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T-Day Efforts

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Injecting and Frying!

I usually inject mine. I make up an injection marinade with Italian dressing, strained through a fine mesh or cheesecloth, then grind white and black pepper very fine (use a mortar and pestle if your grinder does not do very fine) and lastly add cayenne to taste (I like at least a tablespoon). Keep it stirred up while pulling it into the syringe and inject the breast (through one hole and keep moving the needle around), the wing, the thigh, the drumstick and the thigh (both sides of course). I try to use as few holes as possible, but 8 is about the minimum. Let it sit about an hour making sure it is thoroughly thawed and completely dried off (all excess marinade wiped off). I do not like to coat the outside with anything as it usually burns in the hot oil. Once the outside is completely dry and just before I am ready to drop it in hot oil, I wipe the outside with a little bit of oil (always do this to make an even brown color no matter how you cook). Then place it in the 350 peanut oil for 3 1/2 minutes per pound as an estimate. The real way to tell when a whole turkey is done (a breast will not work well like this) is it will float provided it is not stuck to the lowering rig and there is enough oil. That way has never failed me. When the turkey is completed cooking let rest under towel for 30 minutes before cutting. Then enjoy the best tasting turkey ever!! Though I am sure when my KK comes in and I can do a rotisserie turkey, that will be the best tasting turkey in the world - hehe!

-=Jasen=-

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I am going to have to try a fried turkey some time. As I dont have a fryer, and dont really want to store one in the garage for the 1 or 2 times a year I would use it, I am roasting mine on the mexi-k. I havent decided exactly how. I was considering spatchcocking it, but that likely wont fit on my #5. Probably going to roast it normally this year...and start looking forward to rotisseried turkey on my KK next year!

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Probably going to roast it normally this year...and start looking forward to rotisseried turkey on my KK next year!
Me too, FM (except for the rotiss and the KK part). I have "I can do that" fantasies about cooking turkey on the K5, but TG is probably not the right time to do it for the first time. Dad has volunteered to subject his church group to my efforts, so I'll do one another time, and feed it to them. I cannot justify a turkey for 1 person.
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You can do it on your K, no prob. Treat it like a big chicken, indirect heat, and I dont stuff mine just to be on the side of caution. Ive done many turkey on my old weber kettle. This will be the first on the K for me ( I think I did a spiral ham last year).

When you do try it, my best advice is to make sure you keep space between your drip pan and your heat shield or the drippings will burn and you will get that greasy soot flavor. This is easier said than done in a #5 because there isnt much room between the heat deflector and the main grate. I usually use a 15" pizza pan thats about 3/4" deep as a drip pan, and put it on the heat shield using a few washers as spacers between them.

I am thinking about putting the bird in a roasting pan, just as if it were going in the oven, and putting the whole thing in the K. Just depends if it fits? Otherwise, I will stand it up like beer can chicken sans the beercan!

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I really hate y'all, you know that! :twisted: Hey Samantha, I bet I get my KK before you do - haha! But actually, I really love deep fired turkey. It comes out so golden brown and crispy; flavorful and juicy all the way through - Mmmmm - I can taste it now.

Firemonkey, you can get way more use outta that thing than once a year. First of all, you can deep fry injected chickens the same way. Also, if you get the basket with it, you can steam or boil any seafood you want in it. Or my favorite, low country boil (sausage, corn, tators, shrimp and spicy season). Also, you can get the small fry pot for the burner and then use it for outdoor frying instead of smelling up the house (little tidbit on that - vegetable oil smells up the house more than shortening or lard - that is why Mom's or Grandma's house never stunk after frying like houses do today). Anyway, I use mine all the time for frying up fish and chicken wings - quick and easy.

A little info on buying a burner for those who do not already have one. If you watched Alton Brown's special on turkey frying, he would give you mostly the same info. Do not mess with any of the 3 legged burner stands, get the four legged that are low to the ground. The bayou classic puts out a nice one and can be found at most Lowe's ( http://www.bayou-classic.org/ ). I recommend high pressure only here as you need it for the quickest recover time on the oil when frying a turkey (it should give you that info on the regulator - anywhere from 3-30 PSI). Get the extras so you can use it for cooking, steaming, boiling and frying with the two size pots (deep 34 qt for turkey & shallow 10 qt for frying). Also, as much as I love stainless, this is one place I really do not care for it. The stand is ok in stainless, though it is gonna turn on you after the first time you put the heat on it. I would refuse on a stainless pot here completely as the turkey tends to stick to the sides and bottom. Old cast iron pots are the best (but not too practical) and aluminum is the second best. Also buy a good 8" thermometer and splurge for some other gadgets; I got the oil transfer pump as it already has a filter built in and I am not into lifting a big pot of heavy oil right now.

Anyway, my 2 cents whether you wanted it or not!

-=Jasen=-

I welded up my own fry stand as I wanted a small side table too.

turkeyfryermediumul7.jpg

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I know all about the versatility of the burners, since we had one at my Dad's house in Annapolis. Never did a turkey on it, but steamed many crabs and fried even more chicken wings! I did enjoy having a burner like that handy - even if I was just trying to sear a steak on a cast iron skillet - for exactly the reasons you mention. The smell is great while you are cooking, then you want it gone!

