Thinking about frying a turkey?

[Robin Garr]

You might want to watch this first ...

http://youtu.be/yObDuYTfudY

I recall the fist time my buddy Bob the Cop and I fried a turkey (back in the early 90's)...We set everything up in the street in front of my house, by the time we got the fire out we had burned a "hole" in the asphalt 5 feet across and half an inch deep....To this day you can still cruise down the street and see the results of that little experiment gone bad

Man, it may just be the fact that I never aged beyond twelve, but that looks like such an awesome time!!

It produces a nice tasting bird. I have done it successfully many times. Just need to use common sense.

[Robin Garr]

It produces a nice tasting bird. I have done it successfully many times. Just need to use common sense.

Yeah, I didn't mean to imply otherwise, Will. If you've got skills, you know how to do a lot of things safely.

Still, someone who thinks it might be fun to go out to Walmart tomorrow, buy a fryer, and use it to make Thanksgiving dinner probably ought to watch this video first.

Ugh. Basically, use common sense. Make sure the turkey is COMPLETELY thawed. Don't overfill the fryer. Have a fire extinguisher on hand. Get a new pair of fingertip-to-elbow quilted heat-proof oven gloves. Do your research. Don't set the fryer up on the deck or in the garage. I've never done it but I bet I could do it without setting anything on fire. I have heard that it's really a juicy succulent preparation, but I feel sure most professional chefs don't make their home Thanksgiving turkey this way. Dry brine with salt. You still have time!

[Robin Garr]

Ugh. Basically, use common sense. ...

Yeahyeahyeah.

I still say what I told Will, though: "... someone who thinks it might be fun to go out to Walmart tomorrow, buy a fryer, and use it to make Thanksgiving dinner probably ought to watch this video first. "

We have done this. It is lots of fun if you are careful. You can watch many YouTube stories on how to do this. Most start with first lock up the kids, pets and booze. Some fine points we learned. You must know exactly how much oil you will need. Put the turkey in the pot and measure the oil needed to fill by substituting water. You can not top off with room temperature oil after you add the turkey because you must maintain the hot oil temperature. You are actually steaming the turkey. If the temperature falls, oil will seep into the turkey. The turkey must be bone dry. Any water will turn to steam and splash out hot oil. Make sure that you have the tools to slowly lower the turkey into the oil and remove it at the end. Wear old shoes and pants. You most likely won't set them on fire but they will be splattered with oil. Do this outside on a stable surface, not wood. You will most likely have to buy some of the granular stuff that garages use to soak up oil. Be prepared to dispose of 4 gallons of used oil. It only takes about 30 to 40 minutes and will be the best turkey you have ever eaten.

Alton Brown did a show on this involving rope, pulleys, ladders, fire, oil and other cool guy-stuff. No one was injured and the fire department was not involved. Good Eats. Here's a clip of the highlights.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=u5a7gJ0_Fds

It just seems like a whole lot of extra work to get a turkey that is only marginally better than a brined and roasted turkey.

Never brine. Lightly salted, 500 degree oven. Works every time.

It just seems like a whole lot of extra work to get a turkey that is only marginally better than a brined and roasted turkey.

Not marginally better. Amazingly better. I have eaten a LOT of roasted turkey in my day and even the most moist roasted white breast meat still felt dry in comparison to a fried turkey.

We fry ours every year now.

It just seems like a whole lot of extra work to get a turkey that is only marginally better than a brined and roasted turkey.

Not marginally better. Amazingly better. I have eaten a LOT of roasted turkey in my day and even the most most roasted white breast meat still felt dry in comparison to a fried turkey.

We fry ours every year now.

Agree 100%. I have never personally done it, but have eaten the fried turkey a few times. Excellent

Fried turkey is the very best way to eat it....if done properly....I brine mine for a solid 24 hours, rub it with butter, and a RUB that I concocted.....I use peanut oil, and drop the bird at 250 degrees....at full throttle, when the fryer reaches right at 350, it's a perfect golden brown. I let it rest (uncovered, if you tent it, the skin looses it's crispness) for about 20 minutes, and it's carving time.