OT cooks - deep frying a turkey

[vash]

i have done is a few times with success. (the first time was a disaster)

i will brine the bird. here is the question: i usually just get the oil temp to 350 and gently dip the bird in. i have recently heard (and read; alton brown) state that you lower the bird in when the oil temp is at 250, and then build the heat to 350 with the bird in the oil bath. what do you guys do?

cliff

[Dueller]

350 or a little higher as the oil will cool down dramatically when you drop the bird. 3 mins/pound. IMO injecting is far over rated. Dust bird heavilly with Tony Cachere's Creole seasoning before and after frying. Wrap loosely in foil until served.

[cmccuist]

Cliff, I fry a lot of turkeys here in TX. What I like to do is brine the bird ( as you are planning to do) for 24 hours. Then I inject the bird with spices - garlic and butter, teriyaki, cajun, etc. - about two hours before frying.

I get the peanut oil up to 375 deg. I do this because once the turkey is lowered, the temperature will never get back to 350. It's like trying to get a pot of water past 212.

I generally use 10-12 lb turkeys as anything bigger will become done on the outside while never cooking the inside fully.

I fry them for 3 minutes/lb. So a 12 lb turkey is in the oil for 36 minutes.

I haven't heard of putting the turkey in at 250, but I don't think it will work because the moisture in the turkey will never allow the temp to get to 350.

Hope this helps!!

[cmccuist]

Originally Posted by Dueller

350 or a little higher as the oil will cool down dramatically when you drop the bird. 3 mins/pound. IMO injecting is far over rated. Dust bird heavilly with Tony Cachere's Creole seasoning before and after frying. Wrap loosely in foil until served.

I dust with Tony Cachere's as well, but only before frying.

I like injecting, but I don't insist on it.

I usually do three turkeys/holiday as the oil is about $30 for 3 gallons.

If you brine and fry, it's almost impossible to dry out a turkey.

[Dueller]

We do 35-50 each t'giving for sales/catering out of my wife's restaurant. Usually have 4-5 pots going at a time that we have set up fed by 4 foot tall propane tanks. We pull so much propane thru the regulator it develops ice

Of course we start late on wednesday and drink our way thru the morning

[craigster59]

Cliff, Here's a copy of my foolproof Turkey Fry instructions. I give them to a lot of first timers and no fires, raw birds or "red joints" yet.

DEEP FRIED TURKEY

This works best with a turkey 10-12 lbs.
DEFROST TURKEY AND PLACE IN POT DRUMSTICKS FACING UP. FILL POT WITH WATER TO 2 INCHES ABOVE TURKEY, REMOVE TURKEY AND MARK WATER LEVEL ON OUTSIDE OF POT. DISCARD WATER AND DRY POT . REMOVE TURKEY FROM WRAPPING AND DISCARD GIBLETS AND NECKBONE. RINSE TURKEY THORUOGHLY INSIDE AND OUT AND PAT DRY WITH PAPER TOWELS. FILL INJECTOR WITH MARINADE AND INJECT THRU A MINIMAL AMOUNT OF HOLES, PULLING BACK NEEDLE AND INJECTING AT VARIOUS POINTS AT BREAST, DRUMSTICK,BACK AND THIGH. SPRINKLE OUTSIDE AND BODY CAVITY WITH “OLD BAY”, “TONY CHACHERES CREOLE” OR WHATEVER SEASONING YOU LIKE.
PLACE POT ON BURNER AND FILL WITH PEANUT OIL TO MARK ON POT. HEAT TO 375-400 DEG. AND S-L-O-W-L-Y PLACE TURKEY INTO OIL, RAISING AND LOWERING TIL THE BUBBLING IS NOT SO “ VIOLENT.” TEMP WILL DROP TO 250 TO 275, TURN UP BURNER AND BRING OIL BACK UP TO 300-325 AND COOK FOR 45 MINUTES OR 3 ˝ MINUTES PER POUND. LIFT TURKEY FROM POT, PLACE ON RACK AND LET DRAIN 3-5 MINUTES. PLACE ON PLATTER AND LET REST FOR 10-15 MINUTES. CARVE AND ENJOY!

