I started frying turkeys at Thanksgiving when in lived in Baton Rouge in 1989. At Thanksgiving 1991, I fried my first turkey in Jackson Hole. I had to ship the pot up to Wyoming, and rather than pay to ship it back to
New Orleans, I sold it to a guy who lived there. I did the same thing in 1992. In 1993, I saw handbills around the square that the guy I sold the pots to (his name is Brian) was charging forty bucks to fry turkeys for others.
Over the years, I’ve fried over 100 turkeys in Jackson. I’m practically the Colonel Sanders of Teton County.
Here’s what I’ve learned…
Ingredients
1 40-gallon pot (The 22-gallon pots that come with frying kits will not accommodate a 20-pound turkey. (Unlike people in Jackson Hole, you can go to Wal-Mart and get a 40-gallon pot. It’s a perfect size because it will handle your bird for one 10 gallon container of peanut oil.)
1 propane burner. (If you’re frying more than six turkeys, have a back-up.)
1 crescent wrench. (For attaching propane tank to burner. You’d be surprised how many times I had to borrow one from Runt on Christmas morning.)
1 pair work gloves (I forgot to get them one year and nearly burned my hand off.)
1 meat thermometer (Get one with a really long shaft.)
1 turkey (Get a frozen turkey. Frying a fresh or free-range turkey is a waste of your hard-earned money. My theory is that if you’re going to the trouble, you might as well get the biggest one you can find.)
10 gallons container peanut oil
1 injection needle
1 pan to put the bird in when you’re done (I wait for them to go on sale at Kroger)
Aluminum foil, to cover bird if you’re saving it for later
1 eight ounce container of Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning Salt (green box)
2 jars of onion juice
2 jars of garlic juice
1 pound of butter
or
1 container of Tony Chachere’s pre-mixed injector (I like the Creole Butter recipe.)
1 Rental Car (Totally not kidding.)
Instructions
Day One
On the night before you want to serve the turkey, melt the butter and mix with the onion and garlic juice. Inject into turkey. (I generally give each leg, wing and thigh) one injector-full and put the rest into the
breast.)
Using the entire can of Tony Chachere’s, give the turkey a crust. Don’t forget to do the bottom or back of the turkey. (Don’t worry. Most of it will fall off.)
Store in a cool place overnight. This is where the rental car comes in. You can put seven or eight in the trunk, and no one will complain about the overpowering smell of eight cans of Tony Chachere’s keeping them awake all night.
Day Two
Put peanut oil into pot and put it on the burner. Pre-heat to 325 degrees. When the peanut oil gets reaches 325, insert the turkey.
Have a beer (or two) while you’re waiting for the turkey to fry. Remember how big your turkey is and fry for three minutes per pound. (At high altitudes, it’s four minutes per pound.) If you want to cheat, you can wait until the turkey floats to the top of the grease, wait five minutes, then pull it out.
Test to be sure that it’s done by cutting into the thigh. For some reason, it’s the last thing to get cooked.
If you’re not going to clean up right away, take the peanut oil off the burner. This will have the combined benefits of: 1) being sure that you’ve turned off the gas; and 2) being sure that no neighborhood dog tips a pot of hot grease over onto your driveway or yard. (Don’t ask me how I know.)
Day Three
Yes, Day Three. It’s time to clean up the next day after the grease has had plenty of time to cool. This was always my least favorite part until I realized that you can pour the used grease (now cold) back into the containers it came it and then clean the pot at the local car wash when no one is looking.
