Emerils Deep Fried Cajun Turkey Recipes

CAJUN-INJECTED SPICY TURKEY

Steps:

• Make the marinade by combining the Worcestershire sauce, crab boil, apple cider, honey, beer, salt, allspice, Creole seasoning, cayenne, olive oil, and minced garlic in a blender and process until very smooth, about 5 minutes. Fill a large syringe* and inject turkey in the breast and thigh area, as well as the back, wings, and legs, with at least 2/3 of the marinade. You will have to fill the syringe numerous times.
• Preheat the oven to 420 degrees F and line a large roasting pan with aluminum foil.
• Season the injected turkey well both inside and out with the kosher salt and black pepper. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan lined with aluminum foil and pour the remaining marinade all over the turkey. Bake the turkey uncovered for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F, add 1 cup of the chicken broth to the roasting pan, and continue to bake the turkey until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the deepest part between the thigh and the leg registers 165 degrees F. (If the turkey begins to brown too much, tent loosely with aluminum foil until it is done. Also, add more broth as necessary to keep the bottom of the roasting pan from burning.)
• When the turkey is done, remove it from the oven and set aside to rest at least 20 minutes before carving.

DEEP-FRIED TURKEY

Steps:

• In a large stockpot or turkey fryer, heat oil to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Be sure to leave room for the turkey, or the oil will spill over. Layer a large platter with food-safe paper bags.
• Rinse turkey, and thoroughly pat dry with paper towels. Rub Creole seasoning over turkey inside and out. Make sure the hole at the neck is open at least 2 inches so the oil can flow freely through the bird.
• Place the whole onion and turkey in drain basket. The turkey should be placed in basket neck end first. Slowly lower basket into hot oil to completely cover turkey. Maintain the temperature of the oil at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and cook turkey for 3 1/2 minutes per pound, about 45 minutes.
• Carefully remove basket from oil, and drain turkey. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh; the internal temperature must be 180 degrees F (80 degrees C). Finish draining turkey on the prepared platter.

EMERIL'S FRIED TURKEY

Steps:

• To make the marinade: Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender and process for about 5 minutes. Fill a syringe and inject each turkey in the breast and thigh area, as well as the back, wings, and legs. You will have to fill the syringe several times. Next, combine the seasoning ingredients and rub the mixture evenly all over each turkey.
• Place the turkeys in large plastic bags and secure before icing them down or refrigerating them for 24 hours.
• To fry each turkey: Fill a large pot three quarters of the way full with the peanut oil and heat the oil to between 350 and 360 degrees F. Place 1 turkey in the basket insert and carefully and slowly lower it into the hot oil. Turn the turkey every 10 minutes, using long-handled forks. A whole turkey will take 3 to 5 minutes per pound to cook. It is done when the internal temperature reaches 170 to 180 degrees F on an instant read meat thermometer. Carefully lift the basket out of the hot oil. This can be done by inserting a broomstick through the handles and having two strong people lift the basket out of the pot. Using the long-handled forks, transfer the turkey to a large brown paper bag and let stand for about 15 minutes before removing to carve. Repeat the procedure for the second turkey. Carve the turkey and serve with the other traditional side items.
• Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.
• Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking" by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch. Published by William and Morrow, 1993.

EMERIL'S FRIED TURKEY

Steps:

• Marinade Instructions:.
• Combine the Worcestershire, crab& shrimp boil, apple cider, honey, beer, 1 tbs salt, allspice, Emeril's essence, 1/4 tsp cayenne and ground cloves in a blender and puree on high for 4-6 minutes.
• Using a marinade injector, inject the breast, wings, thighs, legs and back with the marinade.
• Rub Instructions:.
• Combine the remaining salt, cayenne and pepper.
• Rub the turkey with the mixture.
• Place the turkey in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
• Frying Instructions:.
• Heat the peanut oil to 350 degrees F.
• Place turkey in peanut oil and cook the turkey for 3-5 minutes per pound.
• Remove the turkey from the oil when the internal temperature reaches 170- 180 degrees F.
• Place on paper towel to drain.
• Let the turkey rest for 15-20 minutes prior to carving.

CAJUN DEEP FRIED TURKEY

Steps:

