We started a now-annual tradition of frying our Thanksgiving turkey.  I was not a big turkey fan, but as it turns out, this was due to the dryness and general lack of flavor of past turkeys.  We were turned onto the idea of frying our turkey by Alton Brown's Good Eats (turkey fry episode), one of the few programs I would purchase in DVD format.  As an engineer who best serves in the kitchen by consuming, frying anything let alone a turkey seemed overwhelming until this recent Thanksgiving, when we fried the turkey as a couple.  Since I was way out of my comfort zone last year, I tried to follow Alton's recipe precisely, including using a ladder and peanut oil (which was the most costly aspect, we are looking at ways to preserve/get more use out of the oil), but some engineering came into play.  The turkey fry episode, if you can get the video, explains in detail the many dangers of frying a turkey and considerations in cooking the best possible bird.  This year we had most of the components already, and I had a semi-successful bird last year (part of the tukrey was undercooked, but still a delicious bird overall), so success was very sweet.  The bird cooked as expected, clean-up was simpler, there is still room for improvement but we now have a high level of comfort in frying a great tasting bird.

Some highlights across both years:

• We have a customizeable ladder, which is great for reaching heights, but not so great for easy conversion into a derrick.  Using some twine and some clever knots on the stairs themselves, we were able to build a successful pulley system to lower and raise the turkey.
• The displacement system worked great the first year, but this year we eye-balled the amount of oil with the turkey in the pot and the oil levels were again satisfactory during the frying process.  Actually, I believe we had to add oil last year, not preferred; so, no need to over-complicate matters.
• We are thinking about buying a new stand, as the current stand has a timer that allows gas to pass to the flame in 20 minute increments.  This was an annoying "feature" before, but now the timer has failed completely.  We have the "pilot" ignitiion connected permanently to bypass the timer, not the best solution.
• The gas lasts longer than I would ever expect.  I purchased a propane tank for last Thanksgiving, $50 from a gas station.  I felt like there was still much, possible half, of the gas left this year and expected to have enough to last one more Thanksgiving.  However, I used Alton's technique of pouring hot coffee on the tank, and the tank is 75% full.  This stuff lasts.
• Peanut oil is the best choice for a task like this, but it is very expensive.  If turkeys could be fried in batch (like a neighborhood pooling), that would get more use out of the cost of the oil.  We are going to try to keep some of the oil or reuse it, but that is new this year so we do not know how the year will progress.
• This year, we failed to have a puppy-plan.  We have a new puppy (older puppy now) who can just reach to the top of the table.  I had just carved most of the fried turkey and set the meat aside to go and get more food for serving.  When I came back, the turkey was missing.  I asked around, no one could remember moving it nor see where it was put at eye level.  I walked around the table, then noticed our puppy had drug the serving platter to the ground and was having a turkey feast along with her short-legged pug friend.  They got the wishbone and my favorite part--drumsticks!

The toal cost for this project is not significantly high, particulary if something other than peanut oil were used.  It does take a lot of oil, we purchased two of the large, 3 Gallon jugs.  We only need about 4.5-5 gallons, but once we had one of the large, 3 gallon jugs and started tacking on smaller quantities, the two large jugs was comparable in price.  This has the added benefit of giving us large amounts of unused peanut oil plus large amounts of used peanut oil, which might have a great frying flavor.  Some costs are one-time, such as the fryer, pot (with accessories), serving materials, thermometer, etc.  Other costs include the turkey (low) and propane (low given that one tank can last years).  I would estimate that, assuming the peanut oil is reused at a reasonable rate, the average yearly cost is around $40.  Is it worth it?  For us it is, particularly for Thanksgiving.  The flavor is unmatched, it is a family experience, and the bird is ready in a fraction of the time.

So does anyone else fry their turkey?  Got any interesting stories to share?  What does everyone recommend or suggest to get better use out of the oil or technique?  Are there any culinary suggestions aside from or along with brineing?  Does anyone have thoughts on the feasibility of a "neighborhood" fry where people could bring their turkey to be fried with 1-1.5 hour turnaround time?  If something similar was offered in your neighborhood, would you be interested?  Feel free to comment on any of my highlights or throw in your own!

--
Ryan

Daughter = Flower of the Earth
Son = Diety of the Sky
Mother = Light of our Life
Father = Me