THE DEEP FRIED TURKEY CRAZE!

As November gets out of first gear, Thanksgiving is just weeks away and one wonders what to cook or not to cook for this festive holiday. But TGD is all about being thankful for what we do have and making due with what we do have. A lof of people can't afford a decent meal anytime, so those of us with close friends and family who know that we are going to have a meal or a few on this day we should be very thankful.

Thanksgiving at the Sambrano house was always filled with lots of love from family and friends, and mom (Peg) would be slaving from morning until dinner time. She would thaw the turkey out a day or two before. And she would be chopping onions, celery and old bread for the stuffing. The turkey would be the biggest she could get because she always wanted to have extra for anyone who would stop by. If we were lucky, a baker friend would stop by and drop off homemade pumpkin pie, or a cake, or cookies. And they were always the best stuff. However if someone did go to Safeway and purchased a pie, we'd be so thankful just the same as not everyone is a baker.

So as to not bore you, let's get on with this blog. This one delves in the how to on the deep fried turkey. Personally I have never deep fried a turkey. Just being honest. So I approached other cooks and chefs that did the deed at least once. And the bottom line for all of these deep fried afficionados is this. Safety first. The oil has to be blistering hot! And safety is something one must truly consider when deep frying a bird. Listed below are some of the safety issues you will need to deal with.

1. Keep a safe distance away from the house. According to my cook buddies, it is a good idea to keep your fryer at least 15 to 20 feet away from the house. (Maybe set up a tent outdoors with fire retardent material, and something to block the breeze and drizzle).

2. Make sure that the fryer is on flat ground. When the fryer is ready to go, it must be on a steady flat surface. It can't be moving around. If the surface is weak, there is a chance of spillage of hot oil that can cause injury to anyone around or near by.

3. Thaw and dry the turkey. Make sure your bird is thawed completely, and that there is zero moisture on or inside of the cavity. Water and hot cooking oil is not a good mixture. Make sure it is thawed well and dried very very well.

4. The cooking oil's temperature needs to be monitored. To ensure proper cooking throughout the turkey, make sure that the cooking oil is at a constant temperature throughout its cooking process. Bring oil temperature to about 400 degrees F, and lower it to 350 degrees F when cooking the turkey.

5. Fire extinguisher. Have on hand close by a multi-purpose fire extinguisher in the event the oil spills out and causes a fire. Also have a first aid kit on hand. Keep a cell phone near by to call 911 in the event you need to. Be prepared for the unexpeted all of the time.

Now that we got some key issues out of the way, let's get into some specifics. Again, I am not the expert but sharing you the tips from friends who are deep fryers of turkey during Thanksgiving. Hey why do all the hot dirty work when I can show up later and eat? Hahahahaha! Not funny? OK sorry.

What seasonings you want to use is entirely up to you. So experiement watch videos, ask around. Or heck, just use the simple salt and pepper thing and go for it.

What size of a pot should you use? Well it should be large enough to hold your turkey, with oil. And you do not want that oil to be to close to the rim of the pot. You want to to just cover the bird when it is cooking. I'm going to post a recipe from a buddy of mine, and you can guage it from there OK?

Ingredients

3 gallons of oil such as peanut. If you are allergic get some vegetable oil. Or shortening.

1 turkey whole, neck chopped off, giblets gone! Thawed well and dried. Set at room temperature at least an hour before frying.

1/2 cup or more of your seasonings.

1 onion

Directions

Take a large stock pot made of stainless steel, set over a heating appartus such as a floor model gas burner. Keep it stable closer to the ground not on a table where it may fall easily. Make sure there is room for the turkey and a good space to the top of the pot so the oil will not spill over when heated. Heat oil to 400 degrees F. 

Take the drain basket, place the onion into the basket, with turkey neck end first into the basket. Carefully lower the basket into the hot oil. Lower heat to 350 degrees F. A 12 pound bird according the experts should take approximately 45 minutes to cook through. 

Take your time when pulling out the drain basket using fire retardent gloves, and long sleeves that culinary staff wear. Place turkey on a platter to rest. Making sure that the bird is at least 180 degrees F. at its thickest parts. Use an instant read thermometer.

Watch this video on equipment to deep fryer pots

So let me know how your deep fry turkey experience turned out. One day when I'm not lazy I'll do a deep fry. Until then, I'm just going to watch, observe, and show up when dinner is served. Got it? Got it.

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