Deep Frying

[emtee]

I got a real nice turkey frier for Christmas, and just what I needed- a whole new hobby!

Anyway, does anyone know of a good forum site for using these things. I want to do more than just an occasional turkey. Need recipes and techniques for deep fat friers.

Here I go again!

 

[glued2it]

SAFETY! SAFETY! SAFETY!

Turkey fryers can be VERY dangerous.

Turkey Fryers

A longtime food favorite in the southern United States, the delicious deep-fried turkey has quickly grown in popularity thanks to celebrity chefs such as Martha Stewart and Emeril Lagasse. While some people rave about this tasty creation, Underwriters Laboratories Inc.'s (UL) safety experts are concerned that backyard chefs may be sacrificing safety for good taste.
"We're worried by the increasing reports of fires related with turkey fryer use," says John Drengenberg, UL consumer affairs manager. "Based on our test findings, the fryers used to produce those great-tasting birds are not worth the risks. And, as a result of these tests, UL has decided not to certify any turkey fryers with our trusted UL Mark."
Here's why using a deep-fryer can be dangerous:

• Many units easily tip over, spilling the hot oil within the cooking pot.
• If the cooking pot is overfilled with oil, the oil may spill out of the unit when the turkey is placed into the cooking pot. Oil may hit the burner/flames causing a fire to engulf the entire unit.
• Partially frozen turkeys placed into the fryer can cause a spillover effect. This too, may result in an extensive fire.
• With no thermostat controls, the units also have the potential to overheat the oil to the point of combustion.
• The sides of the cooking pot, lid and pot handles get dangerously hot, posing severe burn hazards.

If you absolutely must use a turkey fryer, here are some tips for safer use:

• Turkey fryers should always be used outdoors a safe distance from buildings and any other material that can burn.
• Never use turkey fryers on wooden decks or in garages.
• Make sure the fryers are used on a flat surface to reduce accidental tipping.
• Never leave the fryer unattended. Most units do not have thermostat controls. If you don't watch the fryer carefully, the oil will continue to heat until it catches fire.
• Never let children or pets near the fryer when in use. Even after use, never allow children or pets near the turkey fryer. The oil inside the cooking pot can remain dangerously hot, hours after use.
• To avoid oil spillover, do not overfill the fryer.
• Use well-insulated potholders or oven mitts when touching pot or lid handles. If possible, wear safety goggles to protect your eyes from oil splatter.
• Make sure the turkey is completely thawed and be careful with marinades. Oil and water don't mix, and water causes oil to spill over, causing a fire or even an explosion hazard.
• The National Turkey Federation recommends refrigerator thawing and to allow approximately 24 hours for every five pounds of bird thawed in the refrigerator.
• Keep an all-purpose fire extinguisher nearby. Never use water to extinguish a grease fire. Remember to use your best judgement when attempting to fight a fire. If the fire is manageable, use an all-purpose fire extinguisher. If the fire increases, immediately call 9-1-1 for help.
• Even after use, never allow children or pets near the turkey fryer. The oil inside the cooking pots remains dangerously hot, hours after use.

 

[emtee]

The manual that came with the unit is about 20 pages safety and three pages on how to use it. While I agree that these things can be dangerous, they don't have to be killers. One needs to take the time and make the effort to reduce the risks to an acceptable level. I do many things that are dangerous- motorcycle riding, rappeling, climbing, shooting, hunting, etc... but I manage them to acceptable levels and have never been hurt. For this gizmo I have already constructed a tripod to facilitate the turkey lowering phase- by far the most dangerous task. I will be nowhere near the fire and oil, and I use all my toys, including the smoker, on a flat, level concrete area.

But I'm actually not nearly as interested in doing the big bird in hot oil exclusively. I may do one once in a while, but I think there can be much more to this thing. I am far more interested in seafood steams or gumbo recipes for a crowd. This thing came with not only the turkey hardware, but steaming baskets and seafood collanders as well. I think a big pot of gumbo using smoked sausages would be to die for. I also think it would be fun to make half a dozen cornish game hens for an alternative dinner for friends. Helll, I can't keep feeding the troops smoked meat- they might get tired of it... NOT!

Thanks for your safety post Glued2it. Never hurts to reiterate the dangers of a product, and I'll keep that in mind. Now come up with a good seafood gumbo recipe!

 

[glued2it]

I don't have any gumbo recipes Sorry.
I copied and pasted that info and saved it due to all the turkey frying this time of year.

They do have allot of uses, I wanted to use one to steam seafood.
Unfortunatly I didn't get one for Christmas so I have to go buy one myself.
Any excuse to buy new toys!

