Deep Fried Turkey Practice

While your neighbors are putting up their Halloween decorations and scouring supermarkets for bargain candy, it’s the perfect time for you to deep fry a turkey. If you’ve been thinking about deep frying a turkey for Thanksgiving but want to try it first, October is the perfect time. It’s close enough to Thanksgiving for you to gain some valuable experience but still far enough away that your family won’t get tired of turkey sandwiches.

In October, Thanksgiving is still over a month away. It's the perfect time to dig your turkey fryer out of the attic, buy some peanut oil and test out some new dry rubs or injector sauce recipes. Let’s face it once November comes it’s too late to subject your family to a turkey test run when they're going to have it again in a few weeks on Thanksgiving. That’s a lot of turkey. And Thanksgiving dinner is a time to be thankful, not a time to try out new recipes. What if your bird tastes terrible? You don’t want your family to remember this year as the one where Dad ruined Thanksgiving.

Deep frying a practice turkey a month early will increase your comfort level on Thanksgiving. Let’s face it when working with five gallons of boiling oil you can use all the comfort you can get. And you’ll also get to enjoy a wonderful deep fried turkey without all the stress and the hassles that the holidays bring.

Your prep work should include making sure your propane tank is full and check to see if your fire extinguisher is charged and ready for action. Be sure to find your gloves and goggles and collect all the necessary equipment that you’ll need for the big day. Put it somewhere on hand like the garage. This way when Thanksgiving comes you’ll have one less thing to worry about.

And remember when you deep fry a turkey you won’t have turkey drippings to make gravy. October is the perfect time to plan your gravy options. You could fry up the giblets and neck in a pan and use those drippings to make your gravy. Or you could buy your gravy at the store. The deep fried turkey will be moist enough that gravy will be more important for the mashed potatoes but it’s still a good idea to plan ahead.

Here’s an excellent injector sauce recipe to try:
Buttery Injector Sauce
1/2 cup Chicken Broth
4 tbsp Butter
1 tbsp Lemon Juice
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
Salt to taste

Melt Butter in a pan or microwave
Mix butter in a bowl with the rest of the ingredients except salt
Add salt slowly and taste. The sauce should only taste slightly salty
Whisk or use electric mixer until well blended and ready to be injected
Inject mixture into turkey
Place turkey in oven bag or in a large bowl with a cover
Refrigerate overnight

Whether it’s your first deep fried turkey or you are an old pro, try using October to practice. It will make Thanksgiving a little more relaxed and enjoyable. The more prepared you are, the smoother your day will go and that’s something to be thankful for.

Anthony Tripodi is the webmaster of BigTurkeyFryer.com - The Deep Fried Turkey Guide. For more information about Deep Fried Turkey including deep fryers, recipes for injector sauces and dry rubs, and more, visit http://www.bigturkeyfryer.com

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How to Make an Easy Turkey Gravy

I’m not sure I’ve ever met anyone who does not enjoy pouring gravy over turkey and mashed potatoes. There are only a few times a year when I make gravy and we always seem to look forward to those particular meals.

There is a world of difference between home made and store bought gravy. I’ve tried store bought, both in a jar and powdered and they just don’t compare to homemade gravy.

Before ever cooking your turkey, you’ll want to make turkey stock. This is basically turkey soup. Start with 4 cups water. Add some turkey parts. We don’t eat dark meat, so I use the dark meat to make the stock. Add one onion, chopped; a stalk of celery, chopped; and a couple of carrots, chopped. Let it simmer about an hour.

When you cook your turkey, you need to save all of the drippings. You’ll use both the stock from above and the drippings to make your turkey gravy.

Pour the drippings through a strainer and then measure. Add enough turkey stock to the drippings so that you end up with 4 cups of drippings/stock.

Melt ½ cup of butter in a saucepan. Add in ½ cup of flour, whisking constantly, for about 3 minutes. Very slowly add in your 4 cups of drippings/stock. Whisk as you are adding the drippings. Keep your heat on medium low and whisk until the gravy begins to thicken. You will probably need to add more flour. Add another ¼ cup as needed to achieve the right thickness. Add salt and pepper to your taste.

I’ve seen many recipes that call for cornstarch instead of flour. I prefer flour. I find it easier to work with.

If you want your gravy a bit lumpy with a dark rich color, scrape the bottom of the roaster. Those small chunky pieces are full or both flavor and color. Add them to your gravy.

You can pour this gravy over turkey, potatoes and stuffing.

Bon Appetite!!

Audrey’s mom always entertained when she was growing up. Audrey learned to prepare for large groups and has often entertained 15-30 people in her home at a time. You can find more great recipes at http://www.recipe-barn.com

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