on safety:

When the oil is up to temperature, shut off the flame just just before you dunk the bird. That way, if/when the pot boils over as I have seen in "funny" videos, the foaming oil will not have an ignition source to turn it into a massive bonfire. When the eruption of foaming oil subsides in a moment, turn the flame back on.

Also, you might want to test the turkey with water in the pan to get the water level right, then remove the bird and mark the remaining water level so you know how much oil to use to avoid overfilling and overflowing.

[fight_truth_decay]

Peanut Oil and related. Can buy the handles that lift it out of the Deep fryer.Best turkey I ever had!!

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

The funniest story my family tells on me is the "Small Turkey" story, where I, under the burden of shopping with 3 small toddler children in tow, bought what I thought was a very small turkey (considering the children weren't gonna eat much :-). I baked the thing breast-side down too and stuffed it with the stuffing - the whole 9 yards. Turned out to be the BEST ...... baked chicken we've ever had. :-]

[Focault's Pendulum]

Try this

[fight_truth_decay]

Get your deep fryer made for Turkeys Home Depot and Hardware Stores..it's very deep and can later be used to boil those Lobstahs!!!

[metalcor]

The best way to determine the amount of oil needed (peanut oil is best) is to place the bird in the empty pot and fill the pot with water to the point of 1/2 inch covering the entire bird. Remove the bird and let the water drain into the pot. Mark the water level and replace water with oil.

[daniel boob]

Peanut oil is highly recommended since it has a high burn point. My first was a butterball and is was yummy. The next year we got a 16# whopper and used a turkey syringe with a mixture of salted butter (not margarine), salt, and pepper to season. One of the problems with the butterball turkey was it was flat on seasoning - but still real yummy. When frying birds, you need to keep the seasoning under the skin so it won't fry away. And these birds can't get enough salt. Anyway, the 16# was probably twice as good as the butterball.

I use a hook through the cavity with a big pot. The size of the pot doesn't matter to me - the fire does though. If the temp outside varies (or the wind is blowing) or it is extremely cold, take several readings with a thermomoter before dunking the bird. You don't want the oil temp to fluctuate.

If you're really wanting to have a serious turkey meal, consider Bleu Cheese Dressing, Oyster Dressing, grilled bacon-wrapped asparagus, and pecan and goat cheese over greens. It's a Texas thing.

Enjoy it. This year, we'll probably do another 16# turkey - although I'm considering frying 2 ducks - my wife is suspect because of the fat content.

[lelio]

Can you give us a follow up post when this disaster occurs? Frying turkeys is an accident waiting to happen.
Having said that, I would make sure that:
1) you're outside
2) the turkey is thawed, as ice crystals will pop and explode when heated up
3) you have some sort of broom handle used to lower the turkey, as the oil spits up and hits whatever in a 3' radius
4) don't use that much oil. Maybe even go for a dry run with unheated oil to see how much you need

[glock rocks]

don't do this.

[katykelly]

This is the only way we cook turkey! Use peanut oil for frying. Sometimes I buy the marinade for injecting, other times I make my own. I rub the skin with cajun spice. I always soak my turkey the night before in buttermilk. Good Luck!

[1bigdictator]

Sounds good to me... I am a novice turkey frier.

[1Old Pro]

Real good advice

[ppaul]

Some tasty links for y'all.....

Senator John Breaux, Louisiana, Specialty Recipe for Cajun Deep Fried Turkey

Jim's Cajun Deep Fried Turkey

National Turkey Federation's Deep Fried Turkey Recipe

Emeril Lagasse's Deep Fried Cajun Turkey Recipe

[texpat72]

The guys in my family also use peanut oil. I agree with Free Paul about the cooker. Much safer!

[Cyber Liberty]

I think I can help a little. I started frying turkeys last year.

It's not a good idea to use your grill for a heat source. Too much risk of spillover having a disasterous effect. I purchased a frying grill base at my local grocery store last year, but I've seen them at Wal-Mart. You get a set of hardware that include everything you'll need, with instructions for use. You provide the gas bottle.

The kit has the perforated liner. The liner is a better choice than the "hooks" you refer to.

The kit also has a long thermometer. You'll need it, so keep it handy.

Oil? Peanut oil has the best qualities, in that it has a relatively high smoke point. I've used canola, too. Don't use shortening because it burns way too easily and is hard to control the temperature. The key to selecting the right oil is smoke point. Get the highest you can.

It takes about 4 minutes per pound of turkey, so a 13-pounder cooked in about 42 minutes at 350 degrees F.

