Having acquired a taste for Cajun cooking during my years in Texas, this method of preparing turkey is the only way to go.
Cajun Fried Turkey
Ingredients
- 2 pints Chow Chow
- 11 to 12 pound turkey, room temperature
- 1/2 cup vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups white wine
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Red pepper to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- Salt to taste
- Garlic powder
- 5 gallons peanut oil (approximate)
Preparation
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Prepare Chow-Chow. To use the Chow Chow for injection, place about 5 tablespoons prepared Chow Chow in a blender or food processor and pulverize thoroughly. Add vinegar, white wine, lemon juice, red pepper, black pepper, salt, and garlic powder. Blend again for 30 seconds.
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Place the mixture in a large chef’s syringe and inject entire amount into turkey, being sure to include breast, legs, back, and inside of turkey cavity. Place turkey in refrigerator for 3 days to marinate before deep frying.
A word of caution before continuing – always do the deep frying outdoors only. If your large pot does not have oil-level indicator lines, use this method to determine the correct amount of oil need:
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Place the turkey in the fryer basket and place in the pot.
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Add peanut oil until it reaches approximately 1-inch above the turkey.
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Remove the turkey from the pot and cover on a platter; set aside.
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Preheat the peanut oil in your outdoor deep fryer to 350 to 365 degrees F. (It usually takes between 45 minutes and 1 hour to preheat the peanut oil). Use a deep-fat frying thermometer clipped onto the side of the pot. Be careful not to exceed this temperature, as the oil can begin to smoke and catch fire.
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Make sure your turkey is completely dry before using – remember hot oil and water don’t mix.
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Rub the outside of the turkey vigorously with a mixture of additional garlic powder, salt, and red pepper.
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When oil is hot, carefully and slowly submerge the prepared turkey into the hot oil. Leave turkey submerged in the hot oil for 4 minutes per pound (turkey weighing under 12 pounds should cook only 3 minutes per pound). The turkey will begin to float when done. Never completely cover the deep-fryer pot when frying with oil.
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Remove cooked turkey from the oil carefully and check internal temperature with a meat thermometer. The temperature should reach 170 degrees F. in the breast. When the Turkey has reached the desired temperature, turn the burner OFF and use heat-resistant oven mitts to remove it from the pot. Immediately wrap the turkey with aluminum foil. Let the turkey rest approximately 30 minutes before carving.
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