A friend at work cooks them all of the time, he cuts the wings and drumsticks off so they won't burn. He drops them in when the bird has about 10 minutes to go, once floating he gives them 1 more minute and removes.
He uses peanut oil only and once cooled he filters it through a home made contraption and gets five or six (???) cookings from one large container of oil.
Don't cook on a wooden deck, the oil splattering will leave marks around the pot on the wood.
We too have a turkey fryer. We have used ours 5x since last fall. Here are some things we learned and that others have passed on.
Use only peanut oil, not a blend. Filter through coffee filter and funnel back into container when cool. Keep in a cool place. You'll need enough to cover the bird, about 1 and 1/2 containers full. Pre measure oil by using the water method recommended on the fryer. Draw a line inside the fryer with a permanent magic marker. Do not get the oil too high. (that's why we always use a 12 lb. bird)
Keep heat between 325 and 350. The closer to 325 the better. You will have to preheat well in advance and adjust as you go. Usually have to turn up the heat for a couple of minutes right after adding the bird. Cook 3 minutes per pound. Can't remember off the top of my head what the thermometer should read when done. I'm thinking around 175. (I'll have to ask the husband) Put it in the biggest part of the breast when testing, otherwise keep it in the oil to check temp.
Cook it outside on concrete. Lower the bird carefully and very slowly. SLOWLY! Use the equipment that comes with your fryer. Use oven mitts too. Keep all children, pets, and curious friends away.
Use a 12 lb. bird. Actually works the best. May need to fry 2 for a large crowd.
Make sure bird is thoroughly dry and thawed. 4 days in fridge for 12 lbs. Remember to remove bag of giblets, neck, and pop up thermometer. We rub ours down, (inside and out), the night before with Tony Chachere's spice blend. (not hot) We inject ours the day of with Good Season's Italian dressing. Again, make sure the bird is completely thawed and dry before frying.
Have a roaster pan lined with paper towels ready when the bird is done. Let it sit for 20 minutes or so before carving.
I have fried many many turkeys and I have never had to remove the wings or the drumsticks. You can find instructions on frying turkeys here: http://www.eatturkey.com/consumer/cookinfo/fryturk.html
and I always like to inject marinade before frying. You can't over-inject marinade, the more the juicier the meat after frying. You can find injector marinade at any of the places that sell the fryers.
Phil, Sandy and the dogs 2003 Ford Excursion XLT Premium 4X2
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We do it a little different, but only in that we just do turkey breasts...not the whole bird. The advice given on time and temp agrees with my experience. We try to maintain 325 degrees and cook 4 min. per pound. Use a dry rub the day before cooking. We went through six breasts Labor Day weekend...had pork barbeque, brisket & italian sausages on the smoker, but the turkey got scarfed. They are great!
One thing that I will mention...go to your local restaurant supply house for oil filtering equipment. They should have a large rack that holds cone shaped filters and sits on top of a 5 gal. bucket. The rack was about $6 I think and the filters are about the same for 50...it works like a charm and you can filter all your oil at once without messing everything up.
My brother-in-law in Groves, Tx. injects his with Tobasco sauce, and it's the juciest best turkey I've ever eaten. Ever. I'm not a turkey eater. Usually turkey is too dry for me, but I looooove deep-fried turkey. Love it.
Frank & La Donna Bodden
2004 Sea Breeze LX
Once a Texan, always a Texan
We get a Cajun Seasoning at the place we got our turkey fryer and we inject it two days before we cook. Wonderful. Try all sorts of marinades to inject. They really make the turkey juicy. We never cut off the wings or legs. Also, right after the turkey comes out, we fry thinly sliced potatoes in the same oil, and follow that with "fried biscuits". Just get the Pillsbury Buttermilk biscuits that come in a roll, separate them and drop them in, turn 'em over in about two minutes and fry the other side. You can sprinkle them with powdered sugar, or just leave them as is. YUM.
Donna & Stan
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You should turn the burner off just before lowering the turkery into the oil. You can always relight it after all of the splattering and boiling oil calms down a bit.
Interesting story: Turkey frying originated here in New Orleans, I believe it was Chef Paul Prudhomme that helped make it popular.
A few years after he started serving it in his restaurant, the Times-Picayune (our newspaper) published the instructions in the paper.
Somebody was frying a turkey under their carport in a pot that was too small. The oil foamed over, and ran down the side of the pot to the fire. Soon the whole pot was on fire. That caught the low carport ceiling on fire, which burned down the house.
The Times-Picayune refused to publish the recipe for three years while the lawsuit was in progress. Now, they only publish it with a large warning and disclaimer.
Standard instructions say to have a pot large enough to put the turkey in, be covered with oil, and not be over 3/4 full. To know how much oil to start with, put your turkey in the pot and cover with water, then remove the turkey. Mark or measure the water level at that point. Start there with oil.
325 degrees on a thermometer for the oil. Rig the turkey with some sort of lifting wire if you do not have an "official" turkey frying rig. Inject the turkey with marinade, if you don't have store bought marinade, use melted butter, garlic powder, worchester sauce, a dash of Tabasco or two (I think injecting with pure Tabasco would be a little hot) and some salt. Get a large syringe (cajun injector or horse syringe) and shoot all the meat with the mix. Let sit for 1 hour before cooking. Lower gently into the oil, cook 3.5 minutes per pound of turkey. Remove turkey and let sit for 15 minutes before carving. Have the second turkey ready to go -- one is never enough.
Don't burn down the house or camper.
Walt
Thinker
New Orleans
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