Post all your fried turkey recipes here. I've done two of them, and both have come out to where you couldn't really taste much of the spice. I'm just afraid of making them too hot. I've followed a recipe both times that I found out of some book. I'd be interested to see some recipes from some of the gourmets around here. Be sure to list cooking time/temperature. Frying turkeys is cool.
I usually shoot for about 400 degrees before I drop the bird in; I find that the temp will drop down below 350 within a minute. Then I bring the temp back up to about 350, and I try to hold it there. I go for between three and three and a half minutes per pound. For a marinade, I use 1 can of beer, 1 tablespoon of garlic, two sticks of butter, and 1/4 cup Tony Chachere's (I make my own spice mix, but Tony's is great). bring all ingridients to a boil, then simmer for about ten minutes, then strain and chill slightly. the butter fat will solidify at the top, so you should whirl it in a blender before trying to inject it. I also sprinkle spice mix (like Tony's) on the outside and in the cavity of the bird. The one thing that I do that I've never seen anyone else do (and I'd like to think I invented it, seeing as I've been doing this for close to ten years), is that I dredge the whole bird in flour after I've sprinkled on the seasoning. In fact, I dredge the bird in flour before I inject it, and I pat flour over the hole(s) as I pull the syringe out. This keeps the marinade inside the bird. The flour on the skin makes the skin come out like fried chicken skin. It's not on anyone's diet, but it's so DAMN GOOD!!
Wow Pole, I can't believe you've been frying turkeys for 10 years! I thought it was kind of a new thing. Anyway, let me tell you about my experiences w/frying turkeys so far. One, I've had the problem with not being able to taste the spice that much. I attribute this partly to not putting enough into the turkey, and partly (maybe mostly) to what I inject into the bird not staying in the meat. It seems like most of what I inject ends up in the cavity. I don't know if I'm sticking the thing in too far or what. Also, how do you "dredge" the bird in flour?
A big tupperware bowl with a bunch of flour at the bottom ought to work. Take the turkey, lay it in and spin. The moisture of the skin will affix the flour. I guess it wouldn't hurt to maybe use egg whites as a glue. Hmmmm... Or maybe just pour a pale ale all over the sucka for the homies that don't get to eat tha b****. Word peace. I'm out.
believe or not, but salt is a key ingredient to any marinade for frying a chicken. I have never fried a Turkey, but "it tastes like chicken" doesn't it? lol Pole is right about the temperature drop. That is a big deal with chicken. I use a cast iron dutch oven to avoid that, but I doubt they make one for a turkey. When it comes to frying chicken, every recipe that is based in tradition uses a salt brine to marinade for 2-3 hours in the refrigerator, patted dry and let sit in the refrigerator for another hour. Mix 7 cups buttermilk, 1 1/4 cups of kosher salt and 2 tablespoons of paprika. You'll probably have to triple this for a turkey. If you don't want to by that much buttermilk, use some water to cover the bird. The brine will make it moister. It has that effect of keeping water in due to osmosis or reverse osmosis or something...I can't remember. I'd do the brine and then follow everything Pole said.
Pole -- do you cook the turkey immediately after you inject the marinade, or do you let it sit? If you let it sit, how long? I'm going to try your marinade, and I want to make sure I do everything the same.
"You might say the secret ingredient is salt." - Marge Simpson Frankly, I've always been dubious of meals that begin with a trip to Academy to pick up a giant metal bucket.
Funny. But what about a crawfish boil? Is this taboo to a vegetarian, or taboo because the meal begins at Academy?
Well, as far as eating, the best description I ever heard for vegetarianism is one that applies to me - I don't eat anything with a face. Being a vegetarian means eating no flesh. That is the basic definition. Vegan is no flesh or dairy products - any by-product of animals. I'm just a plain old vegetarian - no meat. Anyway, I don't think it's taboo. I just thought the idea of shopping at a sporting goods store for utensils for a home-cooked (rather than campout) meal is kinda funny. I'm sure fried turkey is probably pretty good.
