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by Brent Laskowski


The "Turkey Fryer"

This review addresses something that many of you may have wondered about, but just can't understand how it can work. Yes, we are reviewing a turkey fryer and ask anyone at our tailgate, THEY WORK!!

While in the east this is somewhat of a new fad in tailgate cooking, deep fried turkeys have been around for years and originated in the south. I say, it's about time that now that they are here and jump on board with the craze, because you won't ever look at a turkey the same.

The picture on the right hand side is an example of what an average turkey fryer set looks like. Our tailgate happened to have Eastman Outdoors "Whole Enchilada" set, which also includes a smaller pot and deep fry basket, which we will discuss later.

Until recently, our tailgate had not taken the time to deep fry an actual turkey, we relied on the deep fry basket to cook crispy, freshly made hot wings. And unless you have a commercial deep fryer in your own house, I guarantee that using on one of these fryers will give you the best chicken wings you ever had. Not only are they cooked in only a few minutes, but they are much crispier than you could ever get at your own tailgate.

So that brings us to the frying of a whole turkey, one thing that I would point out is that safety is paramount with these fryers. If you do not pay attention to this device, you could at a minimum create a mess to clean up and at worst have a catastrophe on your hands. I will not get into the specifics of cooking the bird, because I think it is important for each tailgater to carefully read the instructions provided by the manufacturer.

However, I will mention that it is important to heat your oil slowly, allowing it to come to temperature gradually, and thereby not breaking your thermometer or creating an inferno, like I did the first time we used ours.

As with almost all the gear that we review, a turkey fryer is a very basic part of a group of products that will make your tailgate all the more enjoyable. Please see the accessories section below for information on add-ons that we feel are essential to the "tailgate deep frying experience"

ACCESSORIES:

Most of these accessories are bought either in a kit or separately, so we will not cover individual cost. Let's just say that each of them is worth the expense and you are better off buying a kit that includes as many as possible.

HOT WING BASKET:

If your fryer doesn't come with this add-on, definitely purchase one. And if you don't like hot wings (shame on you..)you can also use this for beer battered fish or buttermilk, deep-fried chicken.

OIL PUMP:

When you invest in your first "jug" of oil, preferably peanut oil because of its high smoke point, you will find that this can be a rather substantial cost. Therefore, it makes sense to be able to reuse the oil over time. This pump which is battery operated works great to save you money. The most important thing to remember is that you will need to let the oil cool enough so that the pump and pull it out of the pot.

You see if you try to recycle the oil while it is too hot, it will not suck up into the pump, because the oil is too "thin." Once it has had a chance to too cool it becomes thicker and the pump makes short work of your clean-up. Trust me on this one, I have gotten myself "all fired up" over this one. Save yourself the misery.

FLAVOR INJECTOR:

A modern marvel, if you haven't used one of these you should. This is used to inject marinade directly into your bird so that flavor runs through the turkey while it is cooking. For added flavor you might want to use a rub as well, either something that you have devised or something from your favorite sporting goods store. Just remember that the turkey should be as dry as possible when dipped into the fryer, therefore only a "dry-rub" should be used.

THERMOMETER:

Obviously this speaks for itself. You will need this to make sure that you are not heating the oil too quickly. Also once you food is put in the fryer you will probably need to increase the heat to make sure you are cooking at the correct temperature.

WHERE TO BUY:

In our case we reviewed an Eastman Outdoors "Whole Enchilada Kit", which included the turkey fryer, two pots, basket, injector, thermometer and turkey holder.

K-Mart currently sells that kit for $129.99. While the price may seem high, you really get a lot for your money and over time you will be repaid again and again with great meals that are otherwise impossible.

You can also go to Eastman Outdoors Dealer Search Page to find a location nearest to you.

Lastly, you can check out other brands of fryers that offer the same accessories or a similar set-up at stores such as Wal-Mart, Dick's, and Gander Mountain.

PROS V. CONS

PROS:

* An extraordinary tailgating entree that is sure to impress your friends.
* Ability to use the fryer for a variety of deep fired foods, as well as a large soup pot or even a clambake.
* Ability to have crispy fired foods, that would otherwise be soggy by the time they arrived at your tailgate.

CONS:

* Clean-up. You will need to have a garbage bag to get your gear home without getting grease on your car's interior. It will also make your car temporarily smell like a fast food shop for the rise home.
* Lack of Compactness. Since you will need a 20 lb. propane tank, the steel base for the fryer and the box with all the accessories, this will not be something that will fit easily in your back seat. Especially when it is dirty and the pots will not fit back in the box that it came in.

SUMMARY:

We are extremely pleased with our Eastman Outdoors Turkey Fryer. We highly recommend it to anyone interested in adding to their tailgate arsenal.

We give the Turkey Fryer an "A" rating due to originality, ease of use, and overall tailgating effect.

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