gumbo2176
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 3065
Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2010 2:01 am
Location: New Orleans

Cajun Fried Turkey

This can be a little intimidating for some folks, but once you get the hang of it and get the equipment needed, you may never eat a baked turkey again. I've probably fried 50 turkeys over the years and contrary to all those BS videos on U-tube, if done with a modicum of common sense, you will not burn your house down. Also, peanut oil can be used several times if stored properly. I've cooked as many as 6 turkeys with the same oil over the course of a years time.


Equipment needed:

1-Turkey frying kit including, pot, hook, cooking rack and hypodermic injector
1-burner stand
1-5 gallon Propane tank
3 -gallons Peanut Oil

Buy a 13-15 lb. turkey and thaw then dry it with paper towels to remove as much moisture as possible prior to putting in the hot oil.

Injection Fluid:
1 stick butter
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 tbsp. minced parsley
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. hot sauce
1/2 tsp. liquid smoke
1/3 cup water

Dry Rub: Enough to coat both outside and inside of the turkey liberally.
Salt
Black Pepper
Garlic Powder
Cayenne Pepper

Melt the butter, add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 15 minutes over a low heat to infuse the flavors. Strain and reserve the liquid till room temperature to inject into the turkey. After the liquid is cool, it will need to be stirred to incorporate the butter. Draw the liquid into the injector and stick it in the center of the breast meat, aim the needle toward the upper portion of the breast and inject half the liquid. Using the same hole, readjust the needle to inject the lower portion of the breast meat. Do this to both breasts, the legs and thighs.

Make sure the turkey is as dry as you can get it both inside and out. Put the dry rub on the turkey and set aside while the oil heats.

Heat enough Peanut oil to cover the turkey as it cooks. My pot allows me to use a whole 3 gallon container of Peanut Oil and still have room to add the turkey to the pot without boiling over. The oil should be heated to 350 degrees. Place the turkey on the cooking rack and SLOWLY lower it into the oil. Cook the turkey for 3 1/2 minutes per lb. at 325 degrees till done.

A 13 lb. turkey will be done in approximately 45 minutes. I've cooked turkeys like this that weighted in the 17-18 lb. range. If doing a bigger turkey, simply lower the cooking temperature to 300 degrees and cook it closer to 4 minutes a lb. Use a meat thermometer in the thigh to check to see if it is done at 185 degrees F.

Allow the oil to cool, strain to remove any residue and return to the container it came in. Store in a cool area to keep from going bad and turning rancid.



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