• Two days prior to cooking: Defrost turkey. Although not recommended by the FDA, when I have forgotten to take it out early enough, I have successfully thawed it in warm water in the sink - draining and refilling as water turns cool.
• Evening prior: Strain Italian dressing to catch items too big for the injector needle. Melt a stick of butter and add to the strained dressing.
• Take a handful of your favorite Cajun seasonings and add to marinade (I prefer Tony Chachere's (TM) Creole seasoning, Chef Paul Prudhomme's® blackened seasoning, Zatarins® Creole seasoning, Cajun Shake seasonings, and any Cajun spice I can get my hands on).
• Add onion powder and garlic powder to taste. You can also purchase Cajun Injector seasoning from the store.
• Use injector to inject marinade into the breasts, thighs, and wings. Stick the needle all the way in. As you slowly pull out, slowly press and inject spices into the turkey. Inject from multiple angles for maximum coverage. The more you use, the juicier the turkey will be when you cook it. Also, rub seasoning on the outside of the turkey, under the skin, and the inside cavity as well.
• Place turkey, legs up, on holder and place inside plastic oven roasting bag. Keep overnight in an ice chest with a little ice.
• Morning of: Fill fryer approximately 1/3 with oil (You don't need peanut oil, but once you try it, you won't use anything else. It also smokes less).
• Dip turkey while in the plastic bag in oil and fill or drain as needed. Oil should just cover the top of turkey. Ensure you have a hole at the top of the plastic bag, otherwise the bag will expand with air and you will not get an accurate reading. Take turkey out of oil and place back in cooler.An alternative is to use water the previous day prior to seasoning/injecting turkey. Place turkey in a plastic bag and then place in the pot. Pour water into pot until bagged turkey is fully submerged. Remove turkey, mark the water level, empty water, dry and pour oil to that spot.
• Heat oil to 375°-400°F. It takes approximately 30 minutes. Remove turkey from plastic wrap and place in oil. Oil should drop to 350°. Ensure you keep the temperature between 325°-350°F, but the closer to 350°F the better. Cook 2-3 minutes per pound. Never, ever cover pot with lid! You will have much more on your hands than a "smokin' Cajun turkey."You may cook a larger turkey, but most cookers can't handle more than 20 pounds. The largest one I cooked was 21 pounds, but it barely fit in the pot and made cooking the very tip extremely tricky.
• Remove and let the turkey rest before carving. According to Emeril, the best way to carve is to pull the legs, wings and thighs off; then undercut the breast following the bone to the center and then slice.

EMERIL LAGASSE'S CAJUN-INJECTED SPICY TURKEY RECIPE - (3.7/5)

Steps:

• Make the marinade by combining the Worcestershire sauce, crab boil, apple cider, honey, beer, salt, allspice, Creole seasoning, cayenne, olive oil, and minced garlic in a blender and process until very smooth, about 5 minutes. Fill a large syringe* and inject each turkey in the breast and thigh area, as well as the back, wings, and legs, with at least 2/3 of the marinade. You will have to fill the syringe numerous times. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a large roasting pan with aluminum foil. Season the injected turkey well both inside and out with the Kosher salt and black pepper. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan lined with aluminum foil and pour the remaining marinade all over the turkey. Bake the turkey uncovered for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F, add 1 cup of the chicken broth to the roasting pan, and continue to bake the turkey until golden brown and a thermometer inserted into the deepest part between the thigh and the leg registers 165 degrees F. (If the turkey begins to brown too much, tent loosely with aluminum foil until it is done. Also, add more broth as necessary to keep the bottom of the roasting pan from burning.) When the turkey is done, remove it from the oven and set aside to rest at least 20 minutes before carving.

EMERILS DEEP-FRIED "CAJUN" TURKEY

Steps:

• 1. Season and cure the turkey with salt, pepper and cayenne. Rub seasoning on skin and let sit overnight. 2. In a blender, add all the wet ingredients and then the dry ingredients to make the marinade. Puree on high for 4-6 minutes. Make sure all ingredients are completely pureed and add to an injector. 3. Heat oil to 350 degrees F. Depending on the amount of oil used, this usually takes between 45 minutes and one hour. (To determine the correct amount of oil, place the turkey in the basket and place in the pot. Add water until it reaches 1 to 2 inches above the turkey. Remove the turkey and note the water level, using a ruler to measure the distance from the top of the pot to the surface of the water. Pour out water and dry the pot thoroughly. Be sure to measure for oil before breading or marinating the turkey.) 4. While the oil is heating, prepare the turkey as desired. 5. Once the oil has come to temperature, place the turkey in the basket and slowly lower into the pot. Whole turkeys require approximately 3 minutes per pound to cook. Remove turkey and check internal temperature with meat thermometer. The temperature should reach 170 degrees F in the breast and 180 degrees F in the thigh. Turkey parts such as breast, wings and thighs require approximately 4 to 5 minutes per pound to come to temperature. Recipe copyright C 1998 Emeril Lagasse Fryer Beware: Safety Tips Remember youre dealing with gallons of dangerously hot oil, so make sure there are no kids or pets running around. And you want to wear some old shoes that you can slip out of easily and long pants just in case you do spill some oil on you. Place fryer on level dirt or grassy area. Never fry a turkey indoors, in a garage or in any other structure attached to a building. Avoid frying on wood decks, which could catch fire, and concrete, which can be stained by the oil. Never leave the hot oil unattended and dont allow children or pets near the cooking area. Allow the oil to cool completely before disposing or storing. Immediately wash hands, utensils, equipment and surfaces that have come in contact with raw turkey. Turkey should be consumed immediately and leftovers stored in the refrigerator within two hours of cooking. [SOURCE: The National Turkey Federation (202) 898-0100] NOTES : From Chef and author Emeril Lagasse Recipe by: Good Morning America