opinions on frying turkeys
 

good or bad?

I'm trying to decide whether to make the investment in the equipment and oil...

It's fun. And it tastes good. Especially the skin. But a properly brined and oven cooked to the right temp (not overcooked like most turkey) beats it, IMHO.

I've never owned the equipment but I've eaten the turkey. And from what I understand the oil gets expensive since you don't use it very often.

Alton Brown did a great Good Eats episode on frying turkeys.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/reci..._35148,00.html

"As God is my witness I thought turkeys could fly."

Who said that?

Oh, you said "fry" not "fly". My bad.

Deep fried turkey is the way to go. If you decide to do it, get a flavor injector. Best turkey I have ever had was deep fried with cajun spices injected into it.

Fried turkey tastes pretty good, but I am cheap first and wouldn't bother frying just because of the expense. I don't think there is that much difference in the taste.

My father in law said it's great. I've never tried it. I venture it's the kind of thing you want to do exactly right with the right equipment, etc.

Deep fried turkey is the best turkey ever. You can baste a turkey all day in the oven or even bake it in an bag, but it will never touch a fried turkey in juiciness in my opinion. And the cracklins are best fried.

We'd use the same propane setup for low-country boils (crab, shrimp, sausage, potatoes, and corn on the cob) too.

Warning: Make sure you use peanut oil. My old man ran out of peanut oil and mixed in some canola with it. Peanut oil has a higher flash point so that is why it is used. In this fateful experience the vinyl siding melted off the second story from 12' flames and the fire department showed up when a neighbor called.

I'm going to try brining this year. Never tried it before. I found a couple of brine recipes on the 'net but if anyone has any favorite brine recipes I would love to see them.

If I was cooking the turkey this year, this is what I would use. You might need to double it, depending on how big your turkey is.

1 gallon water
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup maple syrup or honey
6 cloves garlic, crushed
several sprigs of rosemary or thyme
2 bay leaves

Mix a day in advance, bring to a boil and simmer for a few minutes. Cool and pour into container big enough to hold brine and turkey. Refrigerate, breast side down for at least 12 hours, turning at least once.