The Guild - The Wonders of the Fried Turkey

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[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

A Deep Fried Delicacy: The How-To on Deep Frying Turkey

Deep-fried turkey, a concept that started in the south, is gradually rising in popularity nationwide. It's a perfect twist for barbecues, block parties and holiday feasts. In fact, since deep-frying turkey requires special equipment and lots of oil, families and groups of neighbors often get together to share the costs and the feast. To get you started, we have several deep-fried turkey recipes for you. For a Deep-Frying Turkey experience that is fun and produces delicious results follow these guidelines:

Equipment

You'll need a 40 or 60 quart pot with basket, burner and propane gas tank, a candy thermometer to measure oil temperature and a food thermometer to determine doneness of turkey. For added safety, have a fire extinguisher, oven mitts and pot holders nearby. To add flavor with different marinades and seasonings, you may want to purchase an injector.

Location
Place the fryer on level dirt or a grassy area. Never fry a turkey indoors, in a garage or in any other structure attached to a building. Avoid frying on wood decks, which could catch fire, and concrete, which can be stained by the oil.

The Turkey - Size Matters
Smaller turkeys, 8 to 10 pounds and turkey parts such as breast, wings, drumsticks and thighs, are best for frying. Size does matter as a 12-14 pound turkey is the maximum size bird that can be successfully deep-fried. In addition to the obvious safety concern of lowering and lifting a big turkey into a vessel of boiling oil, larger birds simply cook longer. The extra cooking time results in over-exposure to the skin, which will likely be over cooked.

If a larger bird (over 15-pounds) has been purchased, follow these steps for the best results. Detach the dark meat (leg and thigh portions) from the breast and fry the two turkey parts separately. Fry the leg/thigh sections first in oil that has been preheated to 365-375 degrees F. Cook to an internal temperature of 180 degrees F. Remove the dark sections and reheat the oil to 365-375 degrees F. Then fry the turkey breast to an internal temperature of 170 degrees F.

Other Ingredients
You'll need approximately 5 gallons of a high-smoke point oil; more for larger turkeys. The turkey may be injected with a marinade, coated with breading or seasoned with a rub. Check our list of recipes:

Cajun Deep Fried Turkey
Ginger & Rosemary Deep Fried Turkey

Southern Deep Fried Turkey
Louisiana Fried Turkey Breast

Cooking Preparation

• To determine the correct amount of oil, place the turkey in the fryer basket and place in the pot. Add water until it reaches 1 to 2 inches above the turkey. Remove the turkey and note the water level, using a ruler to measure the distance from the top of the pot to the surface of the water. Pour out the water and dry the pot thoroughly. Be sure to measure for oil before breading or marinating the turkey.
• Heat the oil to 365-375 degrees F. Depending on the amount of oil used, this usually takes between 45 minutes and 1 hour.
• While the oil is heating, prepare the turkey as desired. If injecting a marinade into the turkey, puree ingredients so that they will pass through the needle. Even so, you may have to strain the mixture to remove larger portions. Remove skin if desired. If breading the turkey, place the turkey in a gallon-sized food safe storage bag with breading and shake to coat.
• Do not stuff turkeys for deep frying.

Frying the Turkey Once the oil has come to temperature, place the turkey in the basket and slowly lower into the pot. Whole turkeys require approximately 3 minutes per pound to cook. Remove turkey and check internal temperature with meat thermometer. The temperature should reach 170 degrees F in the breast and 180 degrees F in the thigh. Turkey parts such as breast, wings and thighs require approximately 4 to 5 minutes per pound to come to temperature.

Additional Safety Tips Never leave the hot oil unattended and don't allow children or pets near the cooking area. Allow the oil to cool completely before disposing or storing. Immediately wash hands, utensils, equipment and surfaces that have come in contact with raw turkey. Turkey should be consumed immediately and leftovers stored in the refrigerator within two hours of cooking.

The oils used to fry turkey are critical to the success of the product.

Oil Selection
Only oils that have high smoke points should be used. Such oils include peanut, canola and sunflower. Peanut oil has abundant flavor and is the top choice of many cooks. Canola oil is low in saturated fats and would be appropriate to combine with peanut oil if fat and cholesterol are a concern.

Oil Filtering

These high smoke-point oils allow reusing the oil with proper filtration. Depending on the recipe used, remember to filter the oil...not just strain it. The first step is to strain the cooled oil through a fine strainer. If a breading, spice or herb rub are used in the preparation of the turkey, it will be necessary to further filter the oil through fine cheesecloth.

Oil Storage
The oil should be covered and refrigerated to prevent it from becoming rancid. The oil may be stored in the refrigerator for several months or until signs of deterioration begin. The oil will thicken when it is chilled, but will return to its original consistency when reheated.

Oil Shelf Life

According to the Texas Peanut Producers Board, peanut oil may be used three or four times to fry turkeys before signs of deterioration begin. Such indications include foaming, darkening or smoking excessively, indicating the oil must be discarded. Other signs of deteriorated oil include a rancid smell and/or failure to bubble when food is added.

For more information on deep frying turkey with peanut oil, visit www.louana.com.

