A few years ago, my family gathered for Thanksgiving. I was not in attendance. The host, who we’ll not name, elected to defy the tradition of roasting the turkey and introduced deep-fried turkey.
The story lives on.
Depending on who I’m talking to, it was either the best Thanksgiving or the worst.
There are stories of flames shooting miles high “nearly catching the place on fire” and savory tales of how delicious that turkey was.
It will forever be a Thanksgiving of legends.
While I’m sure that Thanksgiving was nowhere near this excitement:
The fact is we have two options: up your roasting game or be a total hero and attempt to deep fry your bird.
People love to fry stuff (we’ve seen it all: Kool-Aid as seen on NY Daily News, Twinkies, Oreos, etc.)
What’s more patriotic than deep-frying Thanksgiving dinner?
Savory.com put together a pros and cons list to weigh in your cooking options.
OK, so you’re gonna do it:
Deep frying the bird is absolutely a fire hazard.
Open propane gas fires are often unstable.
If you challenge yourself to deep fry, remember that this must be done outside and away from anything you care about (in other words, do not attempt this while in a garage, close to a house, your friends, or under a tree.)
Turkey frying equipment can be found at larger stores like Home Depot and Target or it can also be purchased online.
The kits run from $180 to $250 and usually consist of a propane burner, large stockpot, cooking thermometer, immersible stand or basket, and lowering tool.
Tips for Deep-Frying a Turkey:
Thaw the turkey completely. Anything frozen making contact with extremely hot oil is bad splatter news (you wouldn’t want the above video to happen, would you?) even if it’s just a bit of the bird.
Patting the turkey dry before it’s lowered into the oil is important.
You can’t rub your turkey with herbs as they will burn.
Also, don’t forget that you can’t stuff a deep-fried turkey.
There is a general rule of 3.5 minutes frying time per pound of turkey
Fry the turkey, just don’t burn the house down.