Can I Section My Turkey Before Frying?

[JCap]

We typically dont fry whole chickens, and this would enable me to fry two turkeys because of the even reduced frying time. Am i missing anything?

[Yank]

Why don't you try Julia Child's recipe for deconstructed turkey? I've been using it for years with excellent results.
In summary what you do is to cut out the whole bird's backbone, then bone out the leg & thigh. The breasts are now on their own & can be stuffed & roasted in the normal way, except that they will cook much more quickly. I stuff the thighs & truss them (you can also buy just thighs with the leg to end up with a 4 legged turkey which will satisfy dark meat lovers.) The backbone & wings go to make a great stock.
No a lot of work & you save oven space & cooking time. Julia knew what she was talking about!

[macca]

I think the poster is deep frying the turkey, so he/she will certainly not be stuffing the bird!

[biondanonima]

I did turkey legs only last year in the fryer, and it worked great. I don't see any reason why the other parts wouldn't fry up just as nicely.

[fourunder]

You most certainly could deep fry turkey in parts, but I would caution you to consider two things:

1. meat can become scorched from lack of protection from the skin and longer frying times (than chicken)

2. If you desire skin to be the most delectable part of the bird....there will be less of it due to shrinking during the frying process.

[mamachef]

Not that I can think of, and it's a good way to control the length of time different parts take to cook, since the breast will be done/dry out faster than the dark meat. It will also ensure that your birds are completely defrosted, which is a great thing because ice crystals+deep fryer = instant disaster