Who's Cooking Thanksgiving in the Creek?

[Rich Riddle]

Do any of you don your Betty Crocker apron and cook Thanksgiving for folks or does someone else do it? I am pondering borrowing a setup for deep-fried turkey but don't want to make the local news. Have any of you ever tried deep-fried turkey? Is it all they claim it is?

[Prashun Patel]

I have been cooking the turkey for my extended family for 15 years.
I tried smoking, brining, butterflying, and all manner of seasoning.

My opinion is that it's all about cooking temperature. I get the best results with a digital thermometer and cooking it to the right temp, and no more.

Everyone I know who's done the deep fried turkey has only done it once. Does this tell us anything?

[Shawn Pixley]

I always cook for thanksgiving. I have never done a deep fired turkey but I have tasted one that a neighbor did. Okay, but not my rave fave. I always make one new dish per year (Cassoulet, Turkey Breast Roulade, etc.). I brine my turkey (Fresh, Organic hen). I smoked a turkey one year; that was yummy!

This year:

Pancetta / Garlic Turkey
Chinese Sautéed Long Beans
Oyster / Cornbread stuffing
Parmesan Mashed potatoes
+ one dish not yet determined

and of course Pumpkin Pie!

[Sean Troy]

This will be year 6 for me smoking our Thanksgiving turkey. It will be Mesquite smoked this year.

[Bill Clifton]

A deep fat fried turkey is great - everybody should try one. The problem is the cost of the grease - $20 worth of peanut oil if I recall correctly. Once the grease is used once we had to waste it as we had no need for it and no way to store it (freezer).

Besides a great tasting turkey, deep frying a turkey is something a real man can do - carefully placing a thawed, patted dry turkey in that 350 degree oil really makes a reaction - loved it. There is a lot of moisture (water) in a turkey - when the water hits the grease, be quick and stand back.

On the other hand I have used the microwave greaseless turkey fryer - haven't been successful yet and am about to give up.

[Justin Ludwig]

We've fried numerous turkeys. Crispy on the outside, juicy and tasty on the inside. No complaints I can remember.

[George Bokros]

This year we are going my son and daugher-in-laws for Thanksgiving. In the past I have been involved in making the meal for the three major holidays. I usually inject the turkey in the breast area with some turkey or chicken broth to keep it juicy and baste while it is cooking. I tried the breast down method a few years ago and did not like iit because the breast did not get nice and brown.

I actually miss the preparation for the meal when we go to my son and dil for the holiday.

Slightly off the Thanksgiving topic I have a killer ham glaze using apricot pineapple preserves and dark brown sugar.

[Pat Barry]

I've done the turkey and stuffing every year since 1982 and I expect to continue the tradition this year. My bride handles all the other, more difficult and varied tasks associated such as sweet potatoes, corn, bread, gravy, potatoes, deserts, place settings, etc..

[ryan paulsen]

We've fried every year for the last 15 or so. The key is to get the oil a little over-heated (375 or so), pat the bird dry on the outside, and lower SLOWLY into the oil. Grill gloves and long pants for sure, we also have a fire extinguisher for just in case. Make sure to use the proper volume of oil (measure displacement with the bird and water first). Also, smaller birds work better (14lbs is usually the max). We reuse the oil, if it's strained it lasts a long time. This year we'll be smoking one bird, and frying 4. We always inject and add rub, creole butter is my favorite (usually have it as bass pro and such). The best part is the awesome stock you get on Friday! Do it!

[David Helm]

For the first time in 20 years I'll not be hosting Thanksgiving this year. Usually do a 34 pound turkey, Brussels Sprouts from my garden, real Cranberries. Other stuff would come from the guests. This year we are going to my brother in law's place. Means a 4 hour roundtrip but will be much easier for my 87 year old father in law. I'm actually excited to not be the main cook for a change. Like Shawn, the turkey is a fresh organic one. Never have fried one (don't think a turkey that size would work in a deep frier).

[Erik Loza]

My wife is an amazing chef and aside from the traditional turkey-thing, is doing these dynamite pumpkin creme brulees for dessert. She does the cooking and I do the cleanup. That's our deal, because I want the food to actually taste good and the chore of doing dishes, I happen to find relaxing.

Erik

[John Grider]

I do the turkey. My wife does all the rest. I take the credit. I do our turkey on a Big Green Egg. I spatchcock (butterfly) it and cook it over direct heat at 350 degrees till the thermometer says it is 170 in the breast. Moist, tender and delicious if I do say so myself.

[Dave Anderson NH]

No cooking for us this year. This year my son, DIL, and grandkids are all at my son's MILs house for Thanksgiving. We made reservations at a restaurant that has a really great Thanksgiving buffet.

For Christmas this year no cooking for us either. We are invited to my son's house for Christmas dinner.

As for eating turkey, we have it at our house at least once every month since we both like it.

[roger wiegand]

I do the whole meal, and have for the last 40 years with rare exception. It's my favorite meal of the year to cook and it's ideal when I can get 25+ people to come so that I don't end up with way too much food (I don't seem to be able to scale it lower than that). A heritage breed bird is ideal, but my local farmer didn't grow any this year. Started looking them unstuffed a couple years ago, the results are much better, except the gravy suffers. I'm currently searching for turkey backs and necks to roast to make extra stock for more gravy. I try to try one new thing each year, this rear I will revisit something I last did decades ago, an oyster dressing. The main dressing will be cornbread based with lots of fruit in it. Haven't decided on pies yet, apple and pumpkin for sure, perhaps peach from our new peach trees--but I'm not sure that fits Thanksgiving well. I'm told that people stay out of the kitchen in terror in the last hour when I'm trying to get everything on the table and hot at the same time, I wouldn't know I'm usually in the zone, keeping 10 things going at once at that point. Falling over would-be helpers spoils the effect. Small turkey this year, only 26 lbs. May need to add a ham.

[Rich Engelhardt]

We make most of the food and my brother in law and sister in law host things at there house.
We usually make enough food for 50 people & usually have about a dozen people....
Nobody cares since everybody loves all the leftovers