Southern Thanksgiving Dinner: Serving Up Deep Fried Turkey

Before the Fryer

Whether you're from the South or simply fancy the Southern touch, this Southern Comfort annual pilgrimmage Thanksgiving dinner is the ultimate comfort-food feast.

The traditional menu, the familiar faces around the table and rival football games make this a favorite holiday!

Since many folks long for there very own family recipes, ask guests to bring their favorite dish...the more the merrier.

Spend time and energy on what really matters--friends, family and good eats!

The Menu

Signature Cocktail: Whiskey Sour

Signature Wine: Pinot Noir is a classic choice with turkey

Salad: Arugula, Fennel, Apple, Mandarin Oranges, Pomegranates, Red Onion, Chopped Pecans

Main Course: Fried Turkey, Sweet Potatoes, Cornbread and Sausage Stuffing, Haricots Verts

Dessert: Dirty Pecan Tart

Setting the Scene

Decor: Use warm colored tablecloths and napkins. Scatter crab apples, mini-pears, gourds, pine cones and bittersweet branches down the center of the table.

Add 10 votive candles and 3 thick pillar candles in cream and cranberry colors to create a soft, flattering glow. Layer plates in colors such as white, green, chestnut and honey.

Arrange silver and glassware. Place a crisp rolled napkin tied with twine and adorned with sprigs of fresh herbs atop each place setting. Rosemary, sage or even fall leaves would lookbeautiful.

Music: Giving thanks has inspired many songs and their titles. Some of our family favorites include "Thank Yous" from an array of artists such as Duran Duran, Tori Amos, Alanis Morissette, Mariah Carey, Dido,
Bon Jovi and Bing Crosby's "I've Got Plenty To Be Thankful For." Put them all together for a fabulous Turkey Day inspired CD.

Turkey Safety

It's always important to be safe when cooking a turkey -- especially when you're using a deep fryer. Using a deep fryer can be dangerous: 

• Many units easily tip over, spilling the hot oil within the cooking pot.
• If the cooking pot is overfilled with oil, the oil may spill out of the unit when the turkey is placed into the cooking pot. Oil may hit the burner/flames causing a fire to engulf the entire unit.

Talking Turkey

Unfrozen organic, free-range birds (order a few weeks in advance) taste fresher; frozen turkeys require thawing according to package directions and weight. To thaw a bird in the refrigerator, place it breast-side up, in the packaging, on a baking sheet, and allow approximately one day per every 4 pounds.

Whole deep-fried turkey is some of the tastiest meat you will ever eat, if cooked correctly. The process can be time consuming and you must have the right equipment. But it's worth it's weight in gravy!

You'll need an outdoor cooker and a 10-gallon pot, preferably one with a basket insert (available in hardware stores and stores where outdoor equipment is sold).

The insert keeps the bird off the bottom of the pot and facilitates removing it from the oil.

Preparation:
Begin heating the oil in a 10-gallon pot over a very hot propane flame outdoors. Don't set the burner to its highest setting, as you may need to increase the heat after you've added the turkey.
It will take about 20 minutes for the oil to heat.

Meanwhile, rinse the turkey well, and pat it dry inside and out. Be sure to trim most of the fat from the turkey's neck end, which must remain open for cooking and set it on end in a sink to drain.

When the oil reaches 325 degrees, pat the turkey dry again, and sprinkle it with cayenne, if desired. If your cooker has a basket insert, place the turkey in the basket and set it over a baking sheet, place the turkey on it, and take them outside to the cooker.

Check the temperature of the oil. When the oil reaches 325 degrees, carefully and slowly lower the basket with the turkey into the oil; or lower it holding it by its legs or by a long heavy tool such as aclean fireplace poker inserted into its cavity. Be careful! Immediately check the oil temperature and adjust the flame so that the temperature does not dip below 325 degrees.

You want to maintain the temperature at 325 degrees. As it cooks, occasionally move the bird around in the oil so that it does not scorch (the oil near the heat source will be hotter).

Whole turkeys should be fried at 325 degrees for exactly 3 1/2 minutes per pound to fry to perfection: small ones, around 12 pounds, will take about 35 minutes; large ones, around 15 pounds, will take about 1 hour.

When it is done, the turkey will float to the surface with a perfectly crispy, brown skin. If you are unsure, you can test the meat for doneness at the hip joint or insert a meat thermometer into the breast; it should register 180 degrees.

Using the basket insert, if there is one, or by again inserting a long, heavy, clean tool into its cavity, carefully remove the turkey from the oil and hold it over the pot for a moment to allow any excess oil to drain back into the pot, then lay the bird on the oven rack. Allow it to rest for 20 minutes before carving. Makes 20 servings.

Good luck and enjoy a Happy Thanksgiving!