Sunday, November 30, 2008

Let's Make. . . Deep Fried Turkey

In any social situation where someone asks you what you do and you answer "chef", you somehow automatically become the expert on all things culinary. ..so I have been asked countless times how I cook my Thanksgiving turkey. When I answer that I deep fry it, I am invariably asked what kind of "rig" I have. I have no rig other than a fabulous and well loved O'Keeffe & Merritt stove that is the best stove I have ever cooked on. This is my fifth year deep frying a turkey atop my trusty stove. I have been told that I am foolish to do it in my home but I really do believe that all it takes is common sense and a healthy respect for hot oil. Here is how I do it.

15-16 lb. brined turkey
35 lb. box of Peanut Oil
60 qt. stock pot
heat/liquid resistant gloves
Thermometer


The Victim. It has been brined for 12 hours, removed from the brine and refrigerated, uncovered, for another 12 hours. Remove the turkey from the refrigerator two hours before it's hot oil bath.

The "Rig" - sixty quart stockpot atop trusty O'Keeffe & Merritt Stove.


Add one 35 lb. container of peanut oil to the pot. The pot will be 1/3 full. . it is crucial that the pot is not overfilled. Set heat to high. Keep in mind it can take up to an hour for the oil to reach the correct temperature.



Once the oil is heated to at least 340F (maximum 350F) it is ready for the turkey.



Don the gloves!

Grabbing the two legs, VERY gently lower the turkey into the oil. It will bubble up slightly. The general rule is 3 minutes per pound plus 10 extra minutes. This 16 lb turkey took 58 minutes.

This is about half way through the cooking process - notice the slight color change.

As the turkey cooks, it will come up to the surface. Notice how the legs are jutting out of the oil. Perfect to grab and pull out of the oil. It is a good idea to have an assistant help you pull the turkey out of the oil - this year I did it alone and experienced my first and only error - the leg and thigh portion separated from the breast and wing portion. I felt it start to happen so I let it. I let the breast go gently back into the oil. I pulled the leg/thigh portion with the gloves and removed the breast/wing portion with tongs. Have ready a wadded up paper bag to rest and drain the turkey on.

Let the turkey rest for half an hour before you carve. We jumped the gun an started carving before I could take a picture of the whole turkey - no do-overs here! The turkey will be juicy, skin crisp and completely non-greasy. Easy and delicious!

Let's Make. . . Dog Food

EDIT! So, Lou was having problems with um, well, poops. They were a little loose so my vet and I re-adjusted the recipe to suit LouLou's "special" needs. Reduced the veg and changed the carbs. . so now the only thing that goes into the pressure cooker is chicken, chicken gizzards & hearts, chicken livers, collard greens, white potatoes and sweet potatoes. The method still applies. I recently purchased a 40 quart pressure cooker and only have to make her food once a month which is so much easier. . but it is no joke cleaning that thing! :) She is doing very well.

Just for reference here is the basic break-down of the true BARF diet:
BY WEIGHT:
65% raw meaty bones
15% organ meats
15% vegatables
Plus a good multi-vitamin such as Canine Plus


3 lbs, 2 oz.


The most important thing I make in my kitchen is food for my dog, LouLou. I got her as a very, very young puppy and she always had digestive issues. I take her to a holistic vet who suggested the Paleolithic diet for her. She has been eating homemade food since she was two months old. My goal is to know exactly what is in her food and to have her live the longest, healthiest life possible. She did well on the food up until about 6 months ago when she stopped keeping up her weight and became thin. This happens sometimes with well muscled dogs - especially pit bulls. My vet told me to add carbohydrates to her diet in the form of oatmeal. She has bulked up nicely and has had no ill effects from adding the oatmeal. Just as you would check with you own doctor if you were radically changing your diet, please check with your vet about changing your dog's diet. Every dog is different and might need the recipe tweaked for his or her own best health. LouLou eats about a pound of food twice a day and one multi-vitamin daily.

This is what you will need to make a large batch of dog food. This batch fits into a Presto 23-quart pressure cooker.

6 4-5 pound whole chickens
2 pounds chicken gizzards/hearts
2 pounds chicken livers
2 1 pound pkg. Cut N' Clean collard greens (or mixed greens)
2 29-oz. cans Libby's Pumpkin (plain - not pie mix!)
1 18-oz canister Quaker Oats - Old-Fashioned Oats (not quick oats)
Water

Cook the collard greens with three cups of water in a separate pot. You can pack them in tightly and they will cook down.

Cook the greens until they are tender.

Meanwhile, using kitchen shears, butterfly the chicken along the backbone. I do this in the kitchen sink to make clean-up easier.

Pack the chicken in tightly.

Add the gizzards, hearts and liver, packing it in so there are no gaps.


Sprinkle in the oatmeal and the add the pumpkin, spreading it with a spatula so you have a smooth layer.

Place the greens and all the liquid from the pot on top of everything. The pot will be very full. This goes against the instructions with your pressure cooker. I have been making this food for two years and have never, ever had a problem. Of course, never leave the pot unattended - you need to stay home while the food is cooking to make sure the pressure stays stable. Add 4 cups of water and close the pressure cooker making sure all it is securely sealed. Heat should be on medium high. Once the pressure cooker gauge reaches 12 psi, adjust heat to maintain the pressure and cook for 2 1/2 hours. Turn off the heat and let the pressure settle until the gauge sets at zero and the safety valve releases.

I use an industrial sized potato masher to break down the food. You will see that the pressure has made the chicken bones soft - they will break up as you mix up the food - some large pieces may remain but they are safe for your dog to eat as they are soft and chewable.

I use 4-inch 1/3 pans to store the food in the freezer. This recipe yields enough food for approximately two weeks.


The happy and healthy girl - 52 lbs.!