By Carrington McClendon
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
Dry, unseasoned turkeys don’t deserve a spot at the dinner table. Deep frying is a great way to produce a dish with crispier skin and moister meat. Quintin Dawson, 48, is a full-time electrician. But during the holiday season he is known as the turkey man. He sells his fried turkeys to people in the Montgomery and Baltimore County areas. He has been frying turkeys for over eight years now and shared his tips for producing the perfect Thanksgiving turkey.
First, be safe
Choose the location for your fryer carefully, since frying a turkey can be extremely dangerous.
“The first place to start is in a concrete driveway or patio,” Dawson said. “This is one of the safest places to deep fry. You should never fry on a wooden deck.”
Each holiday, fire departments anticipate phone calls of frying attempts gone wrong.
The Baltimore County Professional Firefighters Association advises citizens this season to use proper precautions. The NFPA believes that turkey fryers that use cooking oil, as currently designed, are not suitable for safe use by even a well-informed and careful consumer. But for those that choose to use this method, Baltimore County Fire Specialist Chris Santoro advises setting up the fryer well away from their homes.
“We want people to be outdoors not inside, maintaining safe distance at least 15 feet from the home,” Santoro said. “It should always be monitored. Don’t walk away. Keep pets and children clear from the area and keep the correct temp—not too high.”
Prepare the turkey
The process of prepping the turkey takes about 20 minutes.
“First you clean out the cavity and rinse the bird,” Dawson said. “I inject my turkey with a store-bought marinade and combined that with my liquid of choice, most people use water or beer.”
Dawson injects the breasts, thighs, and the wings of the bird with the marinade using a food injecting needle.
“You need to inject the parts fully, until the turkey is so full that it looks as if it’s on steroids,” Dawson said.
The outside of the turkey can be seasoned with turkey seasoning, that will still provide flavor on the outside.
Assemble the fryer
Once that is done, you have to pin the turkey’s wings behind its back. So, it’s easier to lower the turkey into the hot oil.
Dawson uses a deep-frying kit to fry his turkeys. The kit comes with a fryer pot, metal stand, pot thermometer, turkey stand, and lowering hook.
“First I place the fryer pot on its metal stand,” Dawson said. “Then fill the pot half way with either peanut oil, canola oil, or a blended cooking oil.”
There is a hose connected to metal fryer. The hose needs to be attached to the full propane tank and the shut off valve must be in the off position before it is attached.
“Once attached, then turn the valve to the on position, but just enough to release enough gas to start the flame,” Dawson said.
Fry the bird
Frying time is 3 and a half minutes per pound. Dawson usually does a 15-pound turkey which takes around 50 minutes to fry.
“Once the flame is lit, gradually increase the flame to start raising the temperature,” Dawson said. “You want the oil temperature in the pot to reach about 300 degrees.”
Once the oil comes to temperature, Dawson uses a hook to lower the turkey into the hot oil very slowly while wearing cooking mitts. He monitors the temperature carefully—sometimes allowing it to increase to 350, but never over. Anything hotter with start to burn the oil.
“If it gets cooler, turn up the valve to increase the flame, maintaining that temperature as best that you can,” Dawson said.
The internal temperature of the turkey should be about 165 degrees. The temperature should be checked in the meatier parts of the thigh.
“Once at 165 degrees, it’s done,” Dawson said. “Let it rest unwrapped for about 30 minutes before carving. “
Renee Silva, 64, has been receiving fried turkeys from Dawson for over four years.
“Every Thanksgiving I have to see Quintin,” Silva said. “My grandkids go crazy off his fried turkey, it’s so moist and crispy and the beer adds some kick, sometimes I need more.”
Dawson is always looking for ways to make his fried turkeys better.
“Experimenting every year with new seasonings and flavors is what I like most,” Dawson said. “My favorite part is adding in the beer, but I don’t share what beer I use. It’s my secret recipe.”