Remember cooking with HOT OIL is dangerous so PLEASE take care and follow these guidelines:
The main safety issue with this method of cooking is oil fires. Hot oil is incredibly combustible and strict safety measures must be put in place to ensure a fire does not start.
The three main causes of an oil fire when deep frying a turkey are either the bird not being thawed out properly, the bird has not been dried, incorrect measurements of oil leading to an overflow or the oil overheating and catching fire.
If the bird has not been thawed or dried the water particles evaporate when its lowered into the oil, the gas released causes bubbles in the oil which in turn causes the oil to rise up over the pan and into the cooking flame causing a fire.
If too much oil is added to the pan then displacement causes the oil to over flow also, leading to a fire.
In the USA over 4000 house fires a year are caused by this method of cooking.
Before you start cooking make sure you adhere to these key safety points:
• Never cook near your house, garage, shed etc.
• Never cook on wooden decking, wooden/plastic tables etc. Always cook on the floor (this also makes it easier to lower/raise the turkey in/out of pot)
• Make sure the surface is stable and level
• Wear High temperature gloves (e.g. wood burner/stove gloves)
• Wear protective eye wear
• Have a fire extinguisher to hand. Make sure its suitable for oil fires though, Water Mist (labelled with red text on white background) and Wet Chemical (yellow label) are suitable but check www.firesafe.org.uk for advice
• Don’t cook in the rain
When cooking the turkey follow these safety steps:
• Accurately measure oil level
• Ensure pot is dry of water
• Ensure bird is fully defrosted and dried
• Turn off cooking flame when lowering and lifting the bird in and out of the pot
• Never leave the pot unattended
• The oil can remain hot for hours after so make sure its safe from children, pets, etc.
Cooking Method
• Weigh Turkey for cooking duration (3mins per 500g + 15mins)
• Place turkey in pot, fill with water until the bird is submerged, remove turkey (letting water drain from cavity) then measure the water level with a rod or stick. This is the level you will fill the oil to
• Completely dry the pan and turkey removing all water
• Heat peanut oil to 175ºc/350ºF
• Turn off flame and lower turkey SLOWLY into the oil
• Reignite and cook for appropriate duration, DO NOT COVER POT
• Once cooked turn off the flame and slowly lift turkey allowing the excess oil to drain off
• Once the oil has fully cooled it can be strained and reused or contact you’re local authorities to dispose of it properly.