[vash]

crappola! my wife bought a 19lb bird. should i get a lighter turkey?

thanks fellas.

[Heel n Toe]

Vash, here's some comic relief for ya:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MR-2zKnn1I

[KaptKaos]

Brine: Make sure you use a salt water brine WITHOUT apple cider or too much sugar. The sugars from the juice or others will caramelize and burn the skin. The meat will be ok, but the skin will be Darth Vader black. Also, brine the bird breast side down. www.melindalee.com for brine recipe, just omit the apple cider and use water.

Dry the bird before frying, then dry it again and then dry it again.

I coat liberally with cajun seasoning. YMMV

Bring oil to 350 and ease the bird in. Helps to have gloves, long pipe, helpers, etc... Take your time, as the oil will splatter.

NOTE: BIRD MUST BE DEFROSTED OR IT WILL ASSPLODE!

Keep oil at 325 for 3mins/lb. Take out and let rest about 15 minutes.

Skin will taste like bacon if done right!

Good luck.

[mschuep]

I see no problem with frying a 19lb bird unless it won't fit safely.

usually, the fryer instructions will specify the maximum size bird it will fry safely...If you don't have that info, stick the bird in the pot and see how much space is left at the top. If it is anywhere near the top of the pot, get a smaller bird. Not worth burning down the house for delicious turkey!

To make sure you don't have too much (or too little) oil, fill up fryer pot with water, dunk bird, and adjust the amount of water until it is 1/2" above bird. remove bird, note water level in pot...dump water and fill with oil to previously marked water line.

As others have said, I always start at 350-375...the 250-350 idea sounds a little unpredictable, and/or impossible.

[craigster59]

Originally Posted by vash

crappola! my wife bought a 19lb bird. should i get a lighter turkey?

thanks fellas.

Like it's been said, if it'll fit SAFELY in the pot 19 lbs is no problem. I prefer to do 2 or 3 smaller birds as opposed to one big one for 2 reasons. The size of my pot and 12lbs = around 45 min. Easy to remember when you're drinkin' and cookin'.

[David]

If you're cooking more than 1 or 2 birds, don't use a Butterball as it will turn the oil black.

[cstreit]

19 lbs is a bit heavy. Check with your pot to see if it's big enough. You need to cover the bird without the oil getting too far to the top otherwise when you dip the bird in, the oil will overflow then FIRE

[rfuerst911sc]

I've been deep frying turkeys for about 5 years now. A 19lb. bird is too big in my opinion, I think the instructions that came with my cooker said 14-16 lb. max. Since I started I've been using peanut oil but this year we tried light canola oil and we couldn't taste a difference. The wife normally applies a dry rub about 2 hours before I drop the bird in the fryer. I preheat the oil to 350 per my thermometer then slowly lower the bird into the oil. I don't normally see that much of a temp drop and I cook 3 minutes per pound. In my opinion deep fried turkey is the best

[imcarthur]

Frying turkeys? I've never tried it. Up here in the northwoods, everybody bakes them. What is the advantage other than time & crispy skin? What do you do with all of the turkey oil?

Ian

[ruf-porsche]

Originally Posted by imcarthur

Frying turkeys? I've never tried it. Up here in the northwoods, everybody bakes them. What is the advantage other than time & crispy skin? What do you do with all of the turkey oil?

Ian

You mean ROAST them.

Moist meat instead of dry up meat.

Bio diesel car.

[Nathans_Dad]

Here's a tip. Buy one of those thermometers that has the probe on a small cord, the kind you can insert and leave in. Put that bad boy in the thickest part of the breast before you start frying. When it reaches 151 degrees, pull the bird. Let it rest for 20-30 mins before carving. The carryover heat will bring it up to 160-165 which is where you want it. If you bring it to 165 in the oil, it will end up in the 170-180 range and be overcooked.

[ruf-porsche]

Originally Posted by Dueller

We do 35-50 each t'giving for sales/catering out of my wife's restaurant. Usually have 4-5 pots going at a time that we have set up fed by 4 foot tall propane tanks. We pull so much propane thru the regulator it develops ice

Of course we start late on wednesday and drink our way thru the morning

There are people in the 911 forum that uses a cocktail mixture of propane as a refrigerant in their cars ac system.