How Fried Turkey Won Me Over
by A. Montalbano on 11/25/13
Ahh Thanksgiving is upon us and the joy of the traditional oven baked turkey centered on the dining table surrounded by true American style fixings is anticipated. But the spice enthusiast that I am, sprucing foods up a bit with that mild seasoning is so delectable. Oven-baked turkey has been wonderful to me all these years. But I must bid farewell to my oven-baked fowl and say hello to Cajun fried. For it indeed has me hooked!
Before explaining its Cajun fried roots, let me say, frying a turkey is straight forward not for the inexperienced gentile cook. To appreciate and capture true excitement of this bird fried to a golden crisp exterior yet succulent and juicy interior, one must observe an expert demonstrate his technique at a distance. Over the past 10 years more home fire claims have been reported at Thanksgiving due to turkey fire hazards.(AG Insurance Solutions.com) Don't let your Thanksgiving be a devastating memory to your guest because of unsafe practices. And better yet, to enjoy a fried turkey without the necessary prep, order from your favorite meat market. These experts can crack so many out in a holiday.
Being of Mexican and Sicilian origin, we enjoy Cajun-style marinade because of the intense flavor our taste-buds are so accustomed to. But there are various flavors to try so don't be shy.
Introduced five years ago to the thought of a fried turkey, it remained unappealing until last year when I stumbled upon a display at a camping store. What could hurt to try something new, I thought, but most of all, my husband, a restauranteur/food expert took pride in handling it himself.
This incredibly mouth-watering experience justified my reason to never go back to oven-baked. And why I waited so long to immerse myself into such a tasty phenomenon is a mystery.
In researching its roots, I discovered fried turkey originated in the bayou area of Louisiana/Texas. Thumbing through countless articles, one stated it became widely known in the 1990's after receiving national press. Some articles call fried turkey, "Southern Fondue". While others credit the succulent treat like a "barbeque for outdoor Southern family gatherings". The pleasure of the Thanksgiving meal is not only to give thanks but to know there are two ways to cook a turkey: traditional oven-baked or Southern fried Cajun-style. Either way, turkey is delicious fowl.
Prep to frying turkey and safety steps:
1. Fry in an open outside area at a distance from buildings and people. Never in the garage or on an open wooden deck.
2. Read all instructions about the fryer before use.
3. Place fryer on a flat even surface.
4. NEVER fry a frozen turkey! A frozen turkey is iced. Ice melting into the extreme heated oil causes an explosion and fire. Turkey MUST be thawed completed and give plenty of time for the marinade to soak in before dipping turkey into the fryer.
6. Wear protective gear such as goggles, mittens, apron.
7. Use a thermostat to measure the heat level and ALWAYS monitor.
8. Take extra precaution not to over-fill the fryer with oil. Over-fill can spill and engulf the area and endanger bystanders.
9. Have a fire extinguisher handy. A fire can break-out any time when it comes to heat and oil.
10. Never leave it unattended and remember that the pot and lid is excessively hot. Remember that even after the turkey is ready and the fire is off, the pot remains hot so take special precaution to guard before going indoors.