on Yahoo!For many cooks, roasting a turkey in the oven is the tried-and-true method to prepare a traditional holiday feast. It's relatively simple, it's practically an art form and it allows a busy cook the time and attention to deal with preparing the rest of the meal. However, if you're willing to break with tradition this year, you might just find a new technique that will "wow" your guests.
Before embarking on a turkey preparation adventure, you'll need to determine your needs:
- How much do you need? Some techniques take longer than others and aren't suitable for turkeys larger than 12-16 pounds.
- Will you have help? Sometimes a second set of hands is required because the turkey must be cooked outdoors or needs constant supervision.
- What equipment do you need? Some specialized items may be required, including deboning knives, smokers or deep-fryers.
- How much time do you have? Slower cooking methods and lots of prep may not be compatible for lunchtime or early afternoon meals.
- Do you like your stuffing cooked separately? Stove-top or baked stuffing recipes are always an option, but they may be a requirement for some methods due to food safety concerns.
Deep-fried
It sounds fattening, but following this popular Southern cooking tradition doesn't add as much fat as you think -- if it's done properly. Keep the oil at the right temperature and you'll get a nice crispy skin and tender meat with about two grams of fat added per serving. However, if the temperature of the oil drops below 350 F, more oil seeps into the meat and raises the fat content.
Deep-frying is a quick process that requires as little as three minutes cooking time per pound. However, it's also a dangerous one, especially if there are children and pets around. You'll be dealing with a lot of hot oil (four or five gallons or 17 litres worth) and a large-sized cooker. Constant supervision is required so you'll need a dedicated person (and possibly a second set of hands) for this job -- someone who isn't preparing other food, entertaining the guests or drinking.
The right equipment and safety precautions are a must. A frozen, partially thawed or wet turkey can cause an oil overflow and fire. You'll also need to cook outside, and stay well away (at least ten feet) from anything that can catch fire... Pets and children should be kept well away, even after the turkey is done because the oil remains dangerously hot. Pots can tip over or overflow and catch fire... so keep a fire extinguisher handy.
The Food Network outlines the entire process in detail, but be sure to check out these product safety tips for turkey fryers.
The re-assembled turkey
Long cooking times and dried out white meat are issues that plague the popular baking method. The solution: take the bird apart. Disassembling and cooking a turkey in three parts (breast portion and two legs) cuts down on overall cooking time (to as little as two and a half hours) while ensuring that both the white and dark meat are cooked to perfection. This method is also compatible for variations on the tradition roast, such as bacon-wrapped or vegetable, popcorn or fruit-stuffed versions.
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