As to the size you want, maximum weight will come with your instructions that come in the deep-frying kit.

One piece of advice you didn't ask for: Make sure the bird is completely thawed, and that you've thoroughly blotted out all moisture inside and outside the bird. Any traces of water will cause you grief, because it's the nature of water to evaporate when hitting 350 degree oil. Forcefully, if necessary.

I'd recommend that you do what I did when I first got my turkey frier: Buy a whole uncut chicken and experiment on members of your immediate family before you cook for company.

[Drango]

Make sure your local PETA chapter doesn't hear about this...

[phasma proeliator]

You need to do this.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

Don't fill the deep fryer to the brim with oil. UNDERESTIMATE the amount of oil needed!

Put Bird in empty pot ahead of time and then fill with enough water to cover. Remove bird and this will show you about how much peanut oil it will take to submerge the turkey later.

[fight_truth_decay]

[blackdog]

Just cook it until it floats. When you first put it in you will see it sinks to the bottom. When it bobs like a cork, it is done. I like to add a bunch of jalepeno's to the caldron as well to impart that zip to the flavor of the bird. This year we are doing a goose, then cold smoking it for a few hours after frying. I've been feeding the damn goose since May. I am REALLY looking forward to thanksgiving!

[AgentEcho]

Don't get into the injecting craze. There are all kinds of flavor injectors out there and I think my family has tried all of them. THEY'RE ALL DISGUSTING. I made all of the cooks in the family (myself included though I stopped after the first try) swear off the use of these things.

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

I've been feeding the damn goose since May. I am REALLY looking forward to thanksgiving!

LOL! You should see all the geese around here in suburban Chicago, who have decided that it's not worth the effort to fly south any more when they have a cushy life living around the retention "ponds" here these days. The only time they left over the last several years was when we got 40" of snow in about 3 weeks.

[FreePaul]

If the temp outside varies (or the wind is blowing) or it is extremely cold,...

I made a circular shield of twelve inch sheet metal flashing. This protected the burner and lower portion of the pot from wind. It made a big difference in getting the oil temperature up and keeping it there.

[fight_truth_decay]

Get one of those big cans of Peanut Oil at Home Depot and no where fills the Turkey Fryer

[geege]

www.foodtv.com

Just type in "turkey" or "fried turkey".........there's lots of recipes.......boy that sounds delish........

[1Old Pro]

It's not a good idea to use your grill for a heat source.

I guess I wasn't clear, I have the type of burner that is commonly used for this. I have used it previously for large pots of clams. It's something like 70,000 BTI's.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

If you're doing this on Thanksgiving Day, please be certain that children can not get near the Turkey fryer.

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

One piece of advice you didn't ask for: Make sure the bird is completely thawed, and that you've thoroughly blotted out all moisture inside and outside the bird. Any traces of water will cause you grief, because it's the nature of water to evaporate when hitting 350 degree oil. Forcefully, if necessary.

Great advice - worth repeating. No one wants their turkey to go "KABLOOM!" on Thanksgiving Day. :-)

[agrandis]

It's been a while, so the time for cooking is from memory, and should be double-checked.

Oil: Peanut oil! Get it good and hot on the burner. Make plugs n the turkey, wherein you stuff plenty of garlic. Make about a dozen of these on a 20 lb. turkey. Stuff bacon strips over the garlic in the plugs. Coat the turkey in a good cajun powder mix, or just plain old cayenne. Drop it in the oil for about 5 minutes (for a smallish-medium turkey). that's my memory of it. I agree that it's the best way to cook a turkey, by far.

[Cyber Liberty]

Gotcha.

[fight_truth_decay]

Practice with a chicken before the big T DAY!

[CholeraJoe]

I've fried dozens all delicious. Get a pot with a grid at the bottom, it drains the oil better. Bayou Classic or Cajun Cooker are two brands I know of.

Use peanut oil to fry the bird. Most Walmarts carry large containers of peanut oil. If someone is allergic to peanuts you can use canola oil but it's pricier.

Use a turkey of 15 lb or less injected with Cajun Injector marinade into the breast and thighs. Use up to 1 jar of marinade per bird. Fry at 375 for 3 minutes per pound.

Safety first. Work outdoors. Wear long pants, long sleeves, leather gloves and eye protection. Hot oil splashed on you is very painful.

Feel free to FReepmail me for questions.

[Cyber Liberty]

You bring up a good point: Any seasoning to be used needs to be injected into the turkey in some manner, not just rubbed on.

[1Old Pro]

Then you must baste it every few years.

I heard you baste it every few BEERS.