Deep Fried Thanksgiving Turkey In Texas

I had never heard of Deep Fried Turkey til I moved to Texas. I knew all sorts of unlikely things get the deep fried treatment in Texas, but I thought it was some sort of joke when deep frying a turkey was first mentioned to me.

And then I was in Krogers and saw stacks of Turkey Fryer kits, next to jugs of peanut oil. So, I bought a Turkey Frying kit. It came with a high-powered burner, a 34 quart pot, a turkey stand and turkey lifter, thermometer and injector.

I've never used the injector. You use it to squirt marinades into the bird.

Before I had my first taste of deep-fried turkey I assumed it would be real greasy. I was wrong. There is not even the slightest hint of greasiness. The turkey comes out the most golden brown I've ever seen a turkey be. With the meat very moist.

You have to fry the turkey outdoors. Don't even think of frying it in your garage. A covered patio is the best location. You'll want to get yourself some heavy duty work gloves to insulate yourself from the heat and the burn of splatters.

You heat the oil to about 350 degrees, then slowly lower the turkey. You use the lifter to lower and raise the turkey. There will be some splattering when the bird first hits the oil.

The turkey cooks way faster than the old-fashioned in the oven method. Figure about 3.5 minutes per pound. The turkey is done when the thermometer reads 160 degrees when stuck into the thickest part of the breast.

Keep kids and pets away from the frying operation. When the turkey is done be sure to turn off the burner. It will take awhile for the oil to cool. It remains dangerous until it cools. You can re-use the peanut oil if you filter out the turkey remnants.

It is less than 2 weeks til Turkey Day. I still have 2 seats open for Thanksgiving if you want to make a reservation for Deep Fried Turkey Dinner.

The First Thanksgiving Was In Texas, Not Massachusetts

I've been here almost a decade and Texas still has surprises for me.

Today, just days after Thanksgiving, a holiday that Yankees think started when some Pilgrims in Massachusetts put on some funny hats and invited the neighboring Indians over for a dinner to give thanks to all their good fortunes, I learned I've been wrong, for so many years, about the first Thanksgiving.

Apparently, the real First Thanksgiving took place on April 28, 1598, 22 years before the Pilgrims came to shore at Plymouth Rock. On April 28, 1598, a group of Spaniards, led by Spanish explorer Juan de Onate, put on big hats and feasted on the banks of the Rio Grande near what is now El Paso.

The Spaniards had made it through a 350 miles journey from Santa Barbara, Mexico, across the Chihuahuan Desert. so they had reason to be thankful and celebrate. However, no Indians were invited. The Spaniards did not treat the Native Americans very well. Long before the Americans came along. I don't know what the Spaniards ate at their Thanksgiving. I doubt it was turkey. Likely a beef product, it being the Texas Thanksgiving. Probably BBQed turkey.

Now, here is where it gets totally Texas funny. In 1990 the Texas legislature passed a resolution recognizing San Elizario, Texas, on the outskirts of El Paso, as the site of the first true Thanksgiving.

However, I don't recollect us having another Thanksgiving Day, here in Texas, on April 28. It's probably a big holiday here and I just haven't noticed. I can be oblivious at times.