Turkey.  It’s as American as—well—eating turkey on Thanksgiving.  This patriotic bird, once promoted by Ben Franklin to be our national symbol, is the centerpiece for many holiday festivities.

Question is, how do you cook such a large bird?

There are the traditionalists who enjoy it roasted, of course, and those who will grill it, but a growing number of people seem to enjoy the added flavor and fun of a deep-fried turkey.

The challenge to deep-frying a turkey is the bird’s large size.  With the average weight of a turkey being about 28 pounds, this is not a project for your kitchen stove.  So, many cooks head outdoors to grill or fry their birds.

If you decide to deep-fry your turkey this year, two words come to mind: be careful!  You should not try this project in a garage, under an eave or even on your roof-covered deck.  Set up away from the house, kids, and pets.  Deep frying turkey is a definite fire hazard.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, approximately 1000 fires per year are started with homeowners trying to deep-fry their turkey in the holiday season.  This results in approximately $15 million in property damage.  And while Colorado is lucky enough to be absent from the top ten list of states with this problem, we’re best off listening to some sage advice from the website of the West Metro Fire Department:

1. Avoid oil spillover–don’t overfill the pot.
2. Turn off flame when lowering the turkey into oil.
3. Fry outside, away from the house.
4. Properly thaw the turkey before frying.
5. Keep a grease-fire-approved extinguisher nearby.

We also talked to a couple of grill experts from Home Depot, 3000 West Belleview Ave. in Littleton.  Steve and Jay walked us through some of the equipment you’ll need, and safety to keep in mind.

“I’ve used the propane deep fryer,” said Steve with a laugh. “It worked great, but my cooking skills didn’t.  You heat the oil just five degrees too much and you burn the outside of the bird, while the inside stays raw.  Took me about three tries before I got it right.”

He also recommended either putting the cooker on flat ground away from the house, or to use a grill pad to protect any wood decking.  Home Depot sells fire-retardant grill pads for about $35, and they will protect your surface from grease spills and small sparks.

Another alternative to the mess and danger of an oil-filled fryer is something called the Infrared Oil-Less Fryer.  In this device, chefs seem to have the best of all worlds. There is no oil mess or fire hazard, but you still get the taste and short cooking time of deep-frying.  In fact, the biggest draw back of this method seems to be the storage needed for the size of the unit when you’re not “frying” turkey, ham, or other meats.

So enjoy your company this year, and try a deep-fry method.  At about 8 minutes per pound of cooking time, you’ll save time and enjoy great flavor.  Just protect your deck and your family by following the safety rules above.

And then, just for fun, be sure to check out YouTube’s Deep Frying Turkey Disasters.  They bring home the point with a great laugh.

(Photo by Laura Flowers)