Pilgrim’s Progress

This evening, I had the distinct pleasure of frying a turkey. I had never before undertaken such an endeavor, and I can only say that I am completely satisfied.

For any of you aspiring cooks out there - in addition to a turkey-frying setup, you’ll need one (1) large pot in which to “brine” the turkey. I have talked to other turkey fryers, and many of them choose not to brine. I choose to brine.

Add almost enough hot water to submerge the turkey into the brining pot. Mix in one (1) pound of salt and one (1) pound of dark brown sugar. Yes, it sounds gross. Yes, it looks gross. That doesn’t matter. It will smell and taste delicious. Your turkey will turn out amazing. Heat the oil in your fryer to about 375ºF (this will take about twenty (20) to thirty (30) minutes), and then immerse the turkey fully. You’ll want to dry off the turkey first, to avoid bubbling and splattering, and then gently put it in the oil (safety note: turn off the burner before you add the turkey, and wait for the oil to settle before re-igniting).

Leave it alone for about three (3) minutes per pound (for those of you who aren’t good at math, this is about forty-five (45) minutes for a fifteen (15) pound turkey). The thickest parts of the turkey should reach about one hundred fifty-one (141º) degrees, which will reach about 161º thanks to carry-over cooking. Remove and allow to rest for about 30 minutes, and enjoy.

Simple. Delicious. Done.

Special thanks to John Breitmeier for pointing me to the Good Eats episode where Alton Brown discussed deep frying a turkey. For the most part, these directions follow his. Special thanks also to Alton Brown for making the Good Eats episode.