Hands down the best turkey I have ever had was about two weeks ago at our friend's Thanksgiving/Apple Cup Celebration (Go Cougs!).
The bird was prepared by Bill Bartlow; support provided by the Partridges, whom I love dearly, but they didnt know ass from breast on this one ;) Luckily we had a ringer carver in the house who saved the day and cut the poor bastard clean! P.S. Electric knives = a BIG no no.
Okay so back to how to cook the darn thing. I have never done this myself, but according to the cooks, it took approx. 40 minutes to cook a 15 pound turkey. It was cooked to perfection I might add ;) I am one of those people who loves the skin, so you can imagine how wide my eyes got at first glance of this thing...
Prepartion:
For whole turkeys, inject 60 percent marinade deep into the breast muscles, 30 percent into the leg and thigh muscles and 10 percent into the meaty wing section. Do not inject the marinade just under the skin, as a water-based marinade will result in the hot oil popping and splattering. You can find great marinade or brine recipes on the Food Network, Williams Sonoma or good old fashioned Joy of Cooking. You are going to want to do this the day prior for a well seasoned bird.
Under no circumstances should this be done indoors...
Cooking Process:
1. Typically, a 30 to 40 quart vessel with lid, basket, lifting hook and burner will do.
2. Add PEANUT oil to the fill line indicated using up to three to five gallons. Only oils that have high smoke points should be used.
3. Preheat the oil to 375°F. Maintain the oil’s temperature at 350°F thereafter.
4. To prevent excess splattering, SLOWLY lower the turkey into the oil.
5. For whole turkeys, allow 3 minutes to 4 minutes per pound. The internal temperature should be 165°F to 170°F in the breast and 175°F to 180°F in the thigh.
6. Let rest for 15-20 minutes and carve it up!
If you would like to learn more about how to actually carve a turkey, click on the link below to view Cliff Huckstable (sp) teach Theo how to do so with a cabbage (circa sometime in the 80's).http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJSCKCj0FUU
2 comments:
At least we have Bill to save the day. I learned a lot and will be more prepared for next years so we know our ass from the thigh :)
what is going on here? Have I stubbled upon a secret nerd refuge?
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