Assistant professors Aaron Quinn and Matt Blake put on their chef hats and deep fry a turkey in celebration of the holidays.
Watch the video to find out how you can make your own deep fried turkey.
Recipe
Ingredients
One 10 – 12 pound turkey
One cup of your favorite or homemade dry rub
Three gallons of peanut oil
Turkey frying kit/tools:
Roughly 30-quart pot
Burner with hose and gas regulator
Turkey bracket – slips inside the turkey to keep it upright
Handle – hooked handle used to lower and raise the turkey from the fryer
Fryer thermometer
Propane tank
Protective gloves
Cutting board/preparation surface
Fryer preparation
Pour three gallons of peanut oil into a dry fryer pot. If any water is in the fryer, it will get trapped in the oil and may get explosive.
Place fryer thermometer through the lid opening.
Light fryer burner and gradually raise it to full throttle.
Heat oil to about 400 degrees and lower burner considerably when your turkey is prepared to take the plunge.
Turkey preparation
Turkey must be completely thawed – do not ever fry a frozen or even cold turkey.
Remove all of the turkey’s internal organs, whether they are packaged or still attached.
Use paper towels to pat the turkey dry.
Generously coat both the outside and inside of the turkey with the dry rub.
Procedure
Once the turkey is covered in the dry rub and the oil is heated to 400 degrees, mount the turkey on the bracket, making sure its wings are splayed outside of the bracket’s outer prongs.
Wearing gloves, use the hooked handle and very slowly lower the turkey into the oil in the pot, as it will reduce oil splatter.
Once the turkey is in the pot, the boiling oil should rise to just below the top of the turkey.
Place the lid on the pot and be sure the thermometer is not touching the turkey, but rather sitting only in the oil. This ensures an accurate temperature reading.
The turkey typically brings the oil temperature down about 50 degrees, which is good since you want to keep a consistent frying temperature of 350 degrees. This may require some vigilance during frying – frequently check the temperature and adjust the burner accordingly.
A rough guide is to cook the turkey for about three minutes a pound, plus seven minutes. Thus, an 11-pound turkey would cook for 40 minutes. It’s always advisable to use a separate meat thermometer to check the turkey’s internal temperature after frying to be sure it reaches a safe internal temperature of 170 degrees.
Once the turkey is removed from the fryer, allow it to sit and drain on a disposable surface. Carve as desired.