 

[bossman]

I dont know of any turkey fryer forums, but I can tell you from my own experience of frying turkeys for years that you can pretty much fry anything you want in them.Ive done chicken ,hot wings, roasts, french fries you name it.
The key is to always measure the amount of oil you will use by placing the item to be fried in the kettle first and add water to measure the amount of oil you will need. As long as you do this and ensure that the tempeture remains where you need it, and that your meat is TOTALLY DEFROSTED you should have a positve experience!

THis year I added a gift from Char-Broil to my arsenal, The Big Easy Turkey Fryer! This is a turkey fryer that uses infrared to cook the turkey and uses NO OIL! I did a video of it on youtube that you can watch here:
The turkey got a little dark because of the rub we had on it, lots of brown sugar, but other then that it fried the turkey perfect and the taste was out of this world. Hope this helps, have fun and post some pictures of your first fry

 

[dutch25]

Wish I had a good recipe for ya...All I can say is that you'll love it if use it..we do lots of deep frying but also great for fish boils, shrimp, crab...anything at all, man now you got me thinking food

 

[cowgirl]

I do a lot of shrimp/crawdad boils with mine....

This one was while camping........I didn't have newspapers to cover the table, but of course there were plenty of cardboard beer boxes and some grey tape.

I also use it for fish frys and calf frys (mountain oysters).

 

[teacup13]

here a tip:

put your turkey into your empty fryer pot,...next fill with water until the turkey is submersed, now take out the turkey, this will tell you how much oil you need to fry your turkey

oh yah and inject that baby..lol

 

[bassman]

http://cajuninjector.com
Not a whole lot of recipesfor the deep fryer at this site, but the injectable marinades are awesome! Been using them for years.

 

[bluegillman]

I have never fried a turkey in mine. I fry fish etc. I use mine for low country boils (Find on line) and New England boiled dinners. I use the base and other pots including my dutch oven. You can cook anything on it that you would cook in a pot in the stove. Works great. I make up alot of my own recipes or modify ones I find. It is a great tool for big gatherings.

Ron

 

[bbqman]

google- turkey frying .com, there are many sites with information.only problem with frying a turkey is the amount of oil you need.
it is better to do more than one if you are going to do it, you can get about 3 or 4 turkeys from 1 batch of oil if you are lucky.

 

[zapper]

Yaaaahhhh Hoooo!

You go Cowgirl!

But didn't you make any for the other guest?

I do way more low country boils and crab legs in my fryer than I do turkeys. I am not a big mudbug fan but they do blend in nicely don't they?

 

[bustedluckbarbq]

This past friday night we fired up my fryer at the Busted Luck Hangout.... put about 15lbs of potatoes thru a press made lots of fries... some old bay/vinegar some with Gramason's buffalo garlic sauce did a bunch of wings too!! The fryers are dangerous... must use caution while using them... we use them with the basket a lot to STEAM crabs and shrimp and corn on the cob....

Cowgirl... that spread looks great!!

 

[reents]

Check Out Alton Brown Ricipie On Deep Frying Turkey Unde Food Network Home Page Also Place Aluminum Foil Over The Plastic Hose Going From Tank To Fryer In Case You Spill Hot Oil On It.

 

[emtee]

OMG Patty, THAT'S what I'm talkin about!!!! I'm there!

Just another update- We did a couple of cornish game hens last night just to play with the thing. Peanut oil, 7 minutes, 180F internal. Damm, they was good!

Please don't revoke my membership here, but I'm gonna do more and more stuff in the frier (steamer) as well as my smoker. Jeeze, I'm gettin fatter just writing this!

 

[Dutch]

Bossman, Thanks for sharing that video with us. Very informative- how easy was the pot clean afterwards?

 

[richoso1]

Cowgirl, that pic took me back to when I was working in Lafayette, Louisianna! Mighty tasty pic there, my lady friend!

 

[cowgirl]

Thank you Zapper, when I have a crawdad/shrimp boil at my house, I use my homegrown shrimp....since I was camping out of state, these were store bought ones. They still tasted good along with a few cold beers.

Busted, your feast sounds great! Did you folks take any pictures?

Thanks emtee! I'm going to have to try some game hens....they sound good!!

rich, I bet there was some good eating going on in Lafayette!
I have a few relatives from Louisianna..........their food is to die for!

 

[cowgirl]

Great video Bossman, very informative!

 

[glued2it]

I got OUTDOOR GOURMET 11-PIECE COMBO FRYER SET for my birthday!

http://www.academy.com/index.php?pag...267-02367-2517

I wonder if I could cold smoke it then fry it hmmm?