We had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year. My in-laws drove down from Salt Lake City to stay with us and we all went to my parents’ house for Thanksgiving dinner.
My aunt and uncle drove in from Bakersfield, and my cousin and his wife and their 2 kids drove in from L.A. Everyone chipped in to build the meal, which took the stress out of the day.
We had a few fun items, such as a smoked goose
and a pomegranate cabbage slaw that I’ll be telling you about later this week,
as well as the classic line-up of things like mashed potatoes, gravy, pie, and of course, turkey. However we made our turkey a bit differently this year, which added even more fun to the day.
As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, Char-Broil sent us “The Big Easy” Oil-less Infrared Turkey Fryer in advance of Thanksgiving, along with a Flip Video HD camera to record our cooking experiences.
Thanksgiving morning my dad and I got the fryer ready, then I prepped the turkey. I used a 16-pound turkey that had been rubbed with a salt rub the day before. I rinsed it off and then stuffed it with a combination of chopped lemons, celery, onion, oregano, thyme, black pepper, kosher salt, olive oil, and lemon juice. Then I brushed the skin with an olive oil-lemon juice combo. (I adapted a recipe from Bon Appetit’s November 2010 issue for Salt-Roasted Turkey with Lemon and Oregano.) Then we put the turkey into the fryer, started it up, and let it cook. The turkey reached 165 degrees (the minimum temperature to ensure that the turkey is cooked through and safe to eat) after about 3 hours of cooking.
I wish I had video of my dad and I from throughout the day, because I’m sure it would be hilarious. We were totally geeking out. In fact, many of our guests made multiple trips outside to check out the action in the fryer. Not only was it fun to watch the progress of the turkey and be tortured by the delicious smells emanating from the fryer, but it was a chilly day and the fryer was like a cozy campfire when we stood around it. The fryer uses infrared heat to evenly cook the turkey, producing deep-fried results without the mess (or the danger!) of actually using oil. Not only was the finished bird crispy on the outside and moist and tender on the inside, but it was the most beautiful turkey I’ve ever seen in person—a turkey that would have impressed even Norman Rockwell.
It was a gorgeous even golden brown all over, like the turkeys always depicted in books and magazines, but that you never seem to be able to reproduce at home. Although my dad and I were fixated on the fryer itself, my mom appreciated the fact that it freed up her oven for other dishes. My dad and I already have a long list of things we want to make next—a leg of lamb, a whole fish, squash . . . the sky’s the limit! Deep-fried Christmas ham anyone? Check out the Fuji fryer fun and answer the mystifying question of how the idea for turkey flavored marshmallows was dreamed up:
{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
That is one gorgeous bird! I love the video of everyone standing around the fryer, watching the turkey cook.
this looks awesome!!! you’re right when you say it looks like the turkeys in magazines. so evenly colored and gorgeous!
I think we have a new family tradition here. This was one awesome bird.
Looks like you had an amazing Thanksgiving dinner! I’ve always wanted to try deep frying a turkey, ever since I heard about it! Yours looks and sounds like it tunrned out perfect! and that smoked goose….YUMM!
I saw this at Outdoor world and wondered if it was any good. So was it hard to clean? How about using the drippings for turkey gravy? Is that possible, or do you just have to dump it out…. inquiring minds want to know!
Infrared Fryer…swoon! That is one gaw-geous bird!
I can’t believe the color on that bird! And with no oil either! Yum!
I really want to eat a deep fried turkey even though I am not a fan of turkey. Looks so good!!!
Awesome! I’ve always wanted to try fried turkey- this year we opted against it, but I’m already planning for next year. Did you make the smoked goose??? That looks yum!
It seems too tidy to be true! Aren’t Thanksgiving turkeys supposed to be a huge mess? That’s the way mine always turn out!
I so wish to have had that smoked goose at out Thanksgiving table!! Looks so good! Never fried a turkey but this new technology looks phenomenal! Shulie
Your table setting was beautiful!
I’ve heard about it but I’ve never seen it in action: deep-fried turkey. Yowza. I’d definitely be geeking out, too!
This convinces me I need to move to the States. Deep-fry me some turkey, I’m comin’ over! ;)
Jax x
The most fun thing about the infrared cooked turkey is that we could easily check the progress – watch it as it gradually turned brown and watch the temperature gauge. The cleaning was easy. A foil container in the dripping pan made it so that we did not have to clean the pan and the only thing we needed to wash was the inner shell of the cooker – and then it was only the bottom of it that required any scrubbing.
The turkey looks wonderful & thanks for documenting the whole thing. Nice touch! Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!