This is my 8th year of making Deep Fried Turkey. After preparing over 40 birds I can speak to you as an expert here. I truly have done it all from cooking my cell phone to spending over 800.00 to find out our yorkie has an allergy to peanut oil.
Last Thursday I make a bird for our office party, all went extremely well. From the prep to the actual cooking. And everyone enjoyed the taste. infact no leftovers here only bones.
The following are a few pointers that I have learned over the years, mostly from trial and error I am happy to share with you.
1. Always fresh never frozen. ask your butcher or grocery store for a fresh bird the will go in the back and bring out one for you just ask!
2. Keep the weight tag from the package handy, to remind you of the birds exact weight.
3. Make note of the exact time the bird go into the oil. You want to cook him 3 to 3.5 mins per lb.
4. Measure twice cook once! use a large wooden spoon to see how tall your bird is, the have enough oil to cover him while cooking.
5. Safety tip Have a way to remove hot oil if you happen to have too much. I.e. metal can or ladle and some pot or metal dish to place the hot oil into. (You will need cooking Buddies to help with this)
6. SLOWLY place the bird into the oil. you should take 3 mins to do this step. slowly enter the oil so you do not want to over flow. ( see #4 measure oil)
7. When done let him rest! the bird actually is still cooking. I usually wait 30 mins or more before carving.
8. Let your oil cool, you can re-use this the older the better. Well seasoned oil seems to bring out the best! I never re -use more than 5 times.
9. ENJOY! This should be a fun experience so have fun with it, don't get all caught up in the fancy seasoning injections and such, I use only a seasoning on the outside just prior to cooking. And everyone raves on it.
10. Feel free to call me (really) I would love to hear your stories or give advice if you need it. Especially if it's your first time. My Best Dan...
Photo from 2008 Taste of Orlando
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