Everyone looks forward to the Holidays; seeing your family, getting presents and, of course, the grand holiday meal! The LATF family wanted to share our favorite recipes that have become a tradition each year.
Michele and Pamela reveal a Fried Turkey recipe! On the sweet side, Otis reveals his mother’s recipe for Sweet Potato Pie. Together, you will have the perfect holiday meal!
FRIED TURKEY
Cooking a turkey for the Holidays is often very tricky. Most of the time the meat is dry and hard to digest and therefore I usually substituted the turkey for lamb until a friend of mine from Texas taught me how to deep fry the turkey. So, if you live in a house and can cook outside, go for it. It tastes great.
Never attempt to do this inside your home or garage. It is very dangerous.
You will need the following:
- 12-14 pound turkey
- 16 ounces of Cajun Injector® Marinade (easy to mix with water. Sold in super market)
- Cajun Injector® Cajun Shake seasoning.
- The fryer with Peanut cooking oil – The quantity of Peanut oil to use is usually indicated on the cover of the fryer. Please make sure that you respect the direction or you could burn yourself seriously.
- Proponane Fuel and a thermometer.
First, wash your turkey under very warm water. Make sure all water is drained from breast cavity before deep-frying. Heat 3-4 gallons of peanut oil to 350°F. Inject turkey with approximately 4 ounces of marinade into each breast and 2 ounces into each drumstick and thighs. Insert injector at an angle. Push plunger down slowly. Use about 16 ounces of marinade per turkey. When oil has reached 350°F very slowly lower the turkey into the oil. Use of cooking mitts is highly recommended for lowering and raising fry basket out of oil.
Deep-fry whole turkey at 3-1/2 minutes. Do not leave the turkey unattended. When it has reached a golden to brown color, the desired cooking time has been achieved, raise the turkey slowly and allow excess oil to drain on paper towel. Let it rest for at least 20 minutes. ENJOY YOUR DELICIOUS FRIED TURKEY.
SWEET POTATO PIE
The history of sweet potato pie goes back a long way (to the African slave trade since yams were a produce in Africa). They also go back to Europe, the Antebellum South, and the New England colonists. Those colonists were fond of using pumpkin in dishes until they tried the even tastier and silkier smooth texture of recipes prepared using sweet potatoes. Sweet potato pie is especially popular in African-American homes. I grew up in the mid-western city of Dayton, Ohio and Sweet Potato pie was a staple on the menu during the holidays. My mother used to make several of them for Thanksgiving and Christmas because we had a large, hungry family. This recipe is one given to me by my mother, but to simplify things, instead of making the crust from scratch (which she used to do); you can buy a ready-made pie crust in the frozen food section at your local grocery store and just prepare the filling.
- Sweet Potato Pie Filling:
- 4 medium or 3 large sweet potatoes
- 2 cups of sugar
- 1 tsp. Nutmeg
- 2 tsps. Vanilla
- ¾ cup of undiluted carnation (or Pet) milk
- 3 Eggs (Beat eggs before combining mixture)
- 1 Stick of butter (or Margarine if you prefer)
Mix the potatoes and butter together while still hot, add sugar, nutmeg and vanilla (season and taste). Then blend in the milk. Beat well into a thick, creamy consistency and pour into pie dishes. Place aluminum foil around the edges of crust to keep from burning. Bake at 325ᵒ for 35 – 45 minutes. Makes 2 pies.
Serve with whipped cream or ice cream as you prefer… uhm, good eatin’!
Happy Thanksgiving!
