Ingredients
 | 6 quarts hot water |
| 1 pound kosher salt |
| 1 pound dark brown sugar |
| 5 pounds ice |
| 1 (13 to 14-pound) turkey, with giblets removed |
| Approximately 4 to 4 1/2 gallons peanut oil* |
*Cook's Note: In order to determine the correct amount of oil, place the turkey into the pot that you will be frying it in, add water just until it barely covers the top of the turkey and is at least 4 to 5 inches below the top of the pot. This will be the amount of oil you use for frying the turkey.
Deep Fried Turkey Directions
Place the hot water, kosher salt and brown sugar into a 5-gallon upright drink cooler and stir until the salt and sugar dissolve completely. Add the ice and stir until the mixture is cool. Gently lower the turkey into the container. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure that it is fully immersed in the brine. Cover and set in a cool dry place for 8 to 16 hours.
Remove the turkey from the brine, rinse and pat dry. Allow to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes prior to cooking.
Place the oil into a 28 to 30-quart pot and set over high heat on an outside propane burner with a sturdy structure. Bring the temperature of the oil to 250 degrees F. Once the temperature has reached 250, slowly lower the bird into the oil and bring the temperature to 350 degrees F. Once it has reached 350, lower the heat in order to maintain 350 degrees F. After 35 minutes, check the temperature of the turkey using a probe thermometer. Once the breast reaches 151 degrees F, gently remove from the oil and allow to rest for a minimum of 30 minutes prior to carving. The bird will reach an internal temperature of 161 degrees F due to carry over cooking. Carve as desired.
Be careful
deep frying your turkey!
Turkey Day Calamities and How to Avoid Them
Thanksgiving horror stories?
Find out about some of the most common calamities and learn how to avoid
them.
Deep-Fried Fireball
Deep-frying your turkey may make for a juicier bird, but it can also lead
to a fiery fiasco, not to mention that it is a very unhealthy way to cook
anything! If you do decide to deep fry, though, make sure you take these
precautions.
Thaw your turkey completely.
Make sure to cook outside, away from structures and combustibles.
Deep frying on a wooden deck is not safe!
We actually heard one guy was trying to deep fry a turkey on a wooden deck
and got a photo call. He ran in for what was to be a second to grab the
phone and the oil got TOO HOT and burnt his deck, his home down!
Try to avoid cooking during precipitation, since water may cause the oil
to spatter. Above all, never leave the fryer unattended, and monitor the
temperature closely.
Deep fried Turkey is great, but be careful!
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Rolls for Thanksgiving!
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Don't forget Hot Yeast Rolls!
CLICK HERE for Home Made Yeast Rolls Recipe
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Smoked Turkey
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STEP ONE:
The absolute first step in doing a turkey on a smoker is to pick out a bird that is not the biggest one you can find. The main reason for a smaller bird, 10 to 14 lb. maximum, is the time limitations usually involved. It takes between 6 and 8 hours to smoke a 12 pound turkey and the bigger they get, the longer they take. STEP TWO: Set up the smoker and toss on the bird. When using charcoal, it is best to let the flames burn out, fill the water pan with water (seasoned water is fine too), then place the lid on the smoker and wait for the temperature to reach the 'safe' zone on your smoker. Once that is accomplished, toss the turkey on there gently and cover the smoker. Start timing the turkey when the temperature returns to the save zone.
SAFETY REMINDER: Remember chickens and turkeys are prone to salmonella bacteria which can ruin your whole Thanksgiving. Cooking temperatures of 160 degrees F minimum are essential for destroying this bacteria. This temperature is not the OUTSIDE of the turkey, but the inside, so keep that in mind when you decide on a larger bird. This of course is unless you happen to be feeding the traditional army at Thanksgiving.
NOTES & TIPS: I use a water smoker which by design keeps the meat moist and prevents burning like a traditional smoker with no water in the event you forget about the turkey for an extra half hour or so.
I have used inexpensive charcoal and the good stuff, and have found the main difference being the number of times you need to add charcoal. The better the charcoal, the longer between times you need to add it. You can expect to use 10 lb. or more of charcoal for a 10-14 lb. turkey, so have some extra just in case. You will most likely not have to check the charcoal or temperature for 3 hours if you use good charcoal so this gives you time to watch a football game or two or be with the guests or just sit back and have an eggnog and brandy if you are so inclined. When you check the temperature on your smoker, just look at the gauge that is there. Most of them have a "safe" zone or a actual read out with numbers but in either case, keep that temperature above the safe" zone.
I have never had a problem smoking turkeys, chickens, meats, or fish so just make sure of your temperature. When you add charcoal to the smoker, stir the ashes around and bring up the hot coal away from the ashes. This will help start the added charcoal faster and keep the temperature correct. Add plenty of charcoal at the beginning and when you add more, add as much as you can. That way you will not have to be going back and forth and adding a few pieces here and there. Just fill the pan up when you add charcoal, it is not important how much you use, but how hot the smoker stays.
Check the water after you add charcoal each time just to keep it full and not let it run out. If you happen to run out of water in the pan, add water carefully since if you spill on the charcoal, it will put off steam and it is not a pleasant feeling on your hands, arms or face. I use an old two liter bottle filled about 3/4 full of water and hold it from the bottom when I add it. It keeps you far enough away from the smoker and charcoal and in the even you happen to spill, (which I usually do), it just sends the steam up in the air away from you.
It is also possible to use hickory chips or mesquite chips or other chips in your charcoal to flavor the bird. Soak them for at least ONE hours in water and then toss them on the charcoal and they will smoke and add that flavor to your turkey.
After about 5 hours, it is a good idea to actually take off the lid and check the condition of the turkey. Each time you remove the lid for those of you who are lookie loos, it adds between 10 and 15 minutes to the cook time, so don't take the lid off to see your prize until you absolutely have to. When checking the bird, you look for the meat to have a pink look to it. It should be moist and look cooked to the eye and it should not be raw looking. It is difficult to tell when the turkey is actually done without 'sampling' it of course, so take your big knife with you when you go and cut into the thickest part of the breast and check it there. A little deep cut into the breast will tell you if it is done there and when the breast is done, the rest of the turkey is done also. Juices are always present and should be clear when cut, but the true test is the taste test. If it seems chewy, then it is probably NOT done, but if it seems moist and tender, then your bird is ready for the table. This may sound like a lot of work, but in reality, it is very simple.
Smoking a turkey is no different from BBQing in your back yard. You follow all these rules without even noticing them in most cases so go ahead, give it a try, you will not be dissatisfied when you try a smoked turkey. Follow the safety rules without deviation and you will have the best turkey you have ever had. If you don't have time to wait for 6 to 8 hours to wait for a turkey to cook, or you have went and bought a 300 lb. turkey to impress your in-laws, just take it and cut it up like you would a chicken and it will cook twice as fast and taste just as good.
Most smokers have two racks or more so just distribute the parts evenly on each rack. I feed a small army here at Thanksgiving and/or Christmas, so I generally cut it into pieces and smoke it that way, which does take about 1/2 the time. It is not as pretty when it comes off the smoker, but the taste is still the same and the effort you put into it will impress even that mother-in-law that thinks you are still a thief for taking her daughter away from her.
Now for those of you who have electric
smokers and gas smokers, I am not sure of cooking times, so follow your
instructions that you have with your smoker. I am certain they take less
time and might be as good as a charcoal smoked turkey, but you would have
to prove that to me before I would ever switch.
