frying a turkey....

[gator]

man, i got this new lil burner/pot rig before my "western" trip, cooked up some fine chile using the 15 qt magnalite and the burner.....

got a lil holiday spirit in me last week and went off and bought a 16 lb turkey and told the family, "hold on, i got Christmas dinner"........w/out thinking "i've NEVER fried one"

so, it dawned on me again TODAY -- dummy, you've NEVER done this.....

as such, and relying on the wealth of knowledge this dump can offer.......

any tricks to it? i've got 2 jars of that cajun injector marinade ready.....

you got a seasoning for the outside you like?

peanut oil, vegetable oil? which is the best way to go?

this pot can hold an 18 lb turkey, 30 qts, any idea's how much oil would be a safe bet on frying this sucker?

yeah, i know, we're gonna be ordering out about 1300, so save it

help please.....gator

[turkeyman]

peanut oil and fry it 3 min a lbs put u a creole rub on it.

[dawg-n-duck]

peanut oil and fry it 3 min a lbs put u a creole rub on it.

What he said ... go on and take the turkey out of the store bought wrapper and rub it down good and inject him then let it sit in a cooler overnight. Be careful when you first put him in cause the grease will probably pop and spetter like a son of a bitch. Damn good eating and a smell that makes your mouth water the whole time you are cooking.

[judge jb]

go to http://www.foodnetwork.com and enter turkey frying in the search box.. lots of ideas,, tips and esp. safety... a big pot of hot oil can be dangerous... but well worth it in the end... you will never want a oven roasted turkey again....

judge jb

[Dutch Dog]

Peanut oil is almost 2x the price of vegetable oil...and vegetable oil will do the job. I have fried several and used both...really couldn't telll the difference. Go to the dept of the store where you bought the injectable marinade and get you some "rub" you definately want to have the entire outside of the turkey covered with some sort of rub. You can just get you some creole shake and it will do just fine. I have found also that the injectable marinades aren't the "best" tasting stuff. You'll be better pleased if you also put some of the rub you use on the outside in the injectable liquid. I would also recommend, depending upon personal preference mixing in some Louisiana brand hot sauce or equivelant, or some cayenne pepper....the injectable sauces seem to be a little bland for my taste. Also, someone mentioned 3 min per pound...I would do 3 1/2 min per pound...especially on a big bird such as the one you got...lot thicker and would need more time to get the middle done...do this at 350 degrees.
Here's another tip...before you marinate your bird, or put oil in the pot...put your bird and WATER in the pot. Fill it with water until the bird is covered with water by about an inch or so. Then take the bird out, make sure all the water is out of the "cavity" of the bird and is in the pot, now you can mark the water level in the pot with the bird out of it and that will be the level you'll need to fill the pot with oil. A piece of tape works fine for marking it, (just remember to take the tape off after filling with oil)
If you are taking on this task on your own...which I don't advise, make sure you have something to put your turkey in when you take it out of the oil. A very large roaster pan...like the one you bake a turkey in is best...a lot of folks don't think about this, but once you start cooking the turkey isn't the time to think about it. Generally you can't pick the turkey up by the leg after cooking as it will come off.

[feather]

Dang Dutch Dog...you are a veritable well of knowledge. Good advice and some $#!+ I'd of never thought of beforehand. Thanks!

[gator]

Dang Dutch Dog...you are a veritable well of knowledge. Good advice and some *!@#@* I'd of never thought of beforehand. Thanks!

man, i think i'm gonna puke

thanks guys......and you too dutch, hehe

gator

[skuna]

I like to peal the skin on the breast back and rub it down with butter and Cajun seasoning........a lot of Cajun seasoning, and then pull the skin back over it so it does not come off in the grease.

Also, DD is right about the oil......taste the same. Only reason to use peanut oil is if you are going to cook several birds or recycle the oil. Peanut oil can take much higher heat for longer periods of time without burning/scorching.

Cooked one last night and was damn good if I do say so myself.

[Scully]

I have had better luck starting out the oil at low temp. say 250 and putting the bird in- then cranking the heat up. This cuts down on the explosion when real hot oil meets cold bird. Keep an eye on the oil temp. don't walk away and forget it. Good luck

[msbigdawg1234]

Everything they said but when you get ready to rub the bird smear a mixer of mayo and alittle musturd all over him it will help to keep the seasoning on and give a crispier outside.Also you should run a close hanger thru the bird and wrap it around thru the neck hole if ya don't have one of the bird caddy thingys. My mouth is just a waterin.

[grnyammer]

Also keep a check on the temp. It will fall when you put the bird in. Crank it up after you put the bird in and when it starts getting fairly close to the desired temp, turn it down and watch it. Most importantly weigh the bird so you will know the correct weight. 3.5 to 4 minutes a pound. I prefer to use the middle of the two. Ex. 3.7 min. per pound. Just do the math with 3.5 then 4 min and split the diff. Also use a long stick/broomhandle to lower and raise the bird in/out of the pot with. As DD said make d#@$ sure the bird is dry in and out before putting in hot oil. Love them crispy wings!!!!

[msbigdawg1234]

Gator how did ya bird turn out?

[gator]

hey bud, turkey turned out GREAT..........didn't even burn the house down

i did learn a few things w/ this one that i'll use to improve on it the next go round.......gator

[msbigdawg1234]

Ya can't beat that fried bird.

[RedEyed Duck]

hey bud, turkey turned out GREAT..........didn't even burn the house down

i did learn a few things w/ this one that i'll use to improve on it the next go round.......gator

The peanut oil holds up better than vegetable oil and can be used more than once. The best way to make sure you have the right amount of oil is to place the bird in the fryer with water once the bird is covered remove the bird and mark the water line. Dry the pot and bird then fill with the correct amount of oil. I agree with placing the bird in the oil at about 250 degrees and the cranking up to 350. I go with 3 - 3.5 minutes per pound, 3.5 being the max. You ought to try frying a duck and or goose now that you are no longer a VIRGIN! Glad it turned out well!