Frying a Turkey without Frying Your House

Each black Friday, there are countless stories in the news about the hapless souls who catch their decks on fire or bring the whole house while deep frying a turkey.  Truth be told, a fried turkey is something everyone should try at least once and with proper education and planning, it can be done without making you the laughstock of the county.

First of all, if you can't stand the cold, cook that bird in the kitchen.  Trying to fry a turkey indoors is a recipe for disaster.  Place the fryer well away from the house and anything flamable like a wooden deck in case the hot oil spills. 

Next, test those oil levels.  Adding 15-20 pounds of anything to liquid will make the level rise so your best bet is to test it in advance by putting the turkey in the pot then filling with water until the bird is fully immersed.  Remove the turkey, noting the level of the water on the side of the pot with a permanent pen.

Dump the water, dry the pot well (water and oil don't go well together), then fill with oil (preferably peanut) to the line you made.  Heat to approximately 325 degrees.  When prepping the turkey, make sure it is fully defrosted and patted dry. Again, water and oil don't go well together and ice crystals will cause some nasty little red spots all over your body.

As for seasoning, you honestly don't have to go crazy.  Think how moist and flavorful chicken fried in peanut oil is without the addition of brines, injections, rubs, etc.  But if you must, inject the meatiest portions of the turkey using an injecting needle with a flavorful liquid such as white wine and and turkey seasonings.  Try to keep the injection light in color so the meat doesn't come out with dark streaks.  As for rub, apply it the night before so the flavor can really absorb into the meat, otherwise most of it's coming off like dirt in a bath.

Before you get started, make sure you are wearing shoes, not sandles, long pants, a long sleeved shirt and whatever else to protect from small bits of flying grease or overflow.  Also keep mitts, a lid for the pot and a fire extingisher on hand in case you have to remove the pot quickly from the open flame. Note, water will only make the situation worse if you have a grease fire.  Suffocating it by putting the lid on the pot is your best best.

Once ready, place the turkey onto the rack provided, attached the hooked rod and SLOWLY lower it into the oil.  You may want to wear a welders glove to help with the heat, but the key is not to drop it in and cause a splashback.  From there, let the fryer do its job.  A good rule of thumb is 3 minutes per pound, ie 45 minutes for a 15 pound bird.  To be extra sure, you check the internal temperature, aiming for 170 degrees.

Once finished, remove and let rest 10-20 minutes before carving so the juices can redistribute.  Assuming you can wait to dive into that crispy critter!