LET-CA
05-20-2006, 07:00 PM
Sat down this morning to cast a few boolits and was really enjoying myself. I recently picked up a used RCBS Pro Melt furnace and am really pleased with how the 22 pound capacity makes it possible to cast large numbers of boolits at a single sitting.
After working for a couple of hours I had a large pile of beautiful new boolits but was starting to get really hungry. A quick check of the refrigerator revealed a chicken that my wife had purchased yesterday evening. I stood there for a moment and quickly realized I had everything I needed for a really great meal.
After just a few minutes the bird was cut up and dredged in my favorite seasoned flour mix. I carefully put two pieces in the RCBS furnace which, at the time, held about 15 lbs of lead right at 750 degrees. At that temperature the chicken pieces were fully cooked in just over two seconds. It had a beautifully browned exterior, and the meat was wonderfully tender.
A few observations for those who might want to give this a try.
1. RCBS specifically disavows the use of their lead furnace as a deep fryer.
2. All the moisture in the meat will immediately turn to steam when placed in the hot lead. As it does, it expands to 1,100 times its original volume and will cause most, if not all of the lead to immediately leave the confines of the furnace and deposit itself on everything within a fifteen foot radius, in this case me.
3. As I noted before, it tasted pretty darn good. I was able to gnaw on one of the pieces with what was left of my lower jaw after dialing 911. The fireman who came with the paramedics finished off the rest after they put out the fire which had consumed most of my garage.
Some valuable lessons were learned.
1. Deep frying chicken in 750 degree lead is an outdoor activity.
2. It’s important to pat the chicken dry before immersing it in the hot lead.
3. The seasoning mixture didn’t need any cayenne pepper. It was pretty hot.
My doctor has arranged for an extended series of procedures over the next three years to try to reduce the near-lethal levels of lead in my bloodstream. He seems pretty worried but I’m confident in his abilities. I can hardly wait until I get out of the hospital because I want to try some catfish filets!
After working for a couple of hours I had a large pile of beautiful new boolits but was starting to get really hungry. A quick check of the refrigerator revealed a chicken that my wife had purchased yesterday evening. I stood there for a moment and quickly realized I had everything I needed for a really great meal.
After just a few minutes the bird was cut up and dredged in my favorite seasoned flour mix. I carefully put two pieces in the RCBS furnace which, at the time, held about 15 lbs of lead right at 750 degrees. At that temperature the chicken pieces were fully cooked in just over two seconds. It had a beautifully browned exterior, and the meat was wonderfully tender.
A few observations for those who might want to give this a try.
1. RCBS specifically disavows the use of their lead furnace as a deep fryer.
2. All the moisture in the meat will immediately turn to steam when placed in the hot lead. As it does, it expands to 1,100 times its original volume and will cause most, if not all of the lead to immediately leave the confines of the furnace and deposit itself on everything within a fifteen foot radius, in this case me.
3. As I noted before, it tasted pretty darn good. I was able to gnaw on one of the pieces with what was left of my lower jaw after dialing 911. The fireman who came with the paramedics finished off the rest after they put out the fire which had consumed most of my garage.
Some valuable lessons were learned.
1. Deep frying chicken in 750 degree lead is an outdoor activity.
2. It’s important to pat the chicken dry before immersing it in the hot lead.
3. The seasoning mixture didn’t need any cayenne pepper. It was pretty hot.
My doctor has arranged for an extended series of procedures over the next three years to try to reduce the near-lethal levels of lead in my bloodstream. He seems pretty worried but I’m confident in his abilities. I can hardly wait until I get out of the hospital because I want to try some catfish filets!