For Turkey Day ...

Iceman · Post by **Iceman** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 7:28 pm

I just bought this baby for cooking the bird this year. I tried a deep fried turkey a few years back and it was incredible ... have always wanted to get one of these and try it.

Couver_ · Post by **Couver_** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 8:18 pm

3 minutes a pound plus 5 minutes. I inject mine with Italian Dressing

Iceman · Post by **Iceman** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 9:51 pm

Plus 5 minutes? Explain plz ... directions don't mention that.

I am thinking about injecting mine with pure butter.

Couver_ · Post by **Couver_** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 10:42 pm

5 minutes added to the 3 minutes per pound just a way we do it(cooking at 350). May blackin the skin a tad more but meat is for sure always done. I have injected with Tapatico hot sauce and italian dressing the dressing is the best. I am not sure how butter would be seems nasty to me. I'm sure you know to use Peanut Oil? Weird you posted this thread we are cooking 2 birds for my command tommorow for lunch.

*edit

Plus if you have never done one yourself make sure Mr Turkey is all the way thawed and SLOOOOWLY lower it into the oil. Get a good pair of gloves to handle the metal stuff. And burn away from the house if you can just in case of a spill or fire.

*putting away the Mom costume

fliptw · Post by **fliptw** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 10:44 pm

16 pound turkey ~ 40 mins. what couver said is about right

My uncle bought one for thanksgiving - I never thought white meat could be juicey.

Use canola oil... cheaper and a cleaner taste than peanut oil - same effect.

Couver_ · Post by **Couver_** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 10:46 pm

fliptw wrote:16 pound turkey ~ 40 mins. what couver said is about right

My uncle bought one for thanksgiving - I never thought white meat could be juicey.

Use canola oil... cheaper and a cleaner taste than peanut oil - same effect.

Peanut oil is used because of the higher flashpoint if I remember right

Iceman · Post by **Iceman** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 11:10 pm

Too late anyway, I just bought 3 gallons of peanut oil. Cost me friggin $30 too ...

BTW Thx for the tips ...

Couver_ · Post by **Couver_** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 11:37 pm

One more thing make sure when you are injecting use the joints and edges. Try not to break the skin as much as you can because it helps seals in the moisture. Just inject here and there try and hit all the meaty parts and you will be fine. For another idea get a tube of Tony Saceries (*sp) Cajun seasoning and rub it all over the outside. That works very well too.

fliptw · Post by **fliptw** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 11:44 pm

canola's flashpoint is 320 C, peanut is 282.

spitting hairs for flashpoint - flavour should be the deciding factor.

and get a good strainer.

Couver_ · Post by **Couver_** » Wed Nov 16, 2005 12:11 am

fliptw wrote:canola's flashpoint is 320 C, peanut is 282.

spitting hairs for flashpoint - flavour should be the deciding factor.

and get a good strainer.

I did not know that. Thanks for the info!

I have never had anything but peanut oil so I know no better. Next one I do will be in canola.

Aus-RED-5 · Post by **Aus-RED-5** » Wed Nov 16, 2005 3:59 am

Iceman wrote:I am thinking about injecting mine with pure butter.

My mom uses Tony Chachere's Injectable Marinade. All kinds of flavors from memory. Love the ol'deep fried Turkey!

I miss Thanksgiving!

Flabby Chick · Post by **Flabby Chick** » Wed Nov 16, 2005 5:36 am

Couver a Kitchen fiend!!!!? Who'd a thunk it.

Do you get good crackling with that way of cooking it? I like to crunch my skin.

Couver_ · Post by **Couver_** » Wed Nov 16, 2005 8:16 am

Flabby Chick wrote:Couver a Kitchen fiend!!!!? Who'd a thunk it.

Do you get good crackling with that way of cooking it? I like to crunch my skin.

Oh yeah the skin is crunchy and tasty. I'm not a fiend per say I only try my hand at a few things but I like to do them well. Long way from a lowly clown eh?

woodchip · Post by **woodchip** » Wed Nov 16, 2005 10:19 am

Curious enough I just bought one of those things last summer. Had a project where I had to steam bend a lot of wood and I didn't have a bunson type burner to heat a five gal. pail of water. You'd think a hardware store would have a bunson burner for sale. Nope. Bought the deep fryer just so I could use the burners. Worked perfectly.
Now, I usually been having a spiral cut ham for thanksgiving but sine my motorcycle accident involving turkeys...I think it appropriate I dine on one of their plucked carcasses. Since I now have a deept fryer, I will use that and listen appreciatively as the turkey meat sizzles as I lower it into the hot oil.

BTW, do you save the 3 gals. of oil afterwards?

Iceman · Post by **Iceman** » Wed Nov 16, 2005 10:26 am

That is a good question. Can I pour the oil back into the container after it cools down and save it for next time? At 350F I doubt there will be any little micro-critters left alive in it. Also, I know that its not a good idea to reuse oil that fish was cooked in simply because of the taste ... but what of turkey?

