A Turkey is a Turkey is a Turkey

Gone are the days of the oven roasted, dried out turkey.  These days, rarely do you see such a bird on Facebook.

Years ago, my Dad rediscovered the kitchen.  His favorite chef was Louisiana's Justin Wilson.  Justin had a TV show that featured his cooking inside the kitchen and also outdoors.  One of the featured outdoor recipes was for deep fried turkey.  After watching that episode, dear ole Dad was hooked for life.

Boss Weems' fried turkeys became legend in Inverness long before the popularity spread. It wasn't long before there was a list of others one of his birds.    After a few years, this had become a major undertaking, and he eventually cut the cooking down to just a bird or two.  By then, everybody was trying their hand at turkey frying!

One must be committed to this endeavor, as one needs to overcome the costs:  propane tank and burner, pot with a basket, temperature gauge, and three to five gallons of peanut oil. And, peanut oil is not cheap, but it has a much higher burn temperature.  Rookies have to figure out how much oil to put in the pot to prevent boil overs, must be patient in getting the bird to the right internal temperature, and not burn themselves in the process!

I took my turn over the years frying turkeys, bur decided to go a different route.  I started smoking my bird, covered in Tony C's cajun seasoning.  The salt end ups sealing the skin of the bird, and the meal is as moist and delicious as fried.  And the skin is the favorite part.  No need for 3-5 gallons of peanut oil, just a $2 container of seasoning and a few hours on the smoker, without the smoke!

With our investment in a condo in that Town Up North (Oxford), I had to find an alternative to cooking with charcoal or propane.  I found an inexpensive electric smoker that fit the bill.  The best part, it heats up to a constant 200-225 degree temperature and never runs out of fuel!  Pork butts, ribs, chicken wings and briskets come off mighty tasty!

Smoked 10-12 lb turkey

smoker pork butts

This year, our boys are meeting us in Oxford for Christmas. With the need for more than on 10-12 pound turkey, I needed to add some speed to the cooking process.  As luck would have it, I found a Masterbuilt Butterball turkey fryer on Samsclubauction.com, one of my favorite auction sites.  After a little research, I bit the bullet and bought one.

The best part about this cooker is that it fries, boils and steams.  The unit is considered an indoor model because of the short electrical cord.  For frying, you add 3 gallons of peanut oil, plug it up, wait for the grease to get to temperature, then fry away!  According to the instructions, anyway....   Funny of the day:  me, never to be one that likes reading instructions, took the plunge and read them from cover to cover.  After all the unpacking, and hooking up, I'll be dadgummed flabbergasted if I could figure out how to "make it Heat up"!  I finally went to Utube, and on the 5th video, BAM!  I saw the Dude hit the right combination of buttons.  We now have heat! 

Fried 10-12 lb turkey

The heating element is inside the tank, and it takes it about 45 minutes to bring the peanut oil up to temperature. A basket and lift handle come with it to help remove the done bird.  The cooker has a preset temperature of 375 degrees so that you won't burn the oil.  The electic cord is magnetic and short, for safety as well.  Cleaning up is a snap, with the built in drain plug.  I started with three gallons of oil, and all but three cups of oil went back into the jugs, and fairly clean.  The pot comes out and cleand up with a soapy sponge.

Overall, I was very pleased with this Masterbuilt Butterball turkey fryer.  I can't wait to use it to fry fish, shrimp, etc... and use it as a crap steamer and shrimp boil pot at the Condo in that Town Up North!