Seasoning

[quickray]

Question in regards to seasoning.

Wednesday evening I seasoned a 15lb Turkey with a special Cajun seasoning. It sat for 24 hours with it. As I was unable to begin the deep fry process on the Turkey due to another Thanksgiving dinner, my father-in-law started the frying process in my absence for the second dinner I was going to attend.

My father in law later told me he took all the seasoning on the bird and wiped it all off prior to frying. He said there was no need for it to be on there due to it sitting on the bird for 24 hours, he said the flavor is in the meat already. I figured it would be nice to have the seasoning cook on the skin to add more flavor. He said it didn’t mattter though as the seasoning sat on there long enough.
So what happens? Would it have made a difference in flavor if we left the seasoning on it?

 

[SecondHandSmoker]

Surface seasoning really doesn't penetrate deeply into the meat. That is why brining is the prefered method for delivering flavor deep into the meat. Of course, you can always inject seasoned broth, pre-made injections, etc too.

 

[912smoker]

But how did it taste ?
Did the cajun flavor come thru ?

 

[chopsaw]

He said there was no need for it to be on there due to it sitting on the bird for 24 hours, he said the flavor is in the meat already.

If you season something up and leave it sit long enough for the salt to draw the moisture to the surface , and then be reabsorbed then I would say there is flavor in the meat .
Sitting on the skin of poultry I would say no , nothing penetrated .
I'm not sure how either one works with deep frying .
I do know 1 thing for sure . I would never change something someone else was doing without asking .

 

[DougE]

do know 1 thing for sure . I would never change something someone else was doing without asking .

You don't tug on superman's cape
You don't spit into the wind
You don't pull the mask off that old lone ranger
And you don't mess around with my cook

 

[quickray]

But how did it taste ?
Did the cajun flavor come thru ?

It did but I also did a Cajun injection. Definitely tasted that.

 

[BATMON]

You could always sprinkle Cajun seasoning on a fried turkey afterwards.
No different from a dry rub sprinkled on fried chicken, Pork ribs, or Nashville chicken which is a wet rub.

Brining only helps Salt permeate the protein. Other spices dont dissolve and enter like salt.

Injections are the way to go if you want spices beneath the skin.

But a dry rub on a turkey is going to burn off in the frying oil.

 

[tallbm]

Question in regards to seasoning.

Wednesday evening I seasoned a 15lb Turkey with a special Cajun seasoning. It sat for 24 hours with it. As I was unable to begin the deep fry process on the Turkey due to another Thanksgiving dinner, my father-in-law started the frying process in my absence for the second dinner I was going to attend.

My father in law later told me he took all the seasoning on the bird and wiped it all off prior to frying. He said there was no need for it to be on there due to it sitting on the bird for 24 hours, he said the flavor is in the meat already. I figured it would be nice to have the seasoning cook on the skin to add more flavor. He said it didn’t mattter though as the seasoning sat on there long enough.
So what happens? Would it have made a difference in flavor if we left the seasoning on it?

Hi there and welcome!

I would disagree with his take lol.
If you didn't inject that bird would have been bland.
Now, that seasoning probably didnt penetrate much if it was on the skin.
If you had brined then yeah you would get some flavor in it but that's not the same as seasoning.

Simple test. Get some cheap chicken quarters. Season for and put in the fridge for 3 days.
Take half and rinse off the seasoning. Grill both sets (rinsed and not rinsed) and try them.

I have a feeling you'll be eating the seasoned ones and serving the rinsed ones to your dad ;)