Canadian Thanksgiving - Done Right!

This past weekend was the Canadian thanksgiving, and although the weather was amazing, my family ate up most of my time and I did not get a chance to hit the water. That being said I did get to take part in a Thanksgiving tradition, no matter if you are Canadian or American, nothing says Thanksgiving like deep fried Turkey.

To Start things off, I like to give the Turkey a shot, you can buy all kinds of injector sauces, something butter based, is what you want, after that it is all preference. I give it a shot 24 hours in advance and then again about 30 minutes prior to hitting the fryer.

Tip: I always make sure the Turkey sits out at room temp for 30 minutes prior to frying. This helps speed up the cooking time. I also like to wipe it down just prior to dunking to get rid of any excess moisture

When it comes to getting the bird in the pot, check you oil level lines and the weight of your Turkey. My frier only holds a 10lb Turkey and I always check the appropriate oil level by adding water and the Turkey to see when it is covered. then I empty the pot dry out all water and add the oil. You should make sure you have at least 6 inches of clearance from the top of the oil to the top of the pan. Remember as it heats the oil will rise slightly

I heat my oil to 375, then turn off the heat and drop the turkey once the flame is out. This is very important, as the oil will bubble up and over the top on the initial drop, once it settles you can turn the flame back on, your temp should still be between 300 and 350, slowing work it back up to the 350 mark.

On average this will take about 4 minutes a pound. Time it out, and try not to pull the Turkey out of the oil while cooking.

Once done, pull the turkey out of the oil and use a thermometer to get a good internal reading. As with all frying just because the outside is brown does not mean it is done. Check your temps.

Once comfortable that the Turkey is cooked, you need to let it rest. Tent it with tin foil and lest it sit for 20 minutes prior to carving.

Thats the final product, crispy skin and juicy perfect turkey meat. You cant really do this wrong, just follow the safety rules and you will be sold on this 40 minutes Turkey.

The perfect Thanksgiving is always finished with some home made pie. I was lucky enough to hit the farmers market on Saturday and score some apples for a fresh pie.

Last thing here.. the only real difference between a Canadian and American Thanksgiving (other then the date) is our post meal ritual.. Hockey, not Football