Oil-less Fried Turkey Recipe

Aurora Catering's
Oil-less Fried Turkey
Yield 8 - 10 dinner servings

EQUIPMENT

Char-Broil's Big Easy Oil-less Turkey Fryer

The Big Easy is really that EASY!! It takes about 30 minutes to assemble out of the box, and you have to do a one time season of the interior stainless steel cooking drum with oil before use (and additional 30 minutes), but from there on..... you are good to go!!

You can check out the pic of the seasoned interior drum on the second pic down..... Raw turkey, ready to be placed in fryer. The darker the char the better the fryer cooks because of the infrared heat radiated by the darkened surface.

Ingredients
1 12-14 LB TURKEY (Defrosted)
1 ONION (Quartered)
10 SPRIGS ROSEMARY
1 LEMON (Sliced)
1 TBSP OLIVE OIL
2 TBSP CREOLE SEASONINGS

Method
Turn the fryer on to preheat...

Turkey starting to cook.... check out the seasoned inter lining. Meanwhile, remove and discard the plastic or wire leg restraint and plastic meat thermometer that is normally supplied with the turkey...rinse the bird under cold water, remove giblets....stuff the interior of the bird with about half of the rosemary sprigs, onion and some of the Creole Seasonings. Then use your fingers to separate the skin from the turkey breast and place the lemon slices and remaining sprigs under the skin and between the breast meat.

Rub the skin with olive oil and remaining Creole Seasonings.

Place the giblets and neck in the bottom of the wire basket and arrange the bird legs down and breast up in the basket. Place the (supplied meat thermometer) in the thickest portion of the breast, insure the tip is not touching any bone, or else you will get a false reading.

There is a drip pan that comes with the fryer.... Make sure that you have placed it correctly in the bottom drawer rails.... otherwise you will get greasy drippings all over the floor!!

Lower the basket in the fryer and cook about 2 and 1/2 hours or until the internal temp reads 165F. See pic (right). There is a wire mesh lid that comes with the fryer... use it to conserve heat in windy or cold conditions.... so far, living in New Orleans I found that I did not need it.... you don't want to cook the bird too fast. Oil-less Fryer Mesh Lid

Remove basket (with supplied hook)... and allow the turkey to rest for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, make a gravy!!!

Browned Oil-less Fried Turkey Retrieve the drippings, discard collected grease... in a sauce pan and over medium heat warm the drippings. Retrieve the cooked onion from the inside of the bird, chop fine and add to gravy.. add your favorite seasonings to taste (granulated garlic, white, black and/or red peppers, salt). Dice the giblets, pull meat from the neck and add to sauce... incorporate 2 cups of white wine and about 2 tbsp of a cafe au lait colored roux.

Alternate Method
Before cooking the turkey can be injected with your favorite marinade ....Also, if you are looking for a VERY moist turkey, brine the turkey refrigerated overnight.

Juicy Oil-less Fried Turkey!! Plate Presentation
For family or banquet settings, use a Chef's knife and carve off slices, serve!!

Chef's Notes:
This is a great recipe because you get the flavors of a Cajun fried turkey without the cost of a lot of expensive oil!! Also, because the internal and exterior rubbed seasonings would burn in a traditional fried turkey you get to impart those flavors with this method.

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