Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Last minute instructions for those FReepers who will deep fry, or attempt to deep fry, their turkey
Me | 11/25/08 | GeorgiaDawg32

Posted on 11/25/2008 5:56:26 AM PST by GeorgiaDawg32

Feel free to cross-post this to other boards of which you may be a member.

In keeping with the Thanksgiving spirit, I thought I'd put this up for those who are going to deep fry their turkey and especially for those who will be attempting to deep fry their first turkey.

Make sure you use fresh peanut oil for the frying. You can reuse the oil up to 3 times (2 is preferable) if you're deep frying multiple turkeys.

NOTE: If you have a deep fryer that says it can hold an 18 lb. turkey, DO NOT use a turkey over 15 lbs. This will allow the legs and wings to open up and cook between the leg/body and the wing/body.

1) Make sure the turkey is dead and defeathered 2) Make sure, if you buy a frozen turkey, it is COMPLETELY thawed 3) Inject it with the sauce of your choice (We use a butter/garlic sauce. You can use hot sauce, italian etc. etc.). Inject it into the meat all over the turkey and leave in the fridge overnight so the sauce can saturate the meat 4) BEFORE you attempt to deep fry, perform the "Water test". Take the turkey out of the fridge and place it in the fryer exactly as you would if you were deep frying. 5) Fill the container with water to 1" below the top of the turkey (Hot oil expands and will cover the turkey during frying). 6) REMOVE the turkey from the fryer and mark the water line with a magic marker or some other sort of marker. 7) Fill oil to the line you have marked. DRY out the inside of the fryer. 8) Fire up the flame and using a thermometer, heat the oil to 400 degrees. 9) TURN THE FLAME OFF using the hose cutoff AND turn the tank off. MAKE SURE the turkey is set on the stand with legs at the bottom. 10) Using a broomstick or some other sort of handle (use 2 people for this), put it through the O-Ring (triangular on some model fryers) and gently lower the turkey into the oil. WATCH FOR SPLATTER. 11) Cook the turkey for 2 minutes 50 seconds per pound starting the clock when you have immersed the turkey in the oil. DO NOT EXCEED THIS TIME LIMIT or the turkey will be overcooked. (A 15 lb. turkey will be done in 42.5 minutes) 12)Once the turkey is in the oil and the splatter has stopped, re-open the gas tank and restart the flame. Using a thermometer, adjust the oil to 350 degrees. Cover the turkey but leave the top SLIGHTLY cracked. 13) When the time is done, TURN OFF the hose shutoff AND turn off the tank. 14) Using a broomstick or other suitable handle, SLOWLY raise the turkey out of the oil and hold for 60 seconds to allow oil to drip back into the fryer. 15) Using another thermometer, place it into the bird between a leg and the body. It should hold a minimum of 160 degrees for 20 seconds. 16) Place in an aluminum roaster (or other roaster if you prefer), take it in the house and enjoy.

Some things to remember: 1) DO NOT place the fryer on or near wood such as a house or deck. The smoky taste will not transfer from a burning structure to the turkey 2) TRY not to be inebriated when doing this, it's extremely dangerous 3) DO NOT use a turkey that is partially frozen. Talk about splatter from he*l.

Y'all can feel free to add any other do's and don't's (is that a word??) to this list.

Be prepared to be complimented on how good the turkey was.


TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: food; recipes; thanksgiving; turkey
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081 next last
To: Tennessee_Bob
He said they’re going to be keeping an eye on me.

Maybe you should tell 'em you'll be smoking a joint? ;^)

61 posted on 11/25/2008 7:07:34 AM PST by Las Vegas Ron (When homo's can procreate - then they can get married)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 50 | View Replies]

To: cyclotic
make sure that garbage can hasn't been galvanized the fumes are very toxic to the point of causing severe repository damage or death
62 posted on 11/25/2008 7:07:47 AM PST by mt tom (high in the sierras looking down into the garden spot of the world)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 54 | View Replies]

To: GeorgiaDawg32

Fried turkey-—invented in South Louisiana (the Cajuns needed something to do with crawfish boilers outside of crawfish season).


