Frying a turkey is a fast and furious process that results in a tightly sealed, beautifully burnished bird of deep juiciness and shatteringly crisp skin. But it must be done right. Some words of advice (taken from my new book, Thanksgiving: How to Cook it Well) before you begin: Set up outdoors on a plot of land you do not mind desecrating with hot oil if problems arise. Make sure you are a good distance from your house or any other structure, so that you do not become a feature on the evening news if something goes really, terribly wrong. Make sure, also, that you have a long-pronged candy thermometer in the oil, so that you know what temperature it is while you are cooking. And finally: wear shoes.
by Sam Sifton
INGREDIENTS
1 12 to 16 pound turkey, thawed with giblets and neck removed
3 tablespoons kosher salt
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 5 gallon container peanut oil
PREPARATION
- Place the turkey in an empty fryer pot and cover with water. Remove the turkey from the pot, rinse, and dry with paper towels. Mark the water level with a marker on the outside of the pot, or score the inside with a nail or paring knife. You will need that much oil in the pot when you cook, and no more. Empty the pot, then wash and dry.
- Rub the bird inside and out with salt, pepper, and cayenne.
- Fill pot with peanut oil so that it reaches the level the water was after the turkey was removed, and attach an extra- long candy thermometer to the inside of the pot. Heat oil over an outdoor propane hob until the oil reaches 350 degrees.
- Meanwhile, place the turkey on its rack--generally a device shaped something like a grappling hook, with a long shank, that will allow you to put the bird into the heated oil and retrieve it at the end of the cooking process. Simply thread the bird onto the shank so that it sits with its breast side up.
- Working carefully, use the handle that attaches to the rack to lower the turkey slowly into the heated oil. The process may take up to a minute, as the oil bubbles and pops because of excess moisture on the exterior of the bird. Wear gloves, and do not perform your duties barefoot or while drunk.
- Cook for approximately 3 1/2 minutes per pound. Remove from oil, allowing the excess to drain off the carcass, and allow the bird to rest for at least 30 minutes, covered in foil. Remove bird from rack and carve.
Excerpted from Thanksgiving: How to Cook it Well by Sam Sifton. Copyright 2012 by Sam Sifton. Excerpted by permission of Random House, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Note: This recipe has not been tested by the Bon Appetit Test Kitchen.
(Video Credit: Matt Duckor)