Fried turkey might sound a little strange to some people if they have never tried it. The first time I heard about it, I pictured something similar to friend chicken, but with giant pieces of meat, such as enormous drumsticks. It didn’t seem too appealing.
Now, don’t think I’m too silly, because this was before the raging popularity of turkey fryers. My father in law would cut up turkey into chunks, bread it and cook it in the deep fryer. He had a Fry Daddy home fryer and used peanut oil, and it was delicious. It would stay nice and moist, and you never had to worry about dry turkey.
It wasn’t long after my first experience with southern fried turkey that I found out about turkey fryers. My brother in law bought one and fried a turkey for Thanksgiving. It was the best Thanksgiving bird I had ever tasted.
Not to be outdone by his brother, my husband purchased a turkey fryer and we used it to make Christmas dinner that same year. Well, we used it in addition to the grill, which is our traditional method of cooking the Christmas ham. My husband and his brother compared notes, sharing marinade and rub recipes (I’ll post some later).
Cooking a bird in the turkey fryer takes a fraction of the time, and if you follow the recommended times and temperatures, your turkey will be the moistest you have ever tasted.
Please note that turkey fryers can be dangerous if not used with utmost care, so I’ll be posting safety tips soon. Follow all directions precisely, if you decide to try one out. You might even want to check out this turkey fryer demonstration video provided by Underwriter’s Laboratories.
The only thing I miss about cooking turkey in the oven is having the house filled with the scent of baking turkey all day long. Now, I just simmer the giblets on top of the stove to keep the house smelling like turkey. I do love all the extra room in the oven, which makes it easier to get everything on the table at the same time.
Mmm mmm… I can almost taste that juicy turkey now.
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