Fried turkey is a holiday tradition at my boyfriend's parents' house, while grilled turkey has become a tradition with my family. Last year, I documented both turkey cooking methods and we had a taste-off (lighthearted, of course). There was fried turkey in Virginia at Thanksgiving and grilled turkey in Kansas at Christmas. First up, fried turkey—the method with a slideshow after the jump.
My boyfriend, Mike, is the designated turkey fryer for his family and has about 8 plus years of experience. Most frying kits come with all you need: the pot, turkey rack, lifting hook, and deep-fat thermometer. The fryer sits on a burner that you connect to a propane tank—turkey frying should always happen outside and not too near the house (make sure you read the owner's manual for all safety precautions).
A turkey headed to the fryer is prepped the same way an oven-bound turkey is: A frozen bird should be thoroughly thawed and you need to allow enough time for the turkey to come to room temperature. Once the turkey is thawed, it's also important to use it to determine how much oil you'll need. Set the turkey on the rack, put it in the pot, and then fill the pot with enough water to almost cover the turkey. Then remove the bird and mark the water level: This is how much oil you'll need to cook the turkey. Use an oil with a high smoke point, such as peanut. Make sure after this step to let the bird drain, then pat it dry.
Before cooking, you can brine the bird or inject it with a marinade (if you do both, make sure the marinade is not too salty since brining adds salt as well). A seasoning rub is also key: Mike seasons the turkey with a blend of Cajun spices, such as cumin, paprika, garlic and onion powders, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Fried turkeys cannot be stuffed and there are no drippings to make gravy (Mike's mom also cooks a turkey in the oven, so she gets her gravy drippings from it.)
Allot about 3 to 4 minutes per pound for the cooking time and be sure to watch the temperature gauge, adjusting to keep the bird at 350 degrees. You should let the finished bird rest for about 30 minutes before carving. As for the taste: The meat is very tender and moist and the skin is crisp. I found the flavor to be very close to that of fried chicken. Check back Thursday for grilled method.
1 The raw turkey is covered in Cajun spices.
2 You can choose to inject your bird with a marinade. Mike uses a mixture of melted butter, chicken stock, and beer.
3 The bird on the rack being injected with flavorings.
4 The turkey cooks at 350 degrees, but it is a good idea to heat it to about 375 as once the turkey is added, the oil temperature will drop.
5 There turkey rack is connected to a turkey hook so your arm doesn't get too near the hot oil. It's a good idea to turn the flame off when slowly lowering the bird in case oil splatters.
6 Once the bird is in the hot oil, turn the burner back on and adjust the heat. You want the oil to stay at 350.
