Cajun Deep Fried Turkey (houston Chronicle)

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

In spite of the potential danger of lowering an unwieldy turkey into a
small vat of boiling oil, fans of Cajun Deep-Fried Turkey say it's
worth the risk because the turkey comes out moist and juicy, and
deep-frying cuts hours off the cooking time. It is definitely an
outdoor activity.  Most experts insist that the turkey weigh no more
than 12 pounds. The  turkeys are injected with a spicy marinade, then
plunged into a pot of  boiling oil and deep-fried.  Following are tips
to help you safely deep-fry a turkey.  =B7 Handle turkey, pots and oil
carefully.  =B7 Use water to measure the capacity of your deep-fryer,
if you are  unsure how much oil will be needed.  =B7 Hook a heavy wire
coat hanger to the wire band that secures the  turkey legs to help when
lowering and lifting the turkey from the  fryer. Use a sturdy cooking
spoon, tongs or a large fork for extra  support; don't depend on the
wire band alone, as it can loosen during  frying.  Before removing the
pot from the burner, let the oil cool 1 hour  after the turkey has been
removed and the burner is turned off.  Before you begin to fry, you
need to season the turkey. You can inject  strained bottled Italian
salad dressing for the marinade or use the  Cajun Injector, a kit that
includes a 16-ounce jar of marinade and a  syringe-type injector. The
kit is available at many supermarkets and  specialty food shops.  Use
about 1 ounce of marinade per pound of turkey (it's better to buy  a
fresh turkey than the pre-basted type because pre-basted turkeys are
saltier, said Reece Williams, who helped develop the Injector).
Marinades can be injected into a whole turkey in about 5 minutes.
Remove the giblets from the turkey cavities, wash cavities and pat
dry. Inject the marinade into the turkey thighs, legs and breast.  Heat
the oil to 350 degrees in a 40-quart cooker (such as a propane or
butane cooker with a steamer basket and cover).  Sprinkle Cajun
seasonings over the entire bird and inside the cavity.  Carefully lower
the turkey into the oil and deep-fry 3 1/2 minutes per  pound,
maintaining oil at 350 degrees. Remove the turkey carefully  and let
oil cool. Makes 12 to 15 servings.  Recipe by: Houston Chronicle, 11/96
Posted to recipelu-digest Volume 01 Number 435 by Lou Parris
<lbparris@earthlink.net> on Jan 02, 1998

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