© 2004 National Turkey Federation 1225 New York Avenue NW • Suite 400 • Washington, D.C. 20005 EMAIL: info@turkeyfed.org • TEL: 202.898.0100 • FAX: 202.898.0203

[Argh]

If you're ever up here, I'll fix you a Cross & Blackwell mince pie.

[Slip18]

I loves you, Arghie! I'll be there tomorrow. LOL!

[mountaineer]

I wonder what they're up to ...

U.S. former President Bill Clinton, left, talks with Dominican President Leonel Fernandez, right and businessman Frank Rainieri in Punta Cana, 130 miles east of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic on Monday, Nov. 22, 2004. (AP Photo/Palacio Nacional)

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) - Former US President Bill Clinton had lunch yesterday with Dominican Republic President Leonel Fernandez during an unannounced visit to the Caribbean nation, officials said. Clinton was accompanied by wife Hillary Rodham Clinton, a US senator from New York, while Fernandez was with first lady Margarita Cedeno, said Rafael Nunez, a spokesman for Fernandez. Nuñez declined details on the visit.

[lodwick]

Nothing much better than a good mince meat pie.

Yum.

[Slip18]

I know. And I never get it.

[lodwick]

Luby's.

[Slip18]

What's "Luby's"?

I checked your home page, and you're from Texas. Maybe only you have a Luby's.

Oh, do you mind of I steal your gun and drinking cat?

[lodwick]

lol - Luby's is a Texas-based cafeteria type operation that has really good mince meat pies, in season.

Please steal the 1911 and drinking kitty gifs - they were stolen from someone else.

Cheers.

[Timeout]

Just finished a double recipe of Horseradish Salad. Hope I can leave it alone until Thanksgiving!

Didn't take time for dinner and y'all are makin' me awfully hungy!

BWB...that thread WAS hillarious!

[daisyscarlett]

The Queen has an inside crown and an outside crown...

[daisyscarlett]

Wonder if Slick is in the DR to mooch off of OscardalaRenta for Thanksgiving...he and the Beast have done that before...Or perhaps Hillary is going to go to Afghanistan for Thanksgiving with the troops. Remember how she went last year but was upstaged by W who got all the press by going to Baghdad...hee hee...

[daisyscarlett]

Okay, I'll bite. Horseradish Salad? Recipe please, Mr. D. loves horseradish...

[daisyscarlett]

[Timeout]

This salad has the wierdest ingredient list you've ever seen...but it's totally divine! It goes perfectly with turkey/dressing. Your hubby will love it. (I think Lodwick made it last year.)

Last year, my sister's maid was ill at T'giving so we took her ample servings of our meal. She liked this salad so much she asked if I would make it for her again if she brought me the ingredients. (I thought this odd rather than asking for the recipe, but I was happy to do it for her.) Anyway, that's why I'm making double.

Horseradish Salad

2 cups boiling water
1 sm. pkg each: Lemon gelatin and Lime gelatin.

Mix boiling water and jello…stir well.
Let cool until slightly gelled.

Add to gelatin mix:
15 oz.crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup mayo
1 can Eagle Brand milk
1 cup chopped pecans (I use more)
3 TBSP lemon juice
¼ tsp salt
1 small carton cottage cheese (small curd)
2-3 heaping TBSP Horseradish (I use almost double)

(try to find "real" horseradish, not the “prepared” kind…the real stuff is at the seafood counter in my market).

Stir well and pour into mold or 9 x 13 glass dish. (I use a non-stick bundt pan AND spray it lightly with Pam.)

Refrigerate overnight or until firmly set.
To serve, invert on platter---if it doesn’t release, set pan down in warm water for minute or two. Slice the mold vertically for easy serving.
Serves 15-20.

[Slip18]

I've already used the drinking kitty gif on WFTD! LOL! Thanks.

Lotta gif stealing going on around here, eh?

[CheneyChick]

That was funny!

Hi everyone -- I'm back home now (from Afghanistan). I'm happy to be home in time for the holidays and happy to have more FR time and catch up here on the Guild.

I read Martha's Thanksgiving message from prison. Her life sounds similar to deployment except for the better environment and she gets to have visits from friends - plus its only five months she has to be there. LOL!

Cheers, CC :)

[Timeout]

Welcome home! I guess you know you're coming back to a very different country than existed before Nov. 2nd. Liberal sacred cows are falling like flies.

There's all this speculation about how CBS will fill Dan's anchor spot. Although I'm enjoying their depleted status, I have a nominee I think could help them out of it.

Lester Holt.

CBS would get all the good publicity for naming the first African American anchor, plus I really like him as a newsman...have always felt he plays it straight. I may be wrong, but it looks to me like it would be a win-win.

[mountaineer]

I'll vouch for timeout's horseradish salad, having made it last year. Delicious!

[mountaineer]

Please share your experiences, if you can. Yes, isn't it a shame that Martha has to endure such adversity, and they won't even put her in charge of the Thanksgiving menu at Alderson!

[Iowa Granny]

I copied the Salad recipe. I may make it to take to a family gathering on Saturday.