Memphis Fried Turkey

Name: Memphis Fried Turkey
Yield: serves 10
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon smoked paprika; 1 tablespoon kosher salt; 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder; 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper; 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder; 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 1 teaspoon dried thyme; One 14-pound turkey, giblets removed, washed and dried; 3 or more gallons peanut oil, for frying (see note)

December 14, 2011

GINA Fried turkey was and is very big in the South. I watched Mama Callie make it many a time, and I was always thinking she was going to burn herself or the house down! She’d rub the spice mixture all over the turkey and into the cavity. (Hmm . . . I always thought Pat was the first spice-rub master, but maybe not.) When you fry a turkey, you are sealing all those herb flavors and juices right in. You also get outrageously crispy skin. Pat likes to fry with peanut oil, because of its high smoke temperature and great flavor. Try it; it’s easier than you think (see note), and leaves your oven free for all your side dishes!

Recipe notes

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