Country Fried Turkey Food

DEEP-FRIED TURKEY

Steps:

• Place the hot water, kosher salt and brown sugar into a 5-gallon upright drink cooler and stir until the salt and sugar dissolve completely. Add the ice and stir until the mixture is cool. Gently lower the turkey into the container. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure that it is fully immersed in the brine. Cover and set in a cool dry place for 8 to 16 hours.
• Remove the turkey from the brine, rinse and pat dry. Allow to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes prior to cooking.
• Place the oil into a 28 to 30-quart pot and set over high heat on an outside propane burner with a sturdy structure. Bring the temperature of the oil to 250 degrees F. Once the temperature has reached 250, slowly lower the bird into the oil and bring the temperature to 350 degrees F. Once it has reached 350, lower the heat in order to maintain 350 degrees F. After 35 minutes, check the temperature of the turkey using a probe thermometer. Once the breast reaches 151 degrees F, gently remove from the oil and allow to rest for a minimum of 30 minutes prior to carving. The bird will reach an internal temperature of 161 degrees F due to carry over cooking. Carve as desired.

COUNTRY FRIED TURKEY RECIPE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Make the spice blend: Whisk the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, poultry seasoning, and ground ginger in a medium bowl until evenly combined and set aside.
• Prep the turkey: Pull the skin off the turkey thighs and drumsticks. Remove the bones from the turkey thighs with a sharp knife (see Tips for more instructions). Cut each thigh in half or in thirds if large. Slice each breast across the grain on a diagonal to yield 1-inch thick "steaks." You'll get about 5 to 6 steaks per lobe.
• Make the brine: In a bowl large enough to hold all the turkey pieces, whisk the eggs first, then add the buttermilk, 2 tablespoons of the spice blend, and salt; whisk until well combined. Note: If your turkey is pre-brined (check the packaging label), then omit the salt from the buttermilk.
• Submerge the turkey pieces in the brine and gently stir to make sure each piece is completely coated. Cover and refrigerate for 8 to 16 hours.
• When ready to cook, preheat an oven to 325 F. Remove the turkey from the fridge and let sit for an hour to take the chill off. Prepare 2 large baking sheets with racks set inside them.
• Fill a 12-inch or larger cast iron skillet halfway up with oil and heat to 350 F. Be careful not to fill it higher, as the oil will get displaced when you add the turkey.
• Mix the seasoned flour: Whisk the flour, remaining spice blend, baking powder, and salt in a large baking dish, such as a 9 x 13, until evenly combined.
• Drizzle about 1/2 cup of the buttermilk brine all over the seasoned flour, a little at a time, and stirring with a fork after each addition. This creates little clumps in the flour that will give the crust a craggy texture.
• Since they take the longest to cook, remove the 2 drumsticks first from the buttermilk brine, letting any excess drip off. Roll them in the flour mixture until completely coated, pressing well to adhere.
• Fry the drumsticks until golden brown and crisp all over, about 10 minutes per side, adjusting the heat to maintain a temperature of 325 F. Remove to one of the prepared baking sheets with a rack and transfer to the oven to finish cooking, 20 to 30 minutes. They should reach an internal temperature of 165 F.
• Meanwhile, allow the oil to come back up to 350 F. Coat the thighs next and fry until browned and crisp outside and no longer pink inside, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer the thighs to the rack with the drumsticks in the oven. Fry the breast pieces in batches and remove them to the second prepared baking sheet with a rack.
• When the drumsticks are cooked through, reduce the oven temperature to 200 F. Allow the oven to cool down enough, then transfer the second rack of cooked breast pieces to the oven to keep warm.
• Arrange the turkey pieces on a large platter and serve.

TURKEY FRIED TURKEY BREAST

Steps:

• Fill a large, deep pot halfway full with vegetable oil. Heat the oil over medium high heat to 350 degrees F.
• Season turkey breast with salt and pepper and Cajun seasoning. Dredge the turkey in flour, then in milk, and back in the flour. Carefully lower the breast into the hot oil and fry until golden brown and cooked to 165 degrees F on an instant read thermometer.

KENTUCKY FRIED TURKEY

Steps:

• NOTES: THOROUGHLY STUDY ARTICLES (OR WATCH YOUTUBE VIDEOS) REGARDING SAFETY HAZARD PREVENTION WHEN DEEP-FRYING TURKEY. I STRONGLY RECOMMEND PREPARE THIS RECIPE ONLY IF YOU HAVE A BARBOUR 1118 32-QUART STAINLESS STEEL TURKEY DEEP FRYER SET (WITH ACCOMPANYING INSTRUCTIONS, DEEP-FRYING BASKET, RACK AND HOOK). THE ENTIRE SET CAN PURCHASED ONLINE FOR AS LOW AS $92.00.DO NOT BRINE TURKEY IF USING PRE-BRINED TURKEY (TURKEY ENHANCED IN A SALINE SOLUTION OR BROTH; CHECK INGREDIENT LABEL). (STEP ONE): PLACE a large colander in sink; REMOVE neck and gizzards from one fresh (or properly, completely thawed) 14-16 pound turkey (save neck and gizzards for stuffing and/or gravy if desired); RINSE turkey inside and out under cold running water above colander; ALLOW to drain; MEASURE the BRINE ingredients into a sterilized 5 gallon bucket: 8 quarts (32 cups) water, 3/4 cup unseasoned meat tenderizer, and 6 tablespoons MSG.
• SLOWLY lower turkey into the bucket with brine; COVER turkey; ADJUST refrigerator racks to fit the 5 gallon bucket; PLACE bucket in refrigerator for 12 (and up to) 24 hours (if desired you may inject the brine solution into turkey evenly, using a poultry brine injector).
• MIX the 1/4 cup Recipe #422315 in a medium bowl (use seasoning mix only without adding flour).
• REMOVE turkey from brine after marinating; SET turkey again in the large colander in sink; ALLOW turkey to drain in colander; PAT turkey as dry as possible; LOOSEN skin from turkey from the neck end by sliding fingers under the skin to the end of the breast without tearing skin; GENEROUSLY apply the seasoned RUB mixture well under the beast skin, on the outer skin, and in the inner cavities; PLACE seasoned turkey into a roasting pan; COVER; PLACE into refrigerator; ALLOW turkey to absorb seasonings for 8-12 hours.
• REMOVE turkey from refrigerator; UNCOVER turkey; ALLOW to rest at room temperature for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• POUR 4 gallons vegetable oil or peanut oil into 32-quart stainless steel turkey deep frying pot; PLACE pot over a sturdy outdoor propane burner; SLOWLY heat FRYING OIL to 250°F; USE a deep-frying thermometer to moniter heat.
• CAREFULLY and slowly lower the deep-fryng rack with hook containing brined turkey into the preheated frying fat; RAISE the oil temperature to 295°F.
• SET timer for 55 minutes; MAINTAIN oil temperature between 275°F and not over 300°F (check the oil temperature often using a deep-frying thermometer).
• STEADILY pull the hook with rack to lift turkey; TEST the temperature of the turkey in the deepest part of where the thigh and breast meet without touching the bone, using a probe instant-read meat thermometer; CAREFULLY pull turkey from the hot oil when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast reads at least 165°F, and in the thigh, 180°F; PLACE turkey on a well-placed large cutting board to rest; TENT turkey loosely with foil.
• ALLOW turkey to rest between 20-30 minutes, without piercing or carving turkey in the meantime; CARVE turkey properly for maximum enjoyment; SERVE immediately and enjoy!