63 posted on 11/25/2008 7:08:40 AM PST by Wonder Warthog ( The Hog of Steel)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: GeorgiaDawg32

Given how dangerous deep frying turkeys seems to be, make sure you are 50 feet from any structure and dig a three foot moat around the cooking area.


64 posted on 11/25/2008 7:10:46 AM PST by Minn (Here is a realistic picture of the prophet: ----> ([: {()
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NEMDF

No, after three days in camp, we’re all just going to breathe on it and it should self ignite.


65 posted on 11/25/2008 7:25:44 AM PST by cyclotic (Is Michelle Obama really Rita X?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 59 | View Replies]

To: mt tom

Thaks for the advice. I found a site that discussed that and suggested buidling a fire inside the can and burning off the galvanic finish.

I guess I’ll be doing that that this weekend.


66 posted on 11/25/2008 7:33:36 AM PST by cyclotic (Is Michelle Obama really Rita X?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 62 | View Replies]

To: GeorgiaDawg32

bump


67 posted on 11/25/2008 7:40:52 AM PST by painter
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Izzy Dunne

Don’t worry, after a few minutes in the 10W30 it’ll be both.


68 posted on 11/25/2008 7:42:21 AM PST by count-your-change (You don't have be brilliant, not being stupid is enough.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Minn
Given how dangerous deep frying turkeys seems to be, make sure you are 50 feet from any structure and dig a three foot moat around the cooking area.

We've actually got a bunker built from an old storm shelter, sitting about a half mile back from the frying site. Working on getting an air tanker on standby, but the flight manager says they're all working in California for some reason.

69 posted on 11/25/2008 7:45:27 AM PST by Tennessee_Bob (They're illegal aliens, not immigrants - there is a difference!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 64 | View Replies]

To: cyclotic

That method sounds like a poor man’s caja china. That’s the next thing I’m looking at trying cooking with.


70 posted on 11/25/2008 7:47:15 AM PST by Tennessee_Bob (They're illegal aliens, not immigrants - there is a difference!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 54 | View Replies]

To: GeorgiaDawg32

I’ve never fried a turkey, but I’ve had some and their tasty. One question though: What do you do with all that oil when you’re done?


71 posted on 11/25/2008 7:50:16 AM PST by The Sons of Liberty (Sworn to Defend The Constitution Against All Enemies, Foreign and Domestic!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: The Sons of Liberty

wait for it to cool, use a pump, put it into a container and recycle it..


72 posted on 11/25/2008 7:52:55 AM PST by GeorgiaDawg32 (I'm a Patriot Guard Rider. www.patriotguard.org for info.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 71 | View Replies]

To: GeorgiaDawg32
An excellent and extremely thoughtful post. Thank you for taking the time to write it. I had considered getting a propane turkey fryer this year but did some research and found a "Masterbuilt Electric Turkey Fryer". I tried it out last weekend on a whole chicken. No exposed flame, it uses a self-contained heating element. It requires easy cleaning to maintain it so that it works as designed, but I got through that routine in about 20 minutes and it was shining new again.

The performance cooking was exceptional, and I'll post a followup after Thanksgiving day. There is a programmable interface that includes the type of meal you are frying (can do any fried food) and is as easy to use as pushing a few buttons. I selected turkey at 5 lbs for my trial, and the unit immediately went into a preheating mode for the peanut oil I had used. Around 20 minutes later the temperature had reached 400 degrees and a beeper sounded from my patio (this unit is specifically designed for indoor use but a covered patio is fine.) I lowered my thawed, dried chicken into the pot and hit "Start". The timer began a countdown from 20 minutes per the programming.

That was enough time to microwave some vegetables and do some other small sides for the chicken. Soon enough, the timer went off and I was able to pull the bird out, shielded by welding gloves, goggles and the lid of the fryer. No splatter or anything, I put the bird on the pan I laid out and brought it inside.

Since we already had the oil heated to the right temperate, I decided to toss in some battered onions and make onion rings while the turkey cooled. This was from a premix with fresh onions. It took about 6 minutes and they came out perfectly. We brought those inside and devoured half of them before even looking at the chicken. They were delicious.

The chicken came out great! It was noticeably the juiciest chicken I'd ever had, and the injected flavors I used came out very tasty. It didn't last long after the kids arrived.