Couver_ · Post by **Couver_** » Wed Nov 16, 2005 1:04 pm

Iceman wrote:That is a good question. Can I pour the oil back into the container after it cools down and save it for next time? At 350F I doubt there will be any little micro-critters left alive in it. Also, I know that its not a good idea to reuse oil that fish was cooked in simply because of the taste ... but what of turkey?

We get 3 birds out of one thing of oil. In fact we just are putting the 3rd one in today 2 injected with cajun 1 with italian dressing

Iceman · Post by **Iceman** » Wed Nov 16, 2005 1:39 pm

Found some interesting recipes for sauce ... Good tips included also ...

Deep Fried Turkey injection - butter creole
*** I THINK IM GONNA TRY THIS ONE ***
Source: http://www.recipezaar.com/37017

Found this on the 'net'. Needed a cajun butter recipe on a minutes notice! Was the best deep fried turkey I have had!

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons kosher salt (DO NOT USE REGULAR SALT! WILL CLOG YOUR INJECTOR)
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons white pepper (DO NOT USE BLACK PEPPER, WILL CLOG YOUR INJECTOR)
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 cup melted butter

PREPARATION:

Melt butter slowly as not to burn.
Add rest of ingredients and mix well.
(I place in a covered bowl and shake vigorously).
Inject into your turkey and allow to sit for one hour or more before deep frying.
HINT: We were cooking the turkey while camping, and decided to leave it in the bag to inject it, so it would not be so messy!

Butter Based Sauce:
Source: http://bbq.about.com/od/marinaderecipes/r/bl21026a.htm

Remember that an injection sauce is a marinade, so you need to inject it into the meat several hours before you cook and it will have the chance to spread out and flavor the meat.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon finely ground pepper
salt to taste

PREPARATION:

Melt butter in a small saucepan. Add remaining ingredients, except the salt. Mix well. Add salt until mixture has a slightly salty flavor. Allow to cool enough to work with and load into meat injector

Cajun Sauce
Source: http://bbq.about.com/od/marinaderecipes/r/bl91016a.htm

This injection solution super-hydrates your turkey so it stays nice and moist while it cooks. The cayenne and hot sauce give it a cajun flare that makes this recipe perfect for fried turkey.

INGREDIENTS:

1 can chicken broth
3 fluid ounces garlic oil
1 tablespoon salt
4 tablespoons Louisiana Hot Sauce
1 teaspoon cayenne
3 tablespoons worcestershire sauce

PREPARATION:

Mix all ingredients. Using a coarse needle inject liquid into the turkey throughout all the meaty portions. Do this about 24 hours before you cook the turkey

Cajun Style Sauce
Source: http://bbq.about.com/od/marinaderecipes/r/ble31107b.htm

This is the classic solution injected into the meat of turkeys which are fried Cajun style. By getting the flavors inside the meat you won't have to worry about the hot oil washing them off. Make sure you distribute the injection evenly so you don't get large pockets of the mixture.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup liquid crab boil
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon Tobasco
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

PREPARATION:

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Heat until butter is melted. Stir and continue heating until sauce is very liquified. Inject while still hot enough to stay

Herculosis · Post by **Herculosis** » Wed Nov 16, 2005 1:44 pm

Not that I have anything against the injection part, but I've partaken in many a deep-fried turkey cooked in one of these things, and in the majority of cases no injection was done. Meat was fantastic tasting and VERY juicy every time. I'd have to say significantly better (particularly white meat) than an oven-roasted bird. The only drawbacks are that the skin isn't as edible, and you lose the benefits stuffing gets from being cooked inside the bird.

According to the folks that I know that are good at it, the most important thing is constant monitoring of oil temp during the cook, and adjusting flame as necessary. That gets to be a bigger job the more wind the cooker is exposed to.

Hattrick · Post by **Hattrick** » Wed Nov 16, 2005 1:58 pm

We cooked a 50 lb (live weight)pig in ours once.
The critter was incredibly good.I can't remember the sauce recipe we used as we made our own cause the purchased sauce sucked(don't they all?).
Our GF's even liked it,that is after they got over the creeps over eating a baby pig! LOL

Top Gun · Post by **Top Gun** » Wed Nov 16, 2005 2:27 pm

A deep-fried turkey? That's new to me. Can't say it really sounds too appealing; do you really need any more fat with your Thanksgiving dinner?

My mom's oven-roasted turkeys wind up delicious every year, so I'm pulling for the classic.

Pun · Post by **Pun** » Thu Nov 17, 2005 10:16 am

Why not use a brine solution for seasoning the turkey? The brine will migrate the seasonings throughout the entire turkey without having to poke a bunch of holes in it. I've brined a couple turkeys with great success for cooking on a charcoal grill.

Uhh basic recipe here. You could easily adapt that to whatever flavors you'd want to bring across in the turkey.

