Sunday Night Turkey Fry

We've been frying turkeys at Thanksgiving now for about 4 or 5 years. After the first time we tried it, we knew there was no going back to the old school oven method because it just doesn't get any better. The turkey is so moist and flavorful that you can almost skip the gravy all together. Furthermore, we decided that because a fried turkey is soooo delicious, there is absolutely no reason to limit ourselves to enjoying it just once a year.

So on a leisurely summer Sunday afternoon, we pulled the fryer and the oil out of the barn for mid-year feast. Mom had two turkey breasts, each about 8.5 lbs, that we injected with a Creole Butter marinade (store bought) and rubbed with a Montreal Garlic and Herb grill seasoning. Read the turkey marinade instructions because it explicitly tells you how to strategically inject to avoid too many holes in the turkey- you want to keep all of the juices in. We got the marinade and seasoning going about 6 hours before fry time to let the flavors sink in.

My Dad is the turkey fryer extraordinaire of the family and his magic ratio is three minutes of fry time per pound. (My husband's is two beers per turkey I believe, not quite as reliable) Dad is also the scientist and safety guru of the family so his technique for setting up the fry station a safe distance from the house, measuring the appropriate amount of oil, getting the oil to just the right temperature, lowering and removing the turkey from the hot oil bath, and wearing the appropriate safety gear (eye protection, gloves, etc) have all been carefully calculated and proven effective over the years. Here he is in all his glory...

A perfectly fried turkey comes out golden crunchy brown and smelling DELICIOUS. We let them rest for 30 minutes at minimum before carving them up. I've noticed at our house that everyone tends to gravitate to the kitchen during the carving process because Dad has been known to pass out pieces of the crispy crunchy skin to those observing. I'm pretty sure fat in any other form has never tasted so good!

To accompany the crispy fried birds- we made a Summer Squash Casserole and Collard Greens. (Note: Such decadent Southern fare is really not the norm at mom's house but we have a tendency throw all dietary caution to the wind to celebrate occasions where there are 4+ Cobetto/Lacy/Hodges/Cunningham's under one roof at the same time.)

Mom had a bunch of fresh, local yellow squash though the recipe calls for zucchini as well. It goes a little something like this:

6 cups sliced green and yellow squash 1 can cream of celery soup 1 cup sour cream 1 cup shredded carrot 1- 8oz pkg seasoned stuffing mix ½ cup melted butter

*Boil sliced squash and chopped onion in salted water for 3-4 minutes- drain. Combine soup and sour cream Stir in shredded carrots Fold in drained veggies Combine stuffing mix and butter- spread half into 12x7x2 baking dish Spoon veg mixture in and sprinkle remaining stuffing over Bake at 350 for 25 or 30 minutes till heated through

And Mom's collards are as close to HEAVEN as a leafy green vegetable can get. She starts off with 2 slices of bacon in the bottom of a large pot- remove the bacon once crispy (you're probably noticing a pattern here), then add about a quarter of a large sweet onion (chopped) and 2 cloves of garlic (minced). As the aromatics start to soften, add 1 lb collard greens rinsed well and chopped/torn into bite sized pieces. Add some beef bullion to 2 cups or so of water until is starts to dissolve and then pour over the greens. Cook over med-low heat for 30-40 minutes until tender. Then she hits them at the end with a few tablespoons of rice wine vinegar and crumbles the bacon pieces back in. We had more of the pickled cucumber and onion slices again tonight with these and my were they TASTY!

Turkey was fried, carved and plated, Casserole was bubbling in the oven, collards hot on the stove, last but not least we peeled and sliced some fresh local tomatoes, drizzled with balsamic and olive oil and a chiffonade of fresh basil and chow's on!

We had some Tomato Jam left over from the previous night's fried green tomato extravaganza so we served that alongside as the PERFECT summer time turkey topper. Think of it as a stand in for the cranberry sauce, just a little something extra on the plate that adds a big punch of flavor.

Cocktail hour included gin and tonics and some Bella Sera Pinot Grigio with Mom and Dad's friends the Chiericozzi's -another Italian family here in town with an appreciation for a big family Sunday dinner. And then with dinner we sipped on a crisp, cool Sterling Vintner's Collection Savignon Blanc which was a perfectly refreshing compliment to hearty home cooked turkey dinner. Cheers to summer!