Turkey Tips: Deep-Fried Turkey

Deep-frying a whole turkey is a messy proposition, and presents some hazards. For these reasons, it should always be done outdoors--not on the deck, and not in the garage. We also recommend that you don't attempt this without the right equipment:

• Heavy-duty portable propane burner.
• Large stockpot (26- to 40-quart capacity) or a custom-made turkey-frying pot.
• A heavy-duty cooking thermometer
• A tool that will allow you to safely lower the turkey into a vat of boiling oil, and remove it once the turkey is done.

There are many online resources for buying turkey-frying equipment, if you can't find it at your local hardware or kitchen store.

Size Choose a turkey between 10 and 15 pounds. If you have a lot of people to feed, prepare two turkeys rather than a single huge one. The turkey should either be fresh or completely thawed before cooking.

Oil To determine the amount of oil you will need, place the bird in the pot you intend to use for frying. Pour in cold water until the turkey is covered by a couple of inches. There should still be several inches between the surface of the water and the top of the pot. Measure the water: this is how much oil you'll need.

• For a traditional Cajun turkey, use peanut oil for frying the bird.
• Peanut oil is expensive, but it gives the best flavor and has a high smoke point. You can also use half peanut, half vegetable oil.

Seasoning Cajun-style turkeys are traditionally injected with a liquid seasoning blend (marinade), then rubbed with a dry seasoning blend (dry rub).

To properly season your turkey, place it in a pan and load your marinade into a hypodermic meat injector (available at kitchen supply stores and some supermarkets).

• Inject the marinade in several places on the turkey by carefully lifting up the skin, rather than poking the needle through it.
• Gently loosen the membrane under the turkey skin. Apply a dry rub under the skin of the bird and all around the cavity.
• This can be done as much as 36 hours in advance, but you should allow at least 12 hours to give the flavors time to penetrate the meat while it's kept in the refrigerator.

These recipes will walk you through the frying process.

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