(This assumes you bought a Turkey Fryer, and have all the accouterments included in the fryer kit. )

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and soon the month long feasting and imbibing (Thanksgiving until New Years Day) will begin.

I want to share a turkey brine recipe, and some tips, with those of you that will bravely try to fry turkey for the first time this year. I guarantee, after you taste fried turkey it will be the last time you’ll want to cook a turkey in the oven.

I found this brine recipe on the internet a few years ago, and have been tweaking it every Thanksgiving.

Ingredients:
6 quarts hot water
2 Bulbs of crushed garlic
1 pound kosher salt
1 pound dark brown sugar
5 pounds ice
1 (13 to 14-pound) turkey, with giblets removed
Approximately 4 to 4 1/2 gallons peanut oil*

Other necessary items:
FIRE EXTINGUISHER!!!
Turkey Fryer Kit (pot, stand, propane, tools, etc.) 
Meat Thermometer
Candy Thermometer
Old long sleeved shirt
Thick Leather gloves/Cooking Mits
Several gallon sized zip-lock bags
Aluminum Foil

***** TAKE HEED! – THIS STEP COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE, OR YOUR HOUSE! *****
In order to determine the correct amount of oil, place the turkey into the pot that you will be frying it in, add tap water just until it barely covers the top of the turkey and is at least 4 to 5 inches below the top of the pot. Pull the turkey out, and take note of the water level in the pot without the bird. This will be the amount of oil you use for frying the turkey. Pour the tap water out.

MAKING THE BRINE (the evening before frying):
Place the hot water, garlic, kosher salt and brown sugar into the cold fryer pot and stir until the salt and sugar dissolve completely. Add the ice and stir until the mixture is cool. Gently lower the turkey into the container. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure that it is fully immersed in the brine.  Fill 1 or 2 gallon sized zip-lock bags with ice, or water and close the bags. Use these bags to weigh down the buoyant bird. The reason we do this is to keep the water/ice in the bag from diluting the carefully measured brine. Cover and set in a cool dry place for 8 to 16 hours.

FRYING THE BIRD:
After 8-16 hours remove the turkey from the brine, rinse and pat dry. Allow to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes prior to cooking. Dump the brine (do not save, or reuse).

WARNING: Regardless of how cold it is outside, DO NOT fry turkey indoors, or in the garage. If an accident happens it is better to set your grass on fire, than your carpet. Be safe. Do it outdoors, and do it a good distance away from any flammable structure.

Place the oil into the turkey fryer, and set over high heat on an outside propane burner with a sturdy structure. While checking with a candy thermometer, bring the temperature of the oil to 250 degrees F. Once the temperature has reached 250, slowly lower the bird into the oil and bring the temperature to 350 degrees F. Once it has reached 350, lower the heat in order to maintain 350 degrees F. After 35 minutes, check the temperature of the turkey using a probe thermometer (Make sure to insert the probe in the thickest part of the breast, and not contacting the rib cage. This will provide a false high reading). Once the breast reaches 151 degrees F gently remove from the oil, cover with a loose tent of Aluminum foil, and allow to rest for a minimum of 30 minutes prior to carving. Once the bird reaches an internal temperature of 161 degrees F, due to carry over cooking, carve as desired and serve.

Note: On cold windy days I set up a wind break around the fryer. I use 2 pieces of ductwork that almost completely surrounds the pot. This keeps the outside surface of the pot warm as the rising heat from the propane burner warms the space in between the ductwork and the outer pot wall. I don’t enclose it completely as that would suffocate the flame from lack of oxygen, and be unsafe.

Happy Thanksgiving to all! ENJOY!!!