Deep fry a turkey???

T

Texas97

500+ Posts
i am sure there are some old posts on this but i could not find them on the search function.

so for after the Texas/Texas A&M i am going to have some friends over to my place to deep fry a turkey. i saw that academy has a kit (pot included,...) for like $40 + $30 for the peanut oil. i saw my uncle do it for christmas about 4 years ago and it was good.

any recipes to use? any good recommendations? i am almost thinking twice b/c i know i'll never use it again after that. and i am basically paying $70 to do it but we are getting a keg for afterwards as my roommate is an aggie and basically 99% of our friends are either UT grads or a&m grads. i think that is what we are going to do....



Texas97
 
don't waste your time with injections or specifically making a dry rub. go use a ton of Zatarans Creole, or whichever you prefer. cake it on there. this is all I do. try and fry 2 or 3 of them as they really start to taste even better after the first 2
 
I deep fried a turkey a few years back. We used the injections, but we didn't give it enough time to work it's way around the turkey so we got spots of spice and then nothing around it. Still was damn good!
 
Make sure you set it up close to something flammable. Side of a garage, wood fence, just out on some dead, dry grass. This will highly improve the entertainment factor of the process.
 
As we were pulling the turkey out, my best friend's arm caugh on fire. Granted it was wrapped in a towel, so it didn't burn him, but we all got a good laugh out of it,.
 
much better result and a hell of a lot easier, but also more time consuming to throw that ***** on a pit and smoke it.
 
I use canola oil and I inject the bird the day before. I just spinkle a good amount of cayenne pepper, black pepper and salt on the outside. Never had a problem or complaint.
 
We akways inject the hell out of it, rub the inside and outside of the bird in butter, and then coat it in your favorite seasoning. They always turn out pretty good.
 
You need to call in several neighbors to cook some birds as well.

But they PEANUT oil at Costco as it is MUCh CHEAPEr than at academy, about 25-30%.

I would think you could indeed fry a brined Turkey as long as you let it sit and dry out well. as Hot oil and water tend to sort of EXPLODE>..........

For $70 try buying a big as **** whole Rib Eye roast and cooking it in the oven. I have a recipie that is incredibly easy and kicks *** every single time. your friends will be blown away much more than with a fried turkey.
 
I usually fry between 3 and 5 a year. Been doing it for the last 5 or 6 yrs. Once you've had a fried turkey (done right) you won't go back to an oven roasted (unless you cook a brined one). Use peanut oil it has a higher smoking temperature and is healthier than vegetable oil.

Inject the day before, make sure turkey is free of water inside and out, 325 F for 3.5 minutes per pound.

Be creative with rubs and what you place in the cavity. I usually place a couple coves of garlic, pearl onions , thyme, basil, rosemary and sew the cavity with cotton string.

You'll get a very juicy, not gray or oily very tasty bird for your meal(s).
Good luck.
 
Something I have always been curious about...How the **** do you get the turkey out w/o it coming apart or burning the ever loving **** out of yourself?
 
I've never done it, but I have been present a few times. Some things that others have done.

One guy lays a big piece of plywood down under the pot set-up so any oil that bubbles out, etc doesn't stain his deck.

One guy told me an unfortunate story of how he filled the pot with oil and heated it up only to realize he hadn't left enough room for the Turkey. Doh!

As fas as getting it out, one guy I saw do it had a contraption that he slid the Turkey over that had a bottom. Allowed him to set the Turkey in and pull ot out easily.
 
The turkey frying pot you buy comes with a stand with a spit in the middle that you put the turkey on, and has a handle on it, and it comes with a rod to grab the hook and lower it into the hot oil, and to remove the cooked turkey.
However, I set it up out in the yard, due to fire and overflowing oil concerns. I wouldn't do it on a deck. It is a pretty large flame you've got going there, and it is hard to regulate the temperature of the oil. Easy to get it too hot, or not hot enough, especially if it is windy outside. There are instructions as to how to figure the right amount of oil, so as not to overflow when you add the bird.
Then there is the real problem of disposing of the oil afterwards-what do you do with 3 gallons of used cooking oil?
The turkey does taste great, not oily at all.
 
We always fry ours in a crawfish pot, so getting it out is as easy as lifting the bucket the turkey sits in and letting the oil drain. Let it sit in there a few minutes and then you can get at it with oven mitts.
 
on a related note. anyone know where you can get those rubber cooking gloves? no the dish washing kind (too thin, and would melt), and not the long canvas/leather ones (soaks up the juices). these are rubber gloves that some sort of insulation that allows you to handle hot foods. I've seen them at the bbq cookoffs on people who slice up briskets and ribs. I'm thinking they would work great handling a turkey.
 
The turkey can be lifted out by running a chain down thru the neck and out past the preacher's nose. A rod (or better a bolt with nuts to keep it in place) is slipped thru the chain to make a "T". I think turkey kits usually come with some such device.
 
Guys,

I am deep frying my first turkey tomorrow!!!! After reading all of the insightful posts on this thread, I have it set up so that if the oil overflows and catches fire it'll only burn my future neighbors' house (being buit right now).

But anyway, two things: first if I have around 4.5 gals of cottonseed oil to heat how long does it usually take it to get to 350 degress? The wind should be calm. I just need an approximate time-frame.

Second, does the steamer basket work better than the spit/stand? I want this to be as flawless as possible since I am dealing with superheated oil.

Thanks.

PS I have already injected the turkey,...................Hmmmmmmm moist turkey
 
I defer. Perhaps it's not inferior in the most important way then. I've watched it done a few times, and been enlisted for help. I also end up being to one who has to dispose of $70 worth of oil when it gets done. I didn't like the basket because the turkey stuck to it and tore off the best part of a fried turkey and because it was a great way to transfer a lot of really hot oil out of the cooker and was a hazard for a while until it cooled. It was also problematic as far as a very hot oily item to prevent easy access to the bird. The other way I have seen it done was basically a chain that ran through the bird to a crossbar down below the bird's ***. I wouldn't think that would prevent the bird from floating, but once again I don't really know.
 
I use the turkey stand instead of the basket. Less mess and all you have to do is apply oil to the stand prior to placing the bird on it and it should slide right off.

I've tried peanut and canola oil and both varied on time. Usually around 35 minutes (or 3 beers). I reuse the canola oil once or twice. I let it cool and pour in back into the containers and then refrigerate it. Never a problem.
 
Your suppose to re-use the oils is what I have been told.
I usually use the peanut oil twice.

From what I have heard, the cotton seed oil is suppose to be able to recycle better.
It supposedly (I have never used it so I can't say 100%) is not suppose to Keep the flavor of what you were cooking oiut of what you will cook next when it is reused.

I know what you are talking about (sticking turkey) but I usually dip the don't stick the pot in until I have the turkey in it.

I usually don't have that problem of sticking, although dumping the turkey can sometimes be a problem because you have to lift the end of the bucket to get the turkey to slide out.

The "hanger" type usually will not let your bird float.
It keeps it in place.

Each has it's upside and downside to it.
It's really not that big a deal.

I will say what is a big deal to me, not having a cooker that has high enough butane power.

The small ones aren't able to hold that temperature at the 320-350 degrees once the turkey is lowered.
 
hornimal Costco had the gloves you are looking for Silcon able to handle 450 degrees.

I didn't buy the in Austin and they were gone in no time 2 gloves and two pads for dioshes for 19.99 still pissing me off as I write this...
 
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