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Move over oven-baked birds. Deep-fried turkeys, with their crisp skin and moist meat, just might become the new Thanksgiving tradition

Move over oven-baked birds. Deep-fried turkeys, with their crisp skin and moist meat, just might become the new Thanksgiving tradition

By LISA CHINN

Date published: 11/26/2003

By LISA CHINN

OEY DAVENPORT remembers his mother waking up at the crack of dawn to tend to the Thanksgiving turkey. She'd clean and rinse, season and bakeand bakeand bakeand bake.

Davenport, who lives in Spotsylvania County, appreciates his mother's pursuit of the perfect holiday dinner. But he believes he can fix a better bird.

Tomorrow, he'll lug a steel pot into his backyard, pour in a hefty helping of peanut oil and crank up his propane cooker. He'll drop in the bird, pop open a beer and shoot the breeze with his brothers-in-law.

And he'll deep-fry four to six turkeys in a fraction of the time it takes his mother to bake one in the oven.

"It's kind of like fishing or wrestling or watching NASCAR," said Davenport, who has been deep-frying turkeys for 10 years. "It's just one of those things guys do."

Those who have taken the deep-fried plunge say they cook birds with crispier skin and moister meat. And the surprising part? They're similar in calories and fat grams to the oven-baked variety, said Jean Hoppe, a dietitian at Pratt Medical Center.

"If it's done safely and with the proper equipment, it looks like it might be a tasty alternative," she said.

That's because the high heat of the oil sears the turkey's skin, sealing the juices in and keeping the oil out.

Deep-fried turkey has become so popular locally that many discount and hardware stores carry the cookers. They cost about $50 to $80, depending on size and quality. And they're often sold as sets that include pots, baskets, seasoning injectors and other equipment.

The National Turkey Federation in Washington recommends frying turkeys in an open, level space on dirt or grass, never indoors. Bubbling oil can stain wood decks, mar concrete patios or worse, so deep-fried birds require constant supervision.

"If you burn your house down, you're going to feel real dumb," said Larry Snider of Locust Grove, who starts frying turkeys when the weather turns crisp.

Children and pets should never be allowed near fryers.

Harry Lloyd Jr. of Spotsylvania started deep-frying turkeys four years ago, when a co-worker turned him on to the quicker cooking method.

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Date published: 11/26/2003