AURELIUS - Bass Pro Shops pulled turkeys out of the roasting pan and threw them into the fryer for a cooking demonstration.
Jason Rearick / The Citizen
Bass Pro Shops administrative assistant Karen Rebuck dishes up some of the turkey meat she prepared during a turkey frying class.
Bass Pro Shops administrative assistant Karen Rebuck dishes up some of the turkey meat she prepared during a turkey frying class.
“We go to my grandmother's house for Thanksgiving, so we have turkey the old fashioned way for the holiday,” said Karen Rebuck, administrative assistant and cook of the day for the Bass Pro Shops presentation.
But like many in the crowd of onlookers who she invited to sample the final product, Rebuck is now a deep-fried turkey convert.
“We had 14 of them at a party I was at, and they were out of this world,” said John Sharples, of Auburn, whose wife recently bought him a propane turkey fryer. “It's exclusively the tenderness - I'm really surprised. Usually you roast a turkey and it's too dry.”
“What's more is it's just so much quicker,” he added. “You're not getting up early in the morning to get it done. I'm going to try this.”
Cottonseed oil, unlike peanut oil, can be heated to a temperature of 400 degrees without breaking down. Cooking time equals three minutes per pound, according to Rebuck.
Using a temperature sensor, she confirmed the bird had reached the ideal temperature of 160 degrees. Lifting the basket from the electric fryer, she tilted the turkey to allow any oil to drain from the cavity, then wrapped foil around it and let it rest for five minutes before slicing.
The taste? “It's great! I've never tried it before. I was thinking about getting the injector with the sauce,” said Irene Clack, of Auburn.
A rich, mesquite flavor, reminiscent of outdoor barbecued chicken, only more consistent, visited the taste buds when sampling the breast meat. After patting the uncooked turkey dry with paper towels, Rebuck injected the meat with marinade.
“Start in the breast and press down the injector, pulling it out as you go through, otherwise you'll just have it all in one spot,” she told the audience, refilling the syringe and inserting it, methodically repeating the process.
Once she had circled the bird, even giving the wings a touch of flavoring, she rubbed the skin with Cajun powder and placed it into the fryer basket.
“You want to lower it in slowly,” she said, as the oil percolated softly. “Let it set for a second to get used to it,” she continued, before relaxing the basket all the way into the cooker and closing the lid.
“You can use whatever spices you like: herbs, spices or nothing at all,” Rebuck said.
Grandmothers everywhere might not know what they're missing.
But like many in the crowd of onlookers who she invited to sample the final product, Rebuck is now a deep-fried turkey convert.
“We had 14 of them at a party I was at, and they were out of this world,” said John Sharples, of Auburn, whose wife recently bought him a propane turkey fryer. “It's exclusively the tenderness - I'm really surprised. Usually you roast a turkey and it's too dry.”
“What's more is it's just so much quicker,” he added. “You're not getting up early in the morning to get it done. I'm going to try this.”
Cottonseed oil, unlike peanut oil, can be heated to a temperature of 400 degrees without breaking down. Cooking time equals three minutes per pound, according to Rebuck.
Using a temperature sensor, she confirmed the bird had reached the ideal temperature of 160 degrees. Lifting the basket from the electric fryer, she tilted the turkey to allow any oil to drain from the cavity, then wrapped foil around it and let it rest for five minutes before slicing.
The taste? “It's great! I've never tried it before. I was thinking about getting the injector with the sauce,” said Irene Clack, of Auburn.
A rich, mesquite flavor, reminiscent of outdoor barbecued chicken, only more consistent, visited the taste buds when sampling the breast meat. After patting the uncooked turkey dry with paper towels, Rebuck injected the meat with marinade.
“Start in the breast and press down the injector, pulling it out as you go through, otherwise you'll just have it all in one spot,” she told the audience, refilling the syringe and inserting it, methodically repeating the process.
Once she had circled the bird, even giving the wings a touch of flavoring, she rubbed the skin with Cajun powder and placed it into the fryer basket.
“You want to lower it in slowly,” she said, as the oil percolated softly. “Let it set for a second to get used to it,” she continued, before relaxing the basket all the way into the cooker and closing the lid.
“You can use whatever spices you like: herbs, spices or nothing at all,” Rebuck said.
Grandmothers everywhere might not know what they're missing.