When deep fried turkeys came into the main stream a few years ago my thought was why would someone mess with perfection. Filling your home with wafting aromas of roasting turkey and sneaking peaks at the cooking turkey is a huge part of Thanksgiving tradition.
This is when the inevitable happened I tried a deep fried turkey. I was at the least really surprised. The meat was moist and tender. The turkey was in no way greasy or wilily, and my miss conception of a batter dipped turkey in a fryer was put to rest.
What I have learned now that deep frying is a part of Thanksgiving in our home is that we have plenty of room in the oven for pies and casseroles. We always have turkey that is moist, tender and done on time. And, all the men love to cook when it is in a deep fryer.
Here is a six step guide to deep frying a turkey.
1. Select a turkey that is 12-14 pounds in size. Make sure that your turkey will fit in the deep fryer, if the bird is too big it either will not fit or you will not have room for enough oil.
2. Test how much oil you will need by placing the turkey in the fryer and covering it with water. Remove the turkey and mark the spot where the water level is. Then drain and dry the deep fryer. Fill the fryer with oil to this mark and have plenty of room for both turkey and oil.
3. Use peanut oil. Peanut oil has a higher flash point and is ideal for use in a deep fryer. Heat the oil to 400?then maintain a constant temperature of 350?while deep frying the turkey.
4. Cook the turkey for 3 minutes per pound then add an additional 5 minutes at the end of cooking time.
5. Be sure to cook the turkey for the entire time. If the turkey begins to float this is not an indication of it being done. Always allow the turkey to thoroughly cook.
6. When the turkey is done frying turn off the deep fryer and remove the turkey slowly. Allow the turkey to drain, then carve and enjoy.
Shauna Hanus is a gourmet cook who specializes in creating gourmet recipes. She has put together a special Thanksgiving e-Cookbook that gives you 73 recipes to cook your leftover turkey plus two bonus e-books of a special holiday ice cream cookbook that includes favorites like pumpkin pie ice cream and pecan pie ice cream. She has also put together a holiday planning guide to help you have the most enjoyable Thanksgiving ever. You can find all of these at http://www.turkey-leftovers.com