Top Gun wrote:A deep-fried turkey? That's new to me. Can't say it really sounds too appealing; do you really need any more fat with your Thanksgiving dinner? My mom's oven-roasted turkeys wind up delicious every year, so I'm pulling for the classic.

If you deep fry the right way, the fat stays in the fryer where it's meant to. Deep fried turkeys are infinitely more juicy than baked ones and, done properly, are not greasy at all. Matter of fact, there's a huge misconception that deep frying makes the food unhealthy or greasy. That really only happens when you fry improperly. (ie too low of a temperature) Done, right, deep fried food should not be greasy at all.

Iceman · Post by **Iceman** » Thu Nov 17, 2005 11:19 am

Ok I read the description and I understand how brining causes the turkey to soak up water. However, doesn't that make the turkey taste salty?

Pun · Post by **Pun** » Thu Nov 17, 2005 2:11 pm

Iceman · Post by **Iceman** » Tue Nov 22, 2005 12:48 pm

I bought a 20 lb Honeysuckle White Turkey and a 12 lb Smoked Ham ... The Honeysuckle White's have a great rep for being very moist so I think I am going to skip the brining. I'll have to experiment with that later on, I can't screw this meal up since my kids, the GF, her kids, her parents, her sister's family, are all going to be at my home for dinner.

http://www.honeysucklewhite.com/product ... GORY_ID1=1

Dedman · Post by **Dedman** » Tue Nov 22, 2005 12:53 pm

Iceman wrote:I bought a 20 lb Honeysuckle White Turkey and a 12 lb Smoked Ham ... The Honeysuckle White's have a great rep for being very moist so I think I am going to skip the brining. I'll have to experiment with that later on, I can't screw this meal up since my kids, the GF, her kids, her parents, her sister's family, are all going to be at my home for dinner.

But no pressure, right

Iceman · Post by **Iceman** » Tue Nov 22, 2005 12:59 pm

Man u rnt kidding ...

woodchip · Post by **woodchip** » Tue Nov 22, 2005 1:31 pm

You have to learn to be the invitee and not the invitor.

Dedman · Post by **Dedman** » Tue Nov 22, 2005 1:36 pm

I used to call my in-laws the outlaws until some one pointed out that outlaws are wanted.

Zantor · Post by **Zantor** » Tue Nov 22, 2005 4:17 pm

Nice, Iceman. I hope you enjoy it. My family has a ham and a turkey for cooking. I will also have a bunch of immediate (bros and sisters) and extended (aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents) family coming, so it'll be a full house.

Vander · Post by **Vander** » Tue Nov 22, 2005 6:57 pm

A few years back my family joined forces with another family for a big Thanksgiving party. We had two birds, one BBQ'd, one deep fried. Both were absolutely fantastic. Best I'd ever had. Beats oven Turkey, hands down.

Pun · Post by **Pun** » Tue Nov 22, 2005 9:01 pm

We do one on the grill, one fried every year. We also do two beef tenderloins on the grill with Sauce Espagnole.

Iceman · Post by **Iceman** » Tue Nov 22, 2005 10:23 pm

Anyone ever done a ham like this before? Any idea what temperature/time to cook it at?

Pun · Post by **Pun** » Wed Nov 23, 2005 9:06 am

Most hams are fully cooked and just require heating up. If so, 350F until a thermometer reads the middle @ 170-180.

Iceman · Post by **Iceman** » Wed Nov 23, 2005 11:10 pm

Guys, anyone deep frying anything should first read this page: http://www.ul.com/consumers/turkeys.html

Then watch this movie: http://www.ul.com/turkeyfryers/fryer.mpg

Phoenix Red · Post by **Phoenix Red** » Thu Nov 24, 2005 5:31 am

I am jealous of it.

And don't use canola oil. The stuff was considered industrial lubricant up until WW1, and only sold as food because after said war they were oversupplied. It's pretty toxic and underprocessed (not to mention the pesticide on the seeds is absolutely savage and kills everything down to the worms and the songbirds).

Yeah canola oil is a pet peeve.

Iceman · Post by **Iceman** » Thu Nov 24, 2005 4:24 pm

Wow, the turkey and the ham came out great. When the ham was finished I thought it was ruined. I was going to throw it away since the exterior was a charred mess. Just for fun I decided to cut it open and ... O M G! Underneath that charred mess was the best ham I have ever tasted. As moist as it could be ...

Pun · Post by **Pun** » Fri Nov 25, 2005 9:52 am

Sweet! Did ya take pics?

Iceman · Post by **Iceman** » Fri Nov 25, 2005 10:49 am

No I didn't. I wanted to but forgot

fyrephlie · Post by **fyrephlie** » Fri Nov 25, 2005 6:52 pm

can you make grilled cheese sammiches in that thing? or ramen noodles, cause it could be re-marketed for college kids on a budget ... one vat of oil could last a whole semester right?