Turkey Fry!

By Jonathan Marrelli

Okay, so between one thing and another, I haven't posed after Halloween. In my defence, the mess from Halloween was *huge* and really did take a while to clean up. 

As it is still about 27 hours until Christmas, I think I can get away with a more Thanksgiving themed post. Although turkey is good food for Christmas too.

This year, I fried a turkey. It was glorious and golden brown. My group at work got together the week before Thanksgiving and did a pot luck lunch. For the main course, we had a turkey cook off, between myself and Tim. The rules were simple: two turkey enter, one turkey leave. Or rather, two turkeys are fried, and one is declared a winner by the ever popular drool-O-meter. Tim provided the fryer, and the experience.

Before I talk anymore about this, let me be perfectly clear: 

you can blow up your house if you do this wrong. 

The turkey must to completely thawed (no no no ice!) and the oil must not splash over the top of the pot. Oil, air, and an open flame are a recipe for disaster, not deliciousness. Thank you, now back to the regularly scheduled posting.

My strategy was a simple one. Based on the idea that the 12 pound turkey would cook in only 42 minuets, I had to get any flavor in before the turkey hit the heat. Frying is also able to produce a very moist turkey, and crispy skin. These elements made it clear to me that the best solution was a brine. I soaked the turkey overnight (which also made sure it was completely thawed out) in the brine.

Tim opted for the creole-butter marinade injection, operating on the same theory as I was about pre-heat flavor.

The oil was heated, the bird prepared. My turkey was selected to go first. It hit the oil, and immediately my co-workers began salivating. The smell was incredibly good.

42 minuets later my bird came out of the oil. It was incredibly golden brown. The smell was fantastic. Everything was in place. Mashed potatoes, stuffing (on the side, do not put in the fryer), green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, rolls...and now The Turkey.

The brine made the meat tender, juicy and delicious. The hot oil made the skin crispy and delectable. The contest was a tie.

What? a tie! Yes, both turkeys were declared amazingly delicious, in different ways. I guess I believed everybody when 10 people, most of them skinny, ate two 12 pound turkeys at lunch. And almost all the fixings. 

I do feel vindicated however, that three people on my team asked for my brine recipe after eating the turkey, and six people who were *not* on my team asked my for it, based on the recommendation of my team, or maybe just the smell of the cooking birds.

In case anyone wants it, this is my easy-brine procedure:

1 cup of kosher salt (or regular salt if you want)

1/2 cup of brown sugar

1/2 a container of frozen o.j. concentrate (about 6 oz)

1 gallon of water

8 pounds of ice

Combine all these in a cooler, or a 5 gallon bucket with a lid, with the turkey and soak 6-8 hours. I like overnight, cause its easy. This works great for turkey in the oven as well. 

As evidence of the deliciousness, juiciness, and goodness of these turkeys, I will submit one last piece of information:

We forgot to make the gravy

and nobody noticed until that afternoon, when we found the un-made gravy in the clean up.