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How to Fry a TurkeyTen steps to Thanksgiving satisfaction |
All fryers are not created equal, so it’s important to thoroughly read the instructions that came with your fryer.
STEP 1
Gather all your equipment and decide where to place the fryer. It should be set up outside, on a flat concrete or rock surface. No decks, no grass. It should be at least 10 feet from any trees or structures. Do not set up the fryer indoors (even in the garage) or near any overhanging eaves or tree branches. It can’t hurt to have a fire extinguisher on hand, or other safety equipment on our list.
STEP 2
Figure out the amount of oil you’ll need for frying by trying this displacement trick: Before unwrapping your turkey, place it in the frying pot and add enough water to cover it completely. Remove the turkey from the pot and measure the water. That’s how much oil you should use. Make sure the stem of your deep-fat thermometer is submerged at least 1 inch into the oil. Do not fill your frying pot above the “maximum fill” line. Leave the pot off the burner.
STEP 3
Check the connections and hoses on your fryer according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Make sure that both the cylinder valve (on the propane canister) and the regulator control valve on the hose are closed.
STEP 4
Now it’s time to light the burner. It takes two people to do this safely. Wearing gloves and safety goggles, one person should hold a long-handled match or lighter over the burner. Light the burner from the bottom, keeping your hands and face away from the top of the cooker.
STEP 5
Now the other person should turn the cylinder valve to the open position, then slowly open the regulator valve until the burner ignites. Place the pot filled with oil on the burner, and then adjust the air shutter on the cooker for a blue flame. Adjust the regulator control for flame height. You want a low, blue flame.
STEP 6
Let the oil heat to 350°F. You should be monitoring the oil temperature with the deep-fat thermometer that came with your fryer. This takes about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, place the prepared turkey upside down on the frying rack, with the drumsticks pointing toward the sky. Let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before frying. Use the grab hook to lower the turkey into the heated oil very slowly—this takes at least 90 seconds. The oil will boil furiously; this is normal. Wear heatproof gloves and safety goggles, and do not drop the turkey.
STEP 7
Once the turkey is completely submerged, remove the hook. Fry the turkey for about 3 minutes per pound or until it is dark brown, the juices run clear, and a thermometer inserted into the inner part of the thigh reads 155°F. During testing, our 17-pound turkeys took 40 to 45 minutes. You’ll see from our little video that furiously bubbling oil is OK.
STEP 8
Put on your gloves again, and use the grab hook to slowly remove the turkey from the oil, allowing sufficient time for the hot oil to drain away.
STEP 9
Place the turkey and rack on a rimmed baking sheet set on the ground, and let it sit a few minutes before moving it, to allow extra oil to drain. Turn off the fryer by closing first the valve on the propane cylinder, then the regulator valve. Let the turkey rest for at least 15 minutes before carving.
Sounds hideous! Why not just pour hot oil all over a regular roast turkey? That should give that lovely KFC finish!!!
My family has been doing this for a few years now, with varying results, but mostly really positive. (The turkey is not at all greasy by the way, just very very juicy)
A great tip is to have a few sweet potatoes that you've sliced thin on the mandoline ready when the turkey comes out. Fry em up and you'll have sweet potato fries for days. Yum!
Make sure you see this site first:
http://www.ul.com/consumers/turkeys.html
in your instructions on deep frying a turkey. it is safer to turn off gas when lowering turkey in oil. then relight. when oil settles down. we have enjoyed deep fried turkey for years and hope to for many more.
I also thought a deep-fried turkey sounded hideous when I first heard about it, but we decided to try it last Thanksgiving for the first time. We've never had such a moist, delicious turkey. There's nothing oily or greasy about it at all, and it takes only a fraction of the time AND frees up your oven space to do more of your side dishes, definitely an added bonus when you're planning a big meal for a big crowd.
You do need constant monitoring, so either do ahead or, if you have a group of people, split up the duties and have some in charge of the dishes "inside" while others are outside on turkey detail. Because the weather might not always be ideal because of the outdoor element, we may not do this every year but will certainly repeat it.
My friends and I are definitely doing fried turkey this year. Where can I find solid frying equipment? Are there any specialty online stores that you would recommend? I've read that if the stand isn't sturdy, the pot could tip over when the oil bubbles heavily.
bluishgnome:
Alton Brown did a show that focused heavily on how not to turn your butterball into a fireball. He starts covering the gear about 5 minutes in:
Transcript:
http://www.goodeatsfanpage.com/Season...
Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E270Qx...
djfgabriel:
The turkey is not breaded; so, there's no coating to absorb the volume of oil absorbed during "southern" chicken frying. Secondly, if you look into the science of frying, you'll find out that an equilibrium pressure develops between the vaporizing water, just under the skin of the frying subject, and the outside oil during the cooking process. This equilibrium between the steam exiting the turkey and the oil trying to get in, combined with the relatively high ratio of volume to surface area of the turkey insures that there's a relatively small amount of oil entering the meat. What's left? Juicy bird my friend! Give frying a whirl; you'll be extremely surprised by it, and disappointed that you've been suffering through roasted turkey all these years!
bluishgnome:
Surprisingly enough, I saw frying equipment during a recent trip to a familiar orange-themed, big box, hardware store--“You can do it, they can help”. But I'd recommend finding a bbq supply store for equipment, first, and a hardware store second. They'll have the gear and advice you're looking for. Good luck to you!
A co-worker did a fried turkey and one done "otherwise", I forget the method. He said the fried bird was great same day, but less so as leftovers, while the other bird's leftovers were better.
My own take is that this is a piece of equipment you'll use not more than twice a year and have to store the other 360-plus days, and it uses a whole lot of oil.
I use my Weber kettle. Quicker than the oven, fantastic results.
What about gravy!
We use our propane outdoor burner for more than turkey! We do lobster or crab boils, shrimp boils, steam huge bunches of veggies and brew up our beer.
I seem to remember something about "Brining" the bird before frying. It helps with keeping the bird moist and it added flavour.
Brine-ing a fried turkey is not necessary. A simple rub of salt and pepper an hour or so before cooking is fine. Some folks will inject marinades and let it sit over night. However, if you inject a sugar base solution, expect your bird to go black. I've done orange juice, garlic/onion, cajun, but I personally think the salt rub is best. I'll also fry up ducks, chickens, and gizzards.
On the equipment, look for a stand with a wide stable base and a guard to prevent the cooking pot from sliding off the burner.
This is a great article! I just wanted to let you know that we used it as a reference on the following page:
http://www.mahalo.com/How_to_Deep_Fry...
Thanks very much! It's excellent content!
Having grown up in south Louisiana I finally gave up frying our own to just buy a cajun fried turkey having one delivered to my doorstep from Copelands www.Copelandsatlanta.com . They definitely have the injection and cajun rub down in a seasoning combo I could never match and the reheated bird was just better every time. So better taste with none of the labor. Surely not quite the thrill or adventure but still raves from all the guests - they also have a very highend gourmet turducken. Copeland is the guy who started Popeyes so he knows something about frying poultry - give it a try as you can't be dissapointed with the results
http://videos.macon.com/vmix_hosted_a...
My husband has a championship cooking team. Each year, they host a "Turkey Fry" for our friends and family. We have it on Wedensday before Thanksgiving. Friends bring their turkeys and the oil by before 2:00, then start picking them up around 6. It has become an annual party. The last of the crowd leaves around midnight. This video was done for our local newspaper and is very informative.