I'm really looking forward to seeing how the turkey comes out! It has a max of 14 lbs, but that's not a problem for us, we'll have so much other stuff to eat.

Great thread - Hope everyone has a fantastic Thanksgiving - CHEERS!

73 posted on 11/25/2008 9:25:35 AM PST by Caipirabob (Communists... Socialists... Democrats...Traitors... Who can tell the difference?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: GeorgiaDawg32
Wow. 73 posts, and nobody noticed:

"7) Fill oil to the line you have marked. DRY out the inside of the fryer. "

You need to dry out the inside of the fryer BEFORE you fill it with oil. It's a little hard to do afterwards.

74 posted on 11/25/2008 10:00:45 AM PST by CharlesWayneCT
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NEMDF
Do you have to light the charcoal?

Well, that depends. How rare do you like your bird?

75 posted on 11/25/2008 11:10:19 AM PST by TexasRepublic (Comrade, can you spare a slice of bread?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 59 | View Replies]

To: GeorgiaDawg32

The bird:
About 12 pounds is really as big as you want to go. It takes less than an hour to cook. A 20 pound bird (IF it fits in your fryer) will NEVER cook all the way through. The cooking time is so fast, that you can cook 2 if you want a lot of turkey. In fact, you can cook as many as you want.
The bird should be warm and dry. A wet bird will cause considerable excitement as the oil spills over the top of the pot. Take it out and place it on the counter before you set up your rig. By the time you are ready to drop it, it will be warm enough. After it is done, wrap in heavy duty foil, and the bird will stay hot for about 4 hours sitting on the counter.

The rig:

I only use Stainless. Aluminum is fine, but burned on oil is there to stay, forever. I have 3 thermometers: 2 dial type go into the oil, and one is a digital plunge type. I put 2 in the oil so that I can be ABSOLUTELY sure what the temperature is.
The third is to check the interior of the bird when he comes out of the oil. If he is 160, then it is perfect. Wrapped in foil, it will coast to 180 easy. Just leave the plunge thermometer in the bird until you are ready to carve. The rig should be at least 10 feet from any structure, and on the grass. Never set up on concrete. The stain will look like Jesus and you will spend the rest of the year chasing pilgrims out of your yard. Put down cardboard to protect the grass.
NEVER LET THE OIL GO ABOVE 450 DEGREES. Oil is ruined if the temp goes over that, and oil will not burn below that temp, and fires are bad. BAD!! Serious smoke indicates that your oil is too hot.
Nothing, NOTHING comes closer than 5 feet to the hot pot. Anything that can fall over (chairs, tables, ladders) should be able to do so without hitting the pot. You do not own the wind. While heating up and cooling down, keep the lid on. Bugs, leaves, and other assorted foreign items do not enhance flavor. There is no excuse for not having a fire extinguisher at the scene. Once the fire is lit, the pot should never be left alone. If it is too cold, then place the rig where it can be observed from inside.
Oh, and NO DRINKING while cooking.

Oil:
I have never used anything but peanut oil, so I have absolutely no experience dealing with any other type.
Buy your oil in gallon jugs. It may cost more, but if you have a 3 or 5 gallon jug, and you do not use it all, what is left in the jug will be contaminated when you pour the used oil back in. The oil will keep, and you can re-use it again at Christmas. Simply strain it back into the jugs, and keep them in a cool, dark place until December 25th.
As long as you do not burn the oil, you can literally cook as many birds as you wish.


76 posted on 11/25/2008 11:43:55 AM PST by Mr. Quarterpanel (I am not an actor, but I play one on TV)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Tennessee_Bob

Bob, you brought back a lot of good memories with that old flyer. Life was a lot simpler back then!


77 posted on 11/25/2008 12:55:30 PM PST by I Buried My Guns
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: All

78 posted on 11/26/2008 7:34:38 AM PST by Eye of Unk (Aleutica, the new name of Free Alaska)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 77 | View Replies]

To: GeorgiaDawg32

Ping to turkey thread


79 posted on 11/27/2008 7:38:06 AM PST by snippy_about_it (The FReeper Foxhole. America's history, America's soul.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: GeorgiaDawg32
Hold muh beer and watch this!
80 posted on 11/27/2008 7:39:27 AM PST by mad_as_he$$ (Nemo me impune lacessit.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson