Posted November 20, 2007 by Nick Lindauer in Recipes

Recipe: Deep Fried Turkey

Recipe & Instructions available below the fold

Deep Fried Turkey

1 turkey thawed
1 12 oz bottle Mr. Mojo Fresh Marinade Hot BBQ Grillin’ Sauce
1 C hickory smoked sea salt (you can substitute plain sea salt or kosher salt)
Danny Cash Ragin Red
1 1/2-2 gallons water
injector syringe
5 gallon bucket with lid
small garbage bag
1 bag of ice
about 3 gallons peanut oil
Turkey deep fryer (do not try to improvise, if you don’t have the specialized equipment for deep frying a turkey, buy it or else don’t try this)
fire extinguisher

Remove turkey from wrapping. Remove giblets or any other parts. Rinse turkey inside and out with cold water. Place turkey on bracket for deep frying. Place turkey into empty deep fryer pot. Wash hands. Turkey should be standing upright with drumsticks pointing up. Fill pot with water to point where turkey is covered. Remove turkey. Wash hands. Mark level of remaining water on inside of deep fryer pot. This is the fill level for your peanut oil (do not overfill, fire and serious injury can result). Remove turkey from bracket and place turkey into garbage bag. Wash hands. Place bag inside of 5 gallon bucket. Pour entire bottle of Mr. Mojo over turkey and into turkey body cavity in bag. Dissolve salt in 1 1/2-2 gallons cold water (enough to fully cover turkey). Pour brine mixture into bag with turkey. Pull edges of bag up and twist. Fill the rest of the bucket with ice. Snap Lid on bucket trapping top edge of bag between bucket rim and lid (so the edge of bag doesn’t slip down and allow ice to dilute your brine mixture). Set bucket aside in a cool place for 8 hours.

Now is a good time to do some serious cleaning. Make sure to thoroughly clean any/all surfaces that may have come into contact with the raw poultry. After the turkey has brined for 8 hours remove from bucket. Now is the time to inject your favorite hot sauce. I used Danny Cash Ragin Red. The rest of the family was gonna eat it as well so I had to stay on the mild side. Inject sauce liberally into several spots in the breast thighs and legs. I have found that it can be difficult if the sauce has little chunks of goodness in it (like Ragin Red does), but work your way through. Arrange turkey on deep frying bracket. Wash hands. Allow turkey to sit upright on deep frying bracket on top of a platter or cookie sheet while you prepare the oil, this allows any excess brine to drip away. Place the burner assembly and propane bottle for your turkey fryer on a flat level cement surface, not inside your garage or carport, and definitely not on a wood deck. Make sure that you have your fire extinguisher nearby, just in case (remember water won’t extinguish burning oil).

Fill fryer pot with peanut oil to level pre marked. Light up your burner and bring oil to 375. When oil reaches temp. carefully and slowly lower your turkey into the oil. The temperature will drop when you put the turkey in the oil you want to maintain a temperature of 325, adjust flame accordingly. Cook turkey 4 minutes per lb. After cooking time is complete remove turkey onto a platter or cookie sheet. Use extra caution at this point as your bird will be dripping 325 degree oil. I suggest using silicone cooking mitts, you can hold the platter with one and actually hold the turkey with the other while you transport to the kitchen. Allow bird to rest for at least 5 minutes. This will be one of the juiciest, flavor filled, crispiest skinned turkeys you will ever enjoy.