Gobble II - Part 1

(This is "II" because I started writing this for another blog last Thanksgiving, but I never included the finished result. Here is the beginning, Part 1, and the ending, Part 2, with edits to reflect this year. Enjoy!)

Gobble. That is exactly what I'm gonna do this Thanksgiving. Turkey Day is at my house, so I am the chef. I prepared the turkey yesterday/Wednesday, so it is sitting in my refrigerator marinating.


I am deep frying the bird this year. Now that I live in the south (Washington, D.C.), I gotta do the southern thAng. Y’all. But it’s not new to me. I did it back when I was up north (Chicago). It was always a big hit. In fact, the last time I did it there, my Father’s friends brought their turkeys over so I can cook them, too! The wonderful thing about deep-frying is the speed. Forget the hours on end in the oven; deep frying will produce a fully cooked bird in LESS than an hour. Oh, and another advantage… the taste! We all had the dry turkey. Those days are over. When you introduce the turkey to oil that is almost 400 degrees, it instantly sears the skin, therefore keeping the juices inside. Not to mention keeping the oil outside, so it’s not unhealthy as you may think when you hear “deep fried.” Well, onto my mission for a successful Thanksgiving. I hope.

First off, I purchased a big-daddy Bayou Classic 44 quart deep fryer at Costco. This thing is bad ass. A man's cooking utensil. Something to interupt tailgating at the SuperBowl for a moment for all to "oohhh" & "aahh."

Everything is a beautiful stainless steel, right down to the injector. This thing is like a hypodermic needle for Frankenstein. It’s so nice, it makes you want to shoot heroin.

Now that I have the fryer, I picked up the propane-filled tank at Home Depot. (Thank God for building one recently that’s practically walking distance to the house.)

Next is the turkey. The typical “family turkey” is about 25 pounds. At least, that’s what I used to buy. I wouldn’t suggest this size for frying; get one no larger than 15 pounds (though this fryer states 25 is the maximum weight). This is because if it’s in the oil too long to cook the inside, the skin will begin to burn and get too dark. And it’s quick to fry, so don’t worry about time if you need/want to cook multiple turkeys like I have in the past. The second time around is actually quicker, since the oil is even hotter. I settled on an 11-pound Butterball.

Now, to prepare…

After washing the bird inside and out, I give it a dry rub a few days before the deep-fry. I used whatever I had in the kitchen, so I used Kosher salt, chili pepper, cumin, Cayenne pepper, Creole seasoning, white pepper powder, nutmeg, onion powder, crushed red pepper, fresh ground black pepper, and Adobo seasoning. (I get this from Latino supermarkets.) This picture reminds me of the days in grade school where if someone is not present, they’re not in the picture, yet there will be a mention of them in the yearbook. I say that because as I was making the rub after I took the picture, I started adding this, and that.

There’s really no wrong way to make a rub, since it’s up to the eaters’ tastes. Too salty or too spicy, maybe, but other than that, pretty much anything goes. I mix it in a bowl, and then I turn the bird upside down. I work the rub into every corner: under the wings, in the neck hole, etc. I turn it back up, and place it in the disposable aluminum turkey pan. I finish rubbing the turkey on top, covering the drumsticks, inserting my hand inside the cavity, etc.

I like to marinate the turkey. I also do this a few days before frying. You do this by injecting marinade into the thick portions of the bird. This year I made the marinade with garlic powder, chili powder, Kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, Worcestershire sauce, red wine vinegar, and vegetable oil (again, not all pictured). Some of the marinade spilled out from the holes where I injected it.

I took out the giblets (this year I only found a neckbone - I wanted the liver, heart, etc. for later, so that's a bummer.), washed down the bird (inside & out), stuck the needle in the bowl, filled up the syringe, and went to work. As you pump marinade into the bird, you will see the skin bubble up as the marinade fills the cavity. I’m like a turkey’s plastic surgeon giving it fat implants. It’s a good feeling.

When I’m finished, I place it on the aluminum tray I picked up at the store, top it off with tin foil, and leave it in my refrigerator until Thanksgiving. If you can't fit it into the fridge, the weather may be cold enough so you can leave it in your garage or outside; it's one of a few things good thing about cold weather - it acts as a refrigerator in case yours is full. Just be careful not to leave it on your deck where animals can get to it like the squirrels did to my friend’s mother’s sweet potato pie one year!

I essentially did the same thing with the neckbone, but I put the spices and marinade in a Ziploc bag, placed the pieces in there, and shook it up. That is sitting in the fridge. I may include it in the fryer, or I may do something else with it. I’ll take a vote on Turkey Day.

When deep frying, I like to use peanut oil for several reasons: it doesn’t smoke too much, the taste, and that it’s not as unhealthy as other oils. (Speaking of healthy, this is the second time I’ve mentioned it. Since I am on a health kick, I am going to cook with the health factor in mind, so this year will not include the typical mashed potatoes smothered in cheese or marshmallow and sweet potato pies.)

Stay tuned for Part Deuce