I have a countertop fryer that I dont even use in the house. Even that is an outside operation.

Here is the real question? What do you do about the spatter on a pot that big? The first time I fried a big batch of wings for a party, there was a nice eclipse pattern of oil spatter in the driveway for weeks! Newspaper helped some, but always wanted to blow away and I was just waiting for it to flip an edge up into the flame.

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I know all about the versatility of the burners, since we had one at my Dad's house in Annapolis. Never did a turkey on it, but steamed many crabs and fried even more chicken wings! I did enjoy having a burner like that handy - even if I was just trying to sear a steak on a cast iron skillet - for exactly the reasons you mention. The smell is great while you are cooking, then you want it gone!

I have a counter top fryer that I don't even use in the house. Even that is an outside operation.

Here is the real question? What do you do about the spatter on a pot that big? The first time I fried a big batch of wings for a party, there was a nice eclipse pattern of oil spatter in the driveway for weeks! Newspaper helped some, but always wanted to blow away and I was just waiting for it to flip an edge up into the flame.

I have an big old cardboard box cut open to lay underneath the entire assembly. Yes I know, another fire hazard - but your already working with flammable oil so just keep an extinguisher handy anyway. Though doing it in a grassy area works too. Though the real trick here is your technique. The grease spatters when liquids other than oil hit it - juices, water, marinade or ice. So placing thoroughly dried items is the biggest help. Alton Brown suggests placing the turkey in at 250 to help avoid spatter, but I do not like that - it greatly increases your oil recovery time which causes the bird to absorb more oil. Another trick, bigger pot or less oil. You only need enough oil to cover the food you are cooking. You can lower your bird in the pot and fill with water a gallon at a time to get an exact amount of oil needed (do remember that oil will expand when heated some). Last suggestion is a spatter shield. Just as soon as I drop my turkey (slowly), I place the spatter shield over the pot top. If you do get a little oil on the concrete, some degreaser or a pressure washer will take it off.

-=Jasen=-

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Deej writes: "I really love deep fired turkey"

Is that spell check button next to the quote button :?::lol::lol:

Sure is, but last time I checked "fired" is a word in the spell check, so I don't think it would have caught it! :roll:

-=Jasen=-

Yes, "Fired" is a word, cause a boss said it to me one time :shock::shock:

It's ok Curly, she is borrowing some of my meds right now. :shock:

-=Jasen=-

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Alton Brown suggests placing the turkey in at 250 to help avoid spatter, but I do not like that - it greatly increases your oil recovery time which causes the bird to absorb more oil.
Totally agree! I don't know why he'd suggest that. A good hot glove and _slowly_ lowering the bird in works for me. I've switched from peanut oil to 50% peanut 50% fry oil (WAY cheaper and similar taste).

I'll be out of town so no KK turkey this week. I'll be doing 2 deep fried turkeys and 1 beer can turkey (in the oven) for 30 people. I do a memphis BBQ rub on the beer can bird and a cajun rub / marinate on the deep fried bird. The other deep fried bird will be a basic rosemary/thyme/sage/butter rub. All rubs go under the skin!

I did get 2 extra turkeys for later this year on the KK + rotisserie. I look forward to reading about people's experience doing this!

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Alton Brown suggests placing the turkey in at 250 to help avoid spatter' date=' but I do not like that - it greatly increases your oil recovery time which causes the bird to absorb more oil.[/quote']Totally agree! I don't know why he'd suggest that. A good hot glove and _slowly_ lowering the bird in works for me. I've switched from peanut oil to 50% peanut 50% fry oil (WAY cheaper and similar taste).

I'll be out of town so no KK turkey this week. I'll be doing 2 deep fried turkeys and 1 beer can turkey (in the oven) for 30 people. I do a memphis BBQ rub on the beer can bird and a cajun rub / marinate on the deep fried bird. The other deep fried bird will be a basic rosemary/thyme/sage/butter rub. All rubs go under the skin!

I did get 2 extra turkeys for later this year on the KK + rotisserie. I look forward to reading about people's experience doing this!

Yeah, Alton got a little nuts on that episode. I thought the ladder lowering rig for putting the turkey in the fryer was completely over the edge.

Yup, love the rosemary, thyme, sage season under the skin too, but I add marjoram (or sub oregano) and nutmeg too it and use olive oil.

I decided to do my fried turkey different this year. I normally do the Italian dressing and pepper injection. But I got a fresh non adulterated turkey (hehe) and will be brining before frying. I will use the standard salt and brown sugar, but adding those seasons listed above to the brine too. Be the first time I even brined a fried (or fired - hehe - Sam??) turkey.

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We have 2 TG suppers. One is on Thursday, for 7 people, and one on Friday for 4 people. Mother is in charge of bird and rice stuffing, and she got a 15 lb bird. I'm concerned that's gonna be too small for 11 servings. Ok, so I'm baking pies, and fixing vegetables and salad (no potatoes at our dinner), but is 15 lbs pre-cooked enough?? For Friday, just in case, I'm thinking of getting a small chicken and doing the herb/butter rub from TNW site, and doing that on the ceramic cooker, standing on a rocket rack (aka beer can substitute).

Good excuse to do a whole chicken on the cooker, anyway. ;)

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