We’re having a huge gathering of family and friend at our place this year for Thanksgiving. We decided that we’re going to eat in the barn and we bought a new space heater so everyone stays warm. We don’t keep animals there. It’s strictly for equipment and working, but since we don’t have a 5th wheeler or a bunch of Jet-skis, there’s plenty of room for everyone to sit together at a very long table.
My wife loves to cook, but feeding 25 plus people by herself is not exactly her idea of fun for Thanksgiving. So everybody pitches in and brings stuff, she gets to cook a little and I do the turkey. This year, with the amount of people it will be two turkeys. And cooking two turkeys in one oven and having them ready- hot together is kind of an impossible feat. So out comes the deep fat fryer.
I’ve actually been using this method for almost 10 years. The turkey comes out moist and tender. You can use a cheap turkey and it tastes as good as the fancy butter basted, and it’s done in about half an hour.
I’m sure you’ve heard the horror stories of people burning down their houses. Or dropping frozen turkeys into boiling hot grease with a resultant geyser that would put Old Faithful to shame and issue catastrophic burns to the cook. Actually deep frying a turkey properly can take almost as much time as cooking the traditional way, the time spent being in preparation instead of actual cooking.
The first thing, like the traditional method is to thaw the turkey slowly in the fridge, two to three days before. Preparation begins the afternoon ahead of, when I start mixing the basting juice. Good thing it’s the afternoon before, because I’m pretty particular about my kitchen and folks not getting in my way.
First you clean the extras out of the cavity and wash it with warm water, then pat it dry a bit. Grandchildren have been known to scream and run when I pull out the basting hypo. Actually I feel like Steve Martin in Little Shop of Horrors. It’s a pretty powerful looking weapon. But I only use it on the bird, pushing my secret basting sauce deep within its muscle parts. Then the whole thing goes in the basting pan and sits in the fridge until I get ready to cook it the next day.
A few hours before dinner is going to be served. I take my tank of peanut oil outside and pour it in the fryer. It doesn’t matter if there is a foot of snow on the ground, frying a turkey is an outside job. Buying all that peanut oil can get a little pricey, but I strain it and re-use it. “According to the Texas Peanut Producers Board, peanut oil may be used three or four times to fry turkeys before signs of deterioration begin. Such indications include foaming, darkening or smoking excessively, indicating the oil must be discarded. Other signs of deteriorated oil include a rancid smell and/or failure to bubble when food is added.”
Peanut oil is the best because of its taste and high flash point, but you can use any cooking oil made for deep fat frying. Lowering the bird into the bubbling, sizzling oil should be done very slowly and carefully. Keep the oil temperature to between 325-350. Turkeys 12 pounds and under fry for 2-1/2 minutes per pound, and 12 pounds and over 3 minutes per pound. If your turkey is floating it is overcooked. Spectators should stand at least 10 feet back, and stay out of the way.
Deciding when the bird is done is somewhat tricky. Under cooked is generally better than over, to retain the moistness. We have been known to microwave turkey parts because they were a little too rare. Remember that the turkey will continue to cook internally, even after its pulled out of the oil. The heat of the oil sears the outside of the turkey and all of its natural juices, plus those that were injected stay inside. It’s what gives the meat its moisture and tenderness.
The deep-fat fryer, stand and propane tanks are some of the best investments that you can get for preparedness. My wife uses the set up in the summer to can with because it keeps all the heat and humidity out of the kitchen. Being able to quickly boil large amounts of water would come in very handy for washing and sterilizing water during an emergency and the whole set-up can be used for other cooking methods. We’ve done the turkey in the cast iron funnel cooker and that comes out pretty tasty too.
You won’t end up with a Norman Rockwell turkey if you prepare it this way, but frying a turkey is a taste-treat you won’t soon forget. The fat itself is not absorbed into the bird, so calorie wise, it makes no difference. Your wife will love you forever for keeping the turkey mess out of the kitchen. And you’ll be the hero of the Thanksgiving table with this moist, delicious bird.

Here’s a link to some more tips on injecting the turkey and some recipes for the marinade/basting juice: http://www.the-perfect-turkey.com/turkey-marinade.html