Nov 21, 2012
Warning! If this is your first time frying a turkey, you might want to avoid a Cajun rub. I used it on my first fried turkey. After the appropriate time had elapsed, I pulled the bird out of the oil and it was BLACK! Not dark brown, but the color of your car tires. My first thought was "I hope KFC is open today." I took it inside and put it on the table. Everyone looked at it with their mouth hanging open. Dinner was ruined. Finally, my teenage nephew cut off a piece and tried it and said, "This is really good." He was right. It was the best turkey I had ever had. I realized I had made 'blackened turkey'.
A few years ago, the price of peanut oil went through the roof and the size of the container went from 5 gal to 3 gal. It would have cost me nearly $70 just for the oil and I said, no more. My wife bought me an oil-less turkey fryer made by CharBroil. Instead of using 5 gal. of oil, I now use about a handful to rub on the skin. It cooks just as fast and tastes almost the same, with no danger of spilling hot oil or trying to figure out what to do with it after it cools down. I love it.
—Frank Barnett
