Deep Fried Boneless Turkey?

Question

Has anyone tried this? Am I crazy? I've done boneless turkey several times, so I'm comfortable with deboning the bird. I've roasted 'em and smoked one. I was going to try deep frying this year. I have a good group, so I ordered an 18lb turkey. This seems large to deep fry, so I was wondering if i could debone it, truss it up well, then deep fry it.

Anyone have any thoughts on this? I'll make sure to dry it well, inside and out, before tying it up. I even have a big fryer basket for my pot (normally used for lobsters).

I think I'll give it a go, unless one of you talks me out of it.

Answer

JBP,
I have deep fried several large turkeys - always bone-in. They cook fast, and even faster if they are brined and even faster still, i would imagine, if they are deboned. Brining is recommended for juiciness and flavour. WRT the deboning, I see that as a bit of a structural issue. 

I think the turkey sans-bones will be a saggy lump of meat unless you support it somehow. Maybe the trussing will accomplish this but one of the reason deep frying is so fast is the complete immersion in cooking temperature oil. Trussing it too tight will prevent the oil from getting inside the bird. Boneless turkey may be dangerous because the lack of structural integrity may trap pockets of air that will "pop" if they expand enough. The pockets may also accumulate pools of oil that will drain when you remove it from the boiling oil. I'd suggest draining it one way and then tipping it upside down to drain the other way.

If you haven't deep fried a turkey before, be careful of the initial oil dunk and every removal. It is slippery and awkward and a splash can be serious and messy. I support my whole turkeys on a rack with a hooked spike that goes up through the turkey cavity. I use a 5 foot pole with a hook on the end to grab the spike and dunk and remove the bird from the boiling oil. Don't do it on your deck without a flameproof covering to prevent oil spills and fire. A friend borrowed my turkey fryer and accidentally dropped the turkey into the boiling oil from about a foot above the surface. It was a hot and dangerous splash which resulted in only a few small deep fryer burns.

Overdone deep-fried turkey is dry but done right it is very good. Watch the temperature. Keep a fire extinguisher handy and have fun. Now that you have said this I am going to try deboned too!
Geoff

Answer

By "truss" do you mean tying it up into a big turkey roll? I don't see a problem with that.

Answer

Another question:
If I DO debone her, should I roll it up tight and truss it, or should I just suture shut the chest wall, and leave a cavity for the oil to percolate through, hopefully leaving a cavity to fill with dressing after it's done?

Answer

Every other year or so, if I have a lot of guests for Thanksgiving, I make a boneless turkey in addition to a regular roasted whole bird. Results have been mixed. The biggest hit was the smoked one, and the (slight) dissapointment was the roasted one. That may have been due to it being too big and a bit tough.

This year I plan to try this, using a whole deboned turkey, not just the breast.

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2013/11/sous-vide-deep-fried-turkey-porchetta-recipe.html

Answer

Did It!!! It worked out pretty well. The remote probe was a little hard to read, I think hot oil runs along the track of the probe and makes it read high. I erred on the side of overcooking a little. Some of the skin was great, some a little too hard.

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Deep Fried Boneless Turkey?

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