# I am going to deep-fry a turkey ..



## love2"Q" (Nov 10, 2007)

i have never done this before .. should i brine it first 
or will that be to much liquid in the oil .. i have searched and 
can not find anything about it .. everywhere i look says to rub 
and inject .. any help is appreciated ..


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## GB (Nov 10, 2007)

No need to brine it, but brining will not hurt anything. Just make sure to dry the bird well before putting it in the oil. I was not crazy about using a dry rub. It was not bad by any means, but it did get darker than I wanted. I would either inject it or add flavors to your brine. 

Try doing a dry run with a chicken first to see what you like and don't like.


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## QSis (Nov 10, 2007)

What GB said.

Brining helps protect a bird from drying out when you are cooking with dry heat, usually over a long period of time.  

Deep-frying a turkey is a quick cook in very hot oil, so brining isn't warranted. 

Patting the turkey as dry as you can get it before you lower it into the oil is VERY important, so keep that in mind after you inject.

Lee


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## VaporTrail (Nov 10, 2007)

Friend of mine does this every year. I don't believe he brines... would have to ask to be sure though.

All I can really contribute (beyond "watch your butt when you put the bird in") is "Make sure you have enough oil before starting."

First year he did the deep fried turkey bit, he didn't have enough oil. (the jug was a 3 gallon, not a 5 gallon like he figured. So we had to run around to four different stores looking for another jug of oil.


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## Uncle Bob (Nov 10, 2007)

My Tip....Lower the bird into the pot. Fill with water to about 2 inches above the bird. Take the turkey out. Notice the water level, and mark it somehow (on the outside of the pot) That is how much oil you need! This must be done for each bird because of various weights. 

Be Careful & Have Fun!


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## love2"Q" (Nov 10, 2007)

thanks all .. i didnt think brining was neccasary .. 
uncle bob .. great idea .. thanks ..


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## amber (Nov 10, 2007)

Like Uncle Bob mentioned and Alton Brown does as well....

Deep-Fried Turkey Recipe: Recipes: Food Network

Also saw a show today with Paula Deanne about frying turkey so maybe you could look that one up on food network.com


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## mikki (Nov 11, 2007)

We've done this a few years,measure for the oil like uncle bob said, we have always injected the turkey with marinade,have never tried dry rub or brine, if you do brine make sure all the excess water is off and out of the turkey or the oil will go everywhere(had it happen the first time when I didnt tip turkey up to get water out of the inside). This Turkey is addicting, everytime we have fryed one no one can just leave it, everyone usually picks the bones clean while cleaning up. I would love to do it this year, but hubby hunts and doesnt want to come in early to cook. Good luck I hope yours turns out as well as ours has.


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## jpmcgrew (Nov 11, 2007)

Just be sure to do it safely no kids or pets around you at all also its good to do it not to close to the house etc as many house fires have occured over a spilled turkey fryer.Make sure your fryer is really stable.Im sure others will have more suggestions on safety


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## GB (Nov 11, 2007)

Yeah I have one to add jpmcgrew...no drinking!


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## jpmcgrew (Nov 11, 2007)

One more thing keep a fire extinquisher made for grease fires handy.Hope I haven't scared you off.


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## love2"Q" (Nov 11, 2007)

not scared at all .. but the no drinking part is a rule that 
 is going to be broken .. i have a perfect place for frying ..
we do fish frys every summer ..


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## mikki (Nov 11, 2007)

Drinking + Hot Oil + Big Flame = NOT GOOD


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## Caine (Nov 11, 2007)

love2"Q" said:


> *I am going to fry a turkey ..*
> i have never done this before ..


I *DARE* you to call your homeowners insurance agent and say that!


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## Michael in FtW (Nov 11, 2007)

One of the concepts of deep-frying a turkey (other than decreasing the total cooking time factor and flavor) is to seal in the natural juices ... so brining isn't necessary.

As for brining in general - look at the label on your turkey. If the ingredients say anything other than 100% natural turkey and nothing else (ie. if it includes any mention of sodium, water, broth, etc.) it _should not_ be brined, and I would be a little leary of injecting them with anything containing salt - even if roasting in the oven. They have already been pumped-up, plumped-up and injected with all the salt and water they need. This also goes for "Kosher" turkeys.

Uncle Bob was right about measuring the oil you need before you start. And, when you lower your dried off turkey into the oil - do it slowly! You might also need to do it in stages ... lower it a couple of inches ... wait a few seconds (if ithe oil boils up too much pull it back up out of the oul and wait for the oil to settle down) ... lower a couple more inches ... it depends on the "boiling up" of the oil. 

But, since you do fish frys - you've probably got the routine down.


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## ronjohn55 (Nov 12, 2007)

A lot of good advice in this thread. 

We've had some big discussions in the past on this subject too (Funny, seems to come up every year, right around now. I wonder why????) 

Here's one of the older links. http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f15/deep-fried-turkey-question-4483.html

John


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## Poppinfresh (Nov 18, 2007)

All I'm gonna add to this thread is another voice of be very, very careful.  I had a buddy that tried this 2 years ago and he ended up setting his house on fire.  I'm not even kidding.

Make sure you pull the deep-frying apparatus at least 15 feet from the house before you start (he had it just outside his sliding glass door, under an overhang).  Have a fire extinguisher handy, be slow, etc.

I'm still not sure how he ended up creating an oil fire--probably had something to do with something he was coating the bird with--but I'm told it was quite the blaze that came shooting out of his turkey fryer.


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## AllenOK (Nov 19, 2007)

I guess I need to repost my "Ten Commandments to Frying Turkeys" ???


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## jpmcgrew (Nov 19, 2007)

AllenOK said:


> I guess I need to repost my "Ten Commandments to Frying Turkeys" ???


Please do.


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