OT: Deep fried turkey

[Chance Legstrong]

smoke'em if you got'em!!

[happycampyer]

If you're doing a fryathon, maybe some chicken-fried bacon on the side (photo of the original from Sodolak's Original Country Inn in Snook, Texas).

[Craig Ryan]

The big day revolves around the smells coming from the kitchen, not the taste of the turkey. You won't get any of what makes the day special except good turkey to eat, which is just turkey. What makes Thanksgiving special are the smells coming from the kitchen all day as the bird cooks slowly in the oven. You'll cook it outside, then bring it in to a lifeless kitchen. You could make pies and such to make up for it, but it's not the same. Why ruin a good kitchen day with gadgets? I'll never go to, or do that route again.

[boundgear]

Turkey Fry Local 626 › Unite!

Everyone has said all. Feel free to come to the party if you are in the Boston area.

Also, I'll be frying turkeys as an art project at Art Miami in December. Sometimes being a broke ass artist kicks ass.

[maunahaole]

@ Bound - are there any TFL626 softgoods available?

@ Craig - Part of our challenge is keeping the heat and traffic in the kitchen manageable. We will have multiple cooks and dishes going. Even in late November, it is completely possible for temps to be in the low 80's and we have no thermostat in our house. All ambient temp, all the time. The turkey fry is also being considered to have a holiday get-together with some of our neighbors for the cooking part, too. I get what you are saying though.

[Rico]

Screw deep fried.

All of you that are within an hour and a half owe it to yourselves and your family to get one of the smoked turkeys from Holy Smokes in Turners Falls, MA.
They used to have a full restaurant in an old church with a flying pig motif. Then some nutjob burnt the place down and all of a sudden a Masonic Lodge showed up on the old site.

That digression aside, they cook the best fucking meat I've ever had in my life. I've fed people their food and then watched their giddy and drunken meat high elevate them to the most exquisite levels of bliss.

I took a bunch of british magazine writers to the old place in Hatfield. That place is legendary in South Wales now. They sent a letter of condolence when the place burnt down even!

Fuck it, i'm going there right now.

I smoke turkey also. A good bird in a maple syrup brine. Then wrapped in butter soaked cheese cloth, and smoked to perfection. I like using cherry wood on fowl but since I use maple syrup in the brine I smoke it with maple wood.
YUMMY!

[Rico]

Boss, I've had several that pals have done and it is very very good however the flattened and marinated turkeys I've been cooking on BBQ are better.
Here is how I roll. Cut down one side of the backbone than press the the bird into a cutting board and break the breast bones and crack the leg and wing joints.
Use your hands to make the sucker as flat as you can. Now marinate it in one of those lovely concoctions you've been chefing up and BBQ over indirect heat.
I've been using oilve oil, your salt and a ton of fresh rosemary that I zing in a spice mill with peppercorns. Lots of salt!!! Comes out crispy and moist.

**Note this is working for 12 lbs birds.

Spatchcocking is a great technique. I use it for chicken too. On a chicken once you break the breast bone you can gentle remove the keel bone.
Here is a nice article for turkey:
A Turkey That Really Comes Together - washingtonpost.com

[weatherman]

Plenty of resources online, but a few tips that should not be overlooked.

Do it out in the yard, away from the house.
Doing one before the big day is advised, just to work out the kinks of the process and make any changes to brining and flavoring that you want.
Put the bird in the pot, cover it with water, take the bird out, mark the waterline. this is how much oil you put in. Be very wary of too much oil, as it will grow and is highly flammable if it goes over the side of the pot to the burner.
Marinade isnt all that necessary as most of it will come off in the oil anyway. Brining is a good idea though to infuse the meat with salty sweet goodness.
Have a checked fire extingusher in reach at all times. In gereral, be very careful about each step.

It sounds dangerous and like a lot of work, because it is. However, the results are totally worth it.

This is an annual Thanksgiving and Christmas tradition around our place--nothing like standing out in the cold (with cold beer of your choosing) and listening to the fryer gurgle as the bird cooks! All these comments are spot on--brining (IMHO) is the key. We've never had any "safety" issues, but do follow all of the above suggestions closely. Enjoy!

[Dustin]

Interesting to see that the "what saddle" thread gets shut down, yet deep fried turkey is allowed to run its course. Glad to see we have our priorities straight.

[Ken Robb]

The big day revolves around the smells coming from the kitchen, not the taste of the turkey. You won't get any of what makes the day special except good turkey to eat, which is just turkey. What makes Thanksgiving special are the smells coming from the kitchen all day as the bird cooks slowly in the oven. You'll cook it outside, then bring it in to a lifeless kitchen. You could make pies and such to make up for it, but it's not the same. Why ruin a good kitchen day with gadgets? I'll never go to, or do that route again.

A bike ride I never forget was on a Thanksgiving morning in the Mission Hills neighborhood of San Diego. This area was developed 1900-1930 and has some of the most charming homes in town. I just pedalled slowly up and down the charming peaceful streets watching families and friends arrive for the feasts to come and SMELLING the turkeys and other treats cooking in the kitchens. Obviously there wouldn't have been any wonderful aromas if it was colder than the 65F and people kept their windows closed. It was a real Norman Rockwell experience.

[gt6267a]

Brining info … for those of you who don’t feel like bothering with salt, buckets, and time, there is another way. All Kosher turkeys are brined. Empire is your friend.

[boundgear]

@ Bound - are there any TFL626 softgoods available?

Been meaning to make an apron or shirt or something, but haven't. Maybe this Miami thing will push us over the edge.

[Ben]

Nothing useful to add, so I'll add this:

At a Tennessee-Alabama tailgate a few years ago, some friends deep-fried a turkey... and then some chicken... and then some donuts... and then a whole bunch of other stuff. By this point they were well and truly drunk, so they started deep-frying everything they could get their hands on. I felt really sorry for the guy whose car keys got fried, and decided it was time to head home when they started arguing about whether a full Bud Light would be a good thing to fry. Ahhh, youth.

[Ken Robb]

Nothing useful to add, so I'll add this:

At a Tennessee-Alabama tailgate a few years ago, some friends deep-fried a turkey... and then some chicken... and then some donuts... and then a whole bunch of other stuff. By this point they were well and truly drunk, so they started deep-frying everything they could get their hands on. I felt really sorry for the guy whose car keys got fried, and decided it was time to head home when they started arguing about whether a full Bud Light would be a good thing to fry. Ahhh, youth.

When I lived in Alabama I learned the most common last words of a redneck are:"Hey, watch this!". :-)

[Michael White]

deep frying in general kinda makes me ill, but I can't wait to try spatchcocking. Thanks to TT and all.

[Eddie]

When I lived in Alabama I learned the most common last words of a redneck are:"Hey, watch this!". :-)

"Hey, hold my beer for a second while I try somethin'."

Yeah, I get it.

[RIHans]

Maunahaole...

You and I know you've got the skills to pull this off. A little internet peeking around, some sage (pun intended) advice, and you're good.

Like all things culinary...It's 90% prep. I've had it... Works if you can't roast a bird properly.

+1 on the poster who advised brining. SOP for a moist bird.

Hans

[maunahaole]

for you bound.

[Too Tall]

Strong culinary skills / interests are officially bicycle related. You heard it here first.

Thanks boss the salt is holding up well remember you gave me a HUGE amt. first go round. I've taken to using a mortar to get it exactly how I like and don't know if this is kosher..hahaha...I put fresh and dried herbs in with your awesome salt in the mortar and the results are pretty wonderful. Thanks, that's a gift that keeps on giving.

[maunahaole]

Good to know. LMK when the supply is getting low. One of these days we are going to put some of it into a smoker. Next door has some kiawe in a pile that I can use. Kiawe is a local tree that has a mesquite type flavor to its smoke. I may also try some guava wood, depending on how much I have when I trim the tree.