The PERFECT FRIED TURKEY with Honey Brined/Cajun Honey Injected Marinade

LOVE my neighborhood... But more about that in a bit...

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Believe it or not, it was very very quiet around here, cooking wise. We hosted a small neighborhood group. 3 couples with no children close, no parents close; 6 of us that decided a "pot luck" Thanksgiving would be more fun than a Swanson's Hungry Man and football (especially those two football games). My only contribution to the day... The turkey!

My friends... I present The black turkey...

Do not judge this book by it's cover... Here's why...

A honey brine. the night before the cook, I assembled my brining liquid...

3 gallons of water 1 1/2 cups kosher salt 5 cups vegetable broth
And the villain of the black turkey, 1 1/2 cups honey
or, another way to think of this,
the HERO of the black turkey, 1 1/2 cups honey
5 cups ice

Heat 1 gallon water and the salt. Stir til all the salt is dissolved. Add the honey, again, stir til dissolved. Dump into a clean cooler, mix together everything else and add the bird. This also works well in one of those BIG freezer bags. Don't add the ice, but put the bagged bird into a cooler and than add ice and some water to surround the bagged bird and keep it from getting to room temps.

Let sit for 12 to 24 hours.

I was sharing space with my neighbors bird, who was also frying his bird.

Making a brine is simple, and is a wonderful way to add moisture to your finished product. My sainted mother would use that hideous pop-up built in thermometer as her way of telling when the turkey is done. IN FACT, those thermometers are set to go off at about 180 degrees, guaranteeing your bird will be dry and tough prior to serving. Ideal internal temperature is only 165 degrees. Every degree above that only dries out your bird. But I digress...

Brining adds moisture to your bird, and allows the bird to cook more evenly. Smarter people than I have done the science research. Click HERE to go to The Kitchen Project's page on brining. He goes through the science of what a brine does, recipes, history and techniques.

Adding honey to the brine will coat the bird, and when dunked in the oil, will burn (that's why the turkey is black). But that's OK, it's just the skin. And once fried, is very easy to remove.

But wait, there's more...

Injecting a bird is yet another way to add moisture and flavors to your bird. Think of all the advantages to marinating meat. Now imagine what would happen if you could have that marinade throughout the meat, and not just on the outer 1/2 inch (at most). That is what injectable marinade does. I prefer to make my own...

1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup butter
1 can chicken broth (or stock if you have it)
1/4 cup Cajun Spice (I make my own Cajun rub, but a commercial brand works well also).

Heat everything up, until well nixed, and it is a liquid...

Here is a reprint of a bit I did about how to inject...

And next, I started on the marinade. Injector needles are available at any quality foodie cooking supply store, or cheaper on AMAZON.COM. I always saved my old ones that I used from Cajun Injector... BTW, if you don't want to make your own, Cajun Injector makes and sells a jar of injector marinade along with a free injector. Especially this time of year you should be able to find these at a well stocked store. I know Wal-Mart carried these last year. The technique reminds me of when I was a heroin addict and would load a syringe with a spoonful of cooked dope... Wait, that's not right, it reminds me of watching TV of heroin addicts loading a syringe. Load it up and inject away... Put a third of a syringe full in one spot, pull out a bit, put another third in, pull out a bit more and the final third... Just keep injecting in as many spots as you can till all the goop is inside the bird. Adds moisture and flavoring (remember all that Cajun spice) INSIDE the bird. MUCH better than basting.

I used those handy dandy cooking bands I have talked about before to truss the bird a bit. Keep the legs inside, so they don't touch the sides of the kettle. No harm if they do, but less of a chance to get them caught on anything as you are lowering or raising the bird...

And here is where we get just a bit dangerous... Heat the oil to 350 degrees. I am lucky to live in this neighborhood... My good neighbor Andy has all the tools. The base, the propane tank, the tiles, and a big back yard that backs into a creek. I swapped my brining and injecting his bird for him frying my bird. A VERY fair trade for me!

I am not going to discuss safety or technique here. If you are doing this for the first time, ask someone experienced to help. OR, lacking that, study over all the safety recommendations...

Here's why...



3 minutes per pound, plus add 5 minutes, and it is done!

and black... but that's OK, it was beautiful this way... Just remove the charred skin...

And this is what was one of the breasts underneath. Everything you have heard is true... The most moist and the most flavorful turkey I have ever eaten. The honey in the indictable marinade really made this shine... The Cajun spices gave just a small amount of kick, and the contrast of the seemingly burnt bird, transformed into the amazing final product really made for a spectacular presentation!


I contributed turkey, we also enjoyed smoked ribs, gravy, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes and PUMPKIN PIE! I am truly thankful for my friends and neighbors that made this day special...

Hope you had a wonderful day too!!!