10 steps to Deep Fried Turkey 101
Step One: Get a turkey!
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12- 15 pounds is a good size for most deep fat fryer pots. Find a very large cooking pot and some cooking oil. You can use vegetable oil, but it's better if you use peanut oil. However peanut oil is very expensive and you are going to need several gallons of it.
Step Two: Prepare the turkey.
It MUST BE defrosted and washed and make sure there are no pop up tender timer devices or anything left inside. You will also need to truss the turkey, meaning you need to secure the legs, neck flap, wings and tail to the body of the turkey. A Frozen turkey in hot oil is a BOMB! BE CAREFUL!
Step Three: To determine the perfect amount of oil you are going to be using, place the turkey in the pot and add water until the turkey is completely covered plus an inch or two. With the turkey and the water there should still be several inches of room between the oil and the top of the pot. If it's a close call, then you need either a bigger pot or a smaller turkey. Remove the turkey and measure the water. This is the amount of oil you will need.
Step Four: Soak your turkey in brine.
For each gallon of water add 1 cup of sea salt and ¼ of pickling spice and a bottle of Jack Daniel's (Chef Mattern' secret). This will make your turkey moist in the inside add create the flavor profile that our family and friends will talk about all year long! Promise!
Step Five: Dry and season the turkey.
Various recipes will call for seasoning rubs or injection mixtures. I find the brine to be the best! This step is important. DRY your turkey and dry your pot! NO water - at all may be present. Be very sure it is dry! Water left behind can cause some serious problems once you add the oil and start heating it up.
Step Six: Add the oil to the pot and bring it to a temperature of about 375 degrees. You should really get a good thermometer so you can get the temperatures right.
Step Seven: This is where it gets tricky. The turkey needs to be room temperature and dry. Turn off the burner when you put the turkey in. You are going to lower the turkey into the pot of very hot oil. The oil is going to splatter. You need some very good cooking gloves and a way to put the turkey in the oil while you are a safe distance. This is the reason why it's really not that good of an idea to do it on your stove top. Now I have heard of people using a wire basket on the turkey and a wooden board to do this. A bit of inventing and I'm sure you'll find a way. Anyway, slowly lower the turkey into the oil. I use a hook I made from a hanger.
A good method here is dunking. When you lower the turkey into the oil it will boil up. This is why you want the burner off when you do it. People have been burned by hot oil hitting the burner. You might not need to do more than a single dunk but you should be prepared to raise the bird out of the oil it starts boiling up. You can greatly reduce the mess and risk of personal injury by lifting the bird up as the oil boils around it. A couple of dunks and the turkey should be nicely settled in. This will also allow the cavity to fill with oil and the air to be released.
Step Eight: Once the bird is safely resting in the oil, turn the burner back on to get to a temperature of 350 degrees F. At this point you can go take a breather. But don't wander too far because that turkey will be done soon. A deep fried turkey cooks at a rate of about 3 to 3 1/2 minutes per pound. A ten pound turkey should take 30-35 minutes. An instant read thermometer can help you figure out if it's done, but of course you will need to lift the turkey out to test it.
Step Nine: Remove the turkey from the oil when it's done. Do this slowly and after you have turned off the burner. Let the turkey drain a little bit and you're set to go. Do this over a tray. I have seen some beautiful birds hit the ground at this point and they are call for take out! L Remember the turkey is not as strong as well you first placed it in the oil. You hook may become loose. Use caution!
Step Ten: Carve and enjoy. If you have never had a turkey cooked this way then you have not finished your life requirements. Do this and you may never put a turkey in the oven again. Despite what you might think this turkey is not oily or greasy. It's crisp, juicy and delicious.