Don't you just love a deep fried turkey that has been cooked outdoors; its simply wonderful; absolutely nothing compares.
So how do you go about deep frying turkey outdoors without problems?
In fact its really easy, just stick to some simple guidelines:
1. For starters do make sure that you're going to be using the right stockpot; I recommend the following sizes as being appropriate: use a 26-Qt stockpot for birds up to 16-lb.; use a 30-Qt stockpot for a bird up to 20-lb.; use a 34-Qt stockpot for a bird up to 24-lb. and use a 42-Qt stockpot for a bird up to 27lb.
2. Make sure that your stove or burner is situated on solid, flat land and that the area where you're going to be cooking is well away from where the family are playing. Keep a bucket of sand handy in case you have a spill as well as a heavy duty cloth for covering the oil should it catch fire. Never throw water onto hot oil if there is a fire, rather smoother it and leave it alone with the gas turned off.
3. Ensure that your burner is up to it's task! If you're planning to use too small a burner you'll not get the oil up to the right temperature. A minimum standard should be a burner with a rating of around 55,000 BTUs.
4. Make sure that you cook your turkey at the right temperature; this means you must have a thermometer. The optimum frying temperature for cooking turkeys is 350 F. Whole turkeys typically require 3 to 3 " minutes per pound cooking time; so even a 20 lb turkey only takes just over 1 hour; that's quick!. This said, remember that in cold, windy conditions it may require a few more minutes.
5. Take care to use the right amount of oil, no more, no less, when deep-frying turkey. The right amount of oil depends on the size of the bird and the size of the stockpot. To check the amount of oil needed, put the thawed turkey upside down on it's poultry rack in the stockpot then fill the pot with water until the poultry is just covered. Remove your bird and the rack form the pot. The amount of water in the pot corresponds to the amount of cooking oil you need.
6. Its recommended that you use peanut oil; it contains no cholesterol and can be re-used more frequently than other types of oil; its also safer as it has a higher flash point, which reduces the risk of fire. You can use blends of peanut & soybean oil but if there's someone who is allergic to peanuts then vegetable oil can be used.
7. Take care to prepare your turkey ahead of cooking. Typically, a generous portion of poultry seasoning should be rubbed under the skin and in the interior cavity. Salt & pepper or any dry rub can be used; this really does make a great difference; try different mixes till you get a family favorite.
8. With an injector an injection marinade may be used, but do make sure that you use a thin based liquid. The quantity of seasoning & marinade will be dependent on your taste, albeit it is typically recommended that you use a generous portion of about 1-2 oz. per pound.
9. When the bird is cooked switch off the gas then remove the bird from the stockpot and let it drain. Make sure that you have a tray handy to catch the dripping oil. Now the next point is critical. Leave the bird stand for a at least 15-20 minutes; the rest will enhance the birds flavor and it's juiciness; and tryto avoid sticking in forks or cutting up sections with a knife until the resting period has passed!
10. Finally, don't fret about cleaning the stockpot. All you need is warm soapy water and a rag but do make sure you clean out the salt, pepper and all the spices that have been added during cooking.
So how do you go about deep frying turkey outdoors without problems?
In fact its really easy, just stick to some simple guidelines:
1. For starters do make sure that you're going to be using the right stockpot; I recommend the following sizes as being appropriate: use a 26-Qt stockpot for birds up to 16-lb.; use a 30-Qt stockpot for a bird up to 20-lb.; use a 34-Qt stockpot for a bird up to 24-lb. and use a 42-Qt stockpot for a bird up to 27lb.
2. Make sure that your stove or burner is situated on solid, flat land and that the area where you're going to be cooking is well away from where the family are playing. Keep a bucket of sand handy in case you have a spill as well as a heavy duty cloth for covering the oil should it catch fire. Never throw water onto hot oil if there is a fire, rather smoother it and leave it alone with the gas turned off.
3. Ensure that your burner is up to it's task! If you're planning to use too small a burner you'll not get the oil up to the right temperature. A minimum standard should be a burner with a rating of around 55,000 BTUs.
4. Make sure that you cook your turkey at the right temperature; this means you must have a thermometer. The optimum frying temperature for cooking turkeys is 350 F. Whole turkeys typically require 3 to 3 " minutes per pound cooking time; so even a 20 lb turkey only takes just over 1 hour; that's quick!. This said, remember that in cold, windy conditions it may require a few more minutes.
5. Take care to use the right amount of oil, no more, no less, when deep-frying turkey. The right amount of oil depends on the size of the bird and the size of the stockpot. To check the amount of oil needed, put the thawed turkey upside down on it's poultry rack in the stockpot then fill the pot with water until the poultry is just covered. Remove your bird and the rack form the pot. The amount of water in the pot corresponds to the amount of cooking oil you need.
6. Its recommended that you use peanut oil; it contains no cholesterol and can be re-used more frequently than other types of oil; its also safer as it has a higher flash point, which reduces the risk of fire. You can use blends of peanut & soybean oil but if there's someone who is allergic to peanuts then vegetable oil can be used.
7. Take care to prepare your turkey ahead of cooking. Typically, a generous portion of poultry seasoning should be rubbed under the skin and in the interior cavity. Salt & pepper or any dry rub can be used; this really does make a great difference; try different mixes till you get a family favorite.
8. With an injector an injection marinade may be used, but do make sure that you use a thin based liquid. The quantity of seasoning & marinade will be dependent on your taste, albeit it is typically recommended that you use a generous portion of about 1-2 oz. per pound.
9. When the bird is cooked switch off the gas then remove the bird from the stockpot and let it drain. Make sure that you have a tray handy to catch the dripping oil. Now the next point is critical. Leave the bird stand for a at least 15-20 minutes; the rest will enhance the birds flavor and it's juiciness; and tryto avoid sticking in forks or cutting up sections with a knife until the resting period has passed!
10. Finally, don't fret about cleaning the stockpot. All you need is warm soapy water and a rag but do make sure you clean out the salt, pepper and all the spices that have been added during cooking.
About the Author:
Stephen Kember is an outdoor cooking expert. He runs The outdoor cooking equipment Store, which you can visit by clicking here. If deep frying turkeys outdoors is your ambition then check out the extraordinary turkey fryers and turkey fryer kits, all of which have been drastically reduced in price for a very limited period.
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