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Trail guide
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 Southern Deep Fried Turkey This is my 3rd year deep frying turkey for thanksgiving. The critics agree (my family) this year was the best. Thought I would capture my notes for next year and if others care to try. ** Note - If this is your first bird do the Preparing the Turkey fryer Step first.   Turkey should be about 12- 14 pounds. The deep fry pot I have can handle up to 18 lbs. I don't recommend any thing bigger than 14 lbs because the boiling grease can overflow.  Water and grease don't mix.. If you drop a frozen bird into a pot of boiling grease it will splatter or overflow possibly igniting from the flame heating the fryer. Remember, deep fried dad is not on the menu. It takes 24 hours for each 4 to 5 pounds to defrost in a refrigerator set at 40 °F or below. 14 lb bird should thaw for 3-4 days. Check out the link above.  Remove the the neck and the giblets typically found inside the body cavity. Wash and clean the bird with cold water. Then dry the bird with a paper towel. Turkey Injection This is the key to making the BEST deep fried turkey. My first year I skipped this step and ended up with a dry bird. The second year I didn't inject enough sauce but it was an improvement. This year I infused the bird with so much sauce I thought it would come back to life. The results were DELICIOUS!   My son has allergies so have to be careful about the sauce ingredients. Take 1 stick of Fleischamann's butter, 12 oz of chicken broth and two table spoons of salt and add to a bowl. Then microwave for about 1 minutes and then stir. If there is still un-melted butter microwave for another 30 seconds. You dont want the butter to clog the injector. I cant add any more then those three, but people add garlic and other flavors mentioned in the link above.  *I bought my injector at target for 4.99. The rule is to inject 4 oz of sauce in the breast and back and thighs. The trick is to use many injection points (40) vs 4, and I use closer to 6 oz of sauce. Once the bird is injected you should put it back in the fridge and let it sit for 2 hours. Others recommend injecting the night before so the sauce can work itself into the meat. Preparing the Turkey Fryer * If this is your first time - Fill the turkey fryer with 3 gallons of water and add the **wrapped** bird. Put more water until the bird is submerged. Remove the bird and mark the water line with a pencil or marker. This is how much oil you will add. Now empty the fryer and completely dry it. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT if you add too much oil it will over flow when the bird is added.  I use Soy oil (vegetable oil) because of my sons allergies, but everyone recommends peanut oil. Fill the oil up to the marked line in the fryer. Oil can be expensive, 1 gallon on vegetable oil cost 6$. Total cost for a 14 lb turkey is around 20$. The oil can be re-sused if you strain it and store it properly. I cooked two birds this year to maximize the oil cost. "Peanut oil is recommended because it cooks the best, has the highest flash point, is healthier and stays clear for a longer period of time."  The deep fryer should be outside! It should NEVER be inside or in the garage. Deep frying turkey is weather permitting event. It is preferably cooked on the grass. This way if the oil if spilled will quickly sink into the ground. Heat the oil to about 350. It takes about 15 -20 minutes. I have noticed once you add the turkey to the oil the temp will drop 100 degrees. It take about 5-10 min to get it back to the 325-350 degree range. Turkey Cooking This is the nerve racking part and like most things the more times you do it the easier becomes. Just keep a healthy sense of danger when adding the turkey. I bought a fire extinguisher just in case. You can get single usage one for 30$ at home depot. Its good to have around the house anyway.  Deep fryers come with a metal tool to hold the turkey in place in the fryer (see pic above). You want to push the handle through the neck and into the body cavity. The legs should be at the top and the heavier breast as the base. At this point I like to add my rub to the turkey, salt and pepper. Again I am limited to what I can add.  TURN OFF the burner off the grill before inserting the turkey. Keeps the oil from igniting if it overflows. Make sure you have gloves and fire resistant apron or clothes on. Gently lower the turkey into the oil. Watch the level of oil as the bird is lowered. You will see the oil bubble and splatter a bit. Lower the bird all the way down and put the lid on the fryer. Restart the flame.  The rule is 3 to 5 minutes for each lb of turkey at 325 - 350 degrees. If the turkey starts to float its been cooked too long. I tend to cook toward the 4.5 minute mark, at about 60 minutes for 14 lb bird. It is important not to leave the cooking bird unattended, and keep the little ones inside.  After the turkey is finished cooking turn off the burner again and slowly remove the turkey. Have a pot big enough to place the turkey in. Now, use a meat thermometer to check to see if the bird is done. The breast should be at least 170 degrees and the legs 180. I prefer 175 in the breast. Cost This can be expensive: Turkey: 20$ Oil: ~22$ Fryer Cooking kit: 79$ (one time) Injector: 4.99 (one time) Gas: ~10$ Meat thermometer: 10$ (one time) For us it is worth the time it saves and worth the taste. ENJOY! This is really good video and recommend watching to see what can happen when grease catches on fire.
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