Deep Fry'n Turkey.

[jjamna]

Any secrets to deep fry'n a turkey. Gonna do for the first time Turkey day. Need suggestions on how to season.

[MT Gianni]

Inject it with a salt water garlic mix. Use a needle and syringe made for marinating and add any other spices you like. Gianni

[eka]

Use peanut oil. I buy it in the 5 gallon jug at Sam's. You can reuse the oil many times. Let the oil cool and using a large automotive type funnel (a new one), pour the oil back into the original container for storage. The gunk will settle to the bottom, just stop pouring before you get to most of that. Also make sure your turkey is thawed. Sounds like a no brainer, but a friend of ours didn't pick up on that one. As far as the seasoning, you can purchase the injectors preloaded with different flavors of seasoning mixtures. That is really the way to go. I bought the last one's I used at Bass Pro, but they are at a lot of different places.

Good luck,

Keith

[DeanoBeanCounter]

You can take most of the gunk out by filtering the oil through a paper towel as your pouring it back into the container. Change the paper towel as often as needed. Also worm to the touch oil filters a lot quicker than cold oil. That's worm to the touch not hot. Then I freeze my oil until I'm ready to use it again.
Deano :-D

[Lee]

I cut a 2' long piece of broom handle. Slip it thru the whole hanging turkey handle thingie. Have a friend on one side, yourself on the other. Slowly lower the bird into the oil. That way, if the oil pops or sputters, you're not going the hot oil jig. Works for me. Use your own seasonings, as mentioned above, inject the bird. Watch the time and temperature, the instructions on the fryer box work OK for me. Peanut oil, tho more expensive than some of the cheaper priced spreads, works the best, spend the extra for it.
Oh, and expect lots of compliments.........................Lee;-)

[JSH]

If you have never done this before you need to know how much oil to put in your pot. To much is a BAD thing! Makes the tinsel fairy look like an angel.
Take your pot and put the turkey in it, can still be in the plastic wrapper and frozen for this. Then fill it up enough to cover with water. Take the turkey out and measure how many quarts or scrib a mark on the inside for future reference.
A bigger bird is not always a better in deep frying. I prefer a 14 pound or under and no bigger than a 16 pounder.
I see most prefer peanut oil. I have used it and it was fine, just never could justify the price. I am in good with sevral resteraunt folks and get the liquid shortening in a 5 gallon type square jug. When I am done it gets dumped in the fence row. When I go to fry a turkey, I usually tell folks to stop at the grocer and get a fresh chicken and I will make supper or lunch for them the next day while the oil is hot. This way the oil is pretty much used up when done.
Also, don't get to carried away with the out side as it will blow off for the most part when you dunk it. I lossen the skin up but try not to tear it. Then dump your dry season down into the pocket and rub, massage all over the breast and thighs. Then let it set in the fridge whilst the oil is heating up. Do the same with chickens if folks bring them.
Watch your oil temp also. Once you get it set if it drops the bottom of the pot is probably coated with excess spice and debris, etc.
Jeff

[Scrounger]

Jeff, you make me want to buy a smoked turkey! Know anybody that sells them?

[dubber123]

JSH is right about the too much oil thing. I saw a hilarious video on TV of two guys frying one. As soon as the video started I could see the pot was almost totally full of oil. I knew what was coming when all that hot oil hit the fire, but it was still funny watching those guys run!

[JSH]

A friend of mine was selling and shipping smoked meats. He is some high end of the KCBBQ society, judge etc. I don't know what he has on hand. He usually had a bunch of ribs cryo'd and ready to ship. Smoking meat isn't as hard as some let on, just don't get in a hurry. If you get tired of waiting, take it off of the smoker and put it in the oven to finish it off. Best and easiest smoker out there is the electric brinkman type. A no brainer as your major heat will stay constant, just keep the water pan full but I have never had the problem of it running out.
Once you start fooling with it, you will find store bought or resteraunt type smoked meats to be a joke. But then again they have to cater to everyone rather than a few.
Sauces are another thing that cracks me up. Yes, there are some darn good ones out there. You want a quick and easy base? Use equal amount of catsup and grape jelly and go from there. Just warm it on the stove until it all melts. Add a bit of spices and so forth at a time until you get what you desire. Good smoked rubbed meat doesn't need a sauce IMHO. Just use it to cover mistakes.

Turkey to dry? Mix up a bit of chicken broth and pour that over the top. Pop back in oven for 30minutes.
Brisket to dry or to smokey for some? Just splash a little sweet wine over the top of it. I like to use the same type wine as fruit wood. Elderberry and muscadine wines do add a neat flavor and folks can't figure it out.
I like true burnt ends. Went to some fancy dancy smoke house a while back and ripped their A$$ for what they sent out as burnt ends. Nothing more than chopped up brisket.
I have been known to take a whole brisket and trim all the fat and split it. Throw it on the smoker after the first 4 hours, trim the burnet ends off. Then throw it back again, keep doing that till it is all burnt ends. Just watch how joucut them off so they stay on the thin side. I do this when cooking for a bunch in order to have enough burnt ends for folks to snack on and for my beans. Take that big pile of ends and spalsh some bourbon and wine over them then throw in the oven covered so they steam............damn now I am making myself hungry.
Jeff

[45nut]

Damn yer making a bunch of us hungry~!

[Boz330]

I just get the marinade at Krogers. they have a large selection and the injection needle comes with it.
I start the bird at 350* and it generally drops to 325* right away and I try to keep it there.
Wally World sells a battery powered pump that will filter the oil while pumping it back in the jug. To easy not to use. I just throw the jug in the freezer when done. Been using the same oil for several years now. As someone else pointed out lower the bird in veeeerrrryyy slowly to prevent oil boiling over the sides.
The first time I did one the wife went ballistic after seeing all the insurance company comercials about not burning your house down while doing one. After she tasted it I was redeemed. BTW I wasn't going to do it on the deck like she thought I was going to do.
Good luck and Happy Thanksgiving to all!!!!!!!!!!

Bob

[twotrees]

The way I measure the oil is to lower a fully thawed and DRIED bird into the pan. Pour in enough oil to just cover. Withdraw the bird and put on a table with plastic cover. Heat oil and lower in the pre-greased bird.

As for marinade, I use 1 bottle of Cajun Butter and one of Cajun Garlic. mix in a large container and return mix to the 2 bottles.

Don't get many complaints on this easy way.

Cut the skin at the thigh drum stick junction, if you don't, the air will insulate the meat and it will not cook with the rest of the bird. Use the long thermometer to probe the bird and make sure it's up to temp. ( The breast will cook the slowest.)

Happy Turkey day,

TwoTrees and RedFoxy in Ga.

(Going to deer camp in the early afternoon, and am doing a breast for the two of us, in my short basket)

[fourarmed]

For a minimalist approach, I have found that when you drop the bird in the hot oil, it will sink. When it floats, it is pretty well finished. I sometimes push it around for a few more minutes, but it is basically done.