Crisp and Delicious - Deep Fried Turkey Recipes For the Holidays

!±8± Crisp and Delicious - Deep Fried Turkey Recipes For the Holidays

When Thanksgiving gets a little closer, you may start pondering changing up your traditional turkey for a deep fried one. There are a lot of deep fried turkey recipes around the web, which reflects the popularity of this particular culinary approach to the ever-delicious turkey. Of course, what recipe you choose depends heavily on taste preferences. No matter what, however, there are some things you should know about deep frying turkey before you begin.

Advantages & Disadvantages

The good part about deep frying a turkey is that it's very fast and very flavorful. If you happen to be a fan of crunchy skin - be ready to fight over every inch. Overall, deep frying makes for a tender, juicy turkey.

On the down side if you're on a diet, deep fried turkey recipes won't help much (mind you, I think holidays should be a time to give your diet a break!). Your turkey may taste oily if it's not drained completely. Also improper use of a turkey deep fryer can be very dangerous.

Dry Rub, Injection or Both?

Some people swear by dry rubs as the key to their succulent deep fried turkey recipes, others prefer injecting marinade into the meat, while a third group says, "hey go for the gusto - do both!" I confess I'm in this group, being a big flavor junkie.

Having said that, a rub is a much safer route when deep frying your bird. Why? Because with an injection, you have to be certain to get the marinade into the meat, NOT under the skin. Any marinade under the skin will spatter when you fry, sending hot oil everywhere. And ending up with nasty burns on your face isn't the best way to celebrate the holidays.

Safety Precautions

There are several details that some deep fried turkey recipes leave out-- namely safety precautions you can take to make sure you get to enjoy this treat completely without incident.

o Make sure you have a big enough pot to fully cover your turkey with oil and have several inches to spare.
o Use good cooking gloves and goggles to protect your hands and eyes from spattered oil.
o Keep a fire extinguisher handy - you're using a LOT of oil and should it boil over or splash just right, you can easily end up with a grease fire.
o Make sure your turkey is room temperature when you add it to the oil.
o Keep children and pets away from the area where you're deep frying.
o Cook your turkey outdoors in a well ventilated area, away from any structures. Never make any deep fried turkey recipes in an enclosed space or a building!
o Make sure your fryer is on level ground (dirt or grass is best).
o When you're done, leave the oil to cool completely before storing.

Sample Fried Turkey Recipe:

This is just one example of the many great deep fried turkey recipes you can try. Don't be afraid to get creative with it!

Turkey and Rub Ingredients:
1 12 pound turkey whole
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. poultry seasoning
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. orange zest

Step 1: Defrost the turkey completely, cleaning it inside and out, then rub the outside of the bird with the spice mixture and leave it in the refrigerator overnight. The next day let the bird come to room temperature while you make the marinade (about 45 minutes).

Marinade Ingredients:
2 tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup orange juice
3/4 cup orange blossom honey
12 oz. ale
2 tsp. garlic juice
1 tsp. onion powder

Whip these six ingredients in your blender. Using a meat injector, inject this mixture deep into the meat of the turkey (using most of it for the breast).

Heat your frying oil to 375 degrees F. When the temperature's right, carefully lower the bird into the oil and cook it for 3-4 minutes per pound. You want the internal temperature of the breast to reach 180 degrees. Drain thoroughly cavity-side-down and allow to rest for about 10 minutes before carving.

Crisp and Delicious - Deep Fried Turkey Recipes For the Holidays

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Weird and Wonderful Recipes Just For Fun

!±8± Weird and Wonderful Recipes Just For Fun

There have always been really strange recipes around that are passed from kitchen to kitchen until they fade and a new fad takes over. Usually they are perfectly edible, they may even taste quite good, but at least one ingredient is strange or used in a peculiar way.

Bacon Mugs

I found a version of this on Stumble. The resulting mugs make great containers for salads, rice etc. Use small ovenproof dishes upside down. These you cover with foil pressed well down. These you cover with bacon. I t is best if you cross two rashers over the upturned base and then wind one or two more rashers in and out to make a bacon basket. Cook these on a baking tray to catch drips. How long they take to become crisp will depend upon the bacon and your oven. A hot oven is best, but may produce some smoke. The bacon will shrink of course, but removed carefully from the foil after cooling and they should keep their shape. I must try this with vegetarian bacon, but these crisp up really quickly so keep a careful eye on them. Another idea might be to create a basket in a long, shallow dish.

Carrot Jam

This comes from a Second World War time book, so is really old. The fact that the recipe has survived this long must mean that it is worth making. Next time I make carrot cake I
will split it and spread it with some of this. I cannot give quantities as it depends upon how much mashed carrot you have.

Wash and peel your carrots. Chop them small and boil in slightly salted water until soft. Drain and sieve or chop finely in a food processor. To one pound of this pulp add on pound of sugar , 1 teaspoon of powdered ginger and the juice and grated zest of a lemon.

Boil all these together as when making any other jam. Pot when it begins to get thick.

Rose Petal Jam

My darling Granddad would allow me to pick his precious roses to make this. Some petals, especially white ones need trimming at the end where they join the flower as this part of the petal can produce a bitter taste.

2 mugs of rose petals packed fairly tightly, 2 1/2 mugs of sugar, 2 mugs of warm water, 2 tablespoons of honey, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice.

Cut the petals into 1/4 inch strips. Cover with the water and cook for about 10 minutes. Strain this, reserving the petals, and use the liquid to make a syrup with the sugar and honey. Boil and then simmer for 5 minutes before adding the petals once more. Then cook on the lowest possible flame for about 40 minutes- an asbestos mat helps with this recipe. Add the lemon juice and cook for a further 20 minutes. Pour into sterile pots and seal. Some would want to add a little colouring, but I am a purist and never do.

Jelly Fruit - Americans would probably call these Jello Fruit.

I remember these as a great treat at birthdays when I was a child. Somehow eating the jelly from out of a fruit shell made it taste better - at least in my imagination.

Each fruit will give you 4 portions. Halve your oranges. Remove all the flesh taking care not to damage the skins. Place the dry skins upright on a tray, or better still balance them in muffin tins which means that they stay upright more easily. Make up your jelly/jello a little thicker than normal and pour into the empty shells as full as you can as it shrinks a little when it sets. Place the tray in fridge and let set. Then cut each half shell once more so that the orange shell is now in quarters which make them much easier to eat. All you have to do now is to think of something to do with all that orange flesh. Now that my family is grown I wonder if it will work as jelly shots?

Weird and Wonderful Recipes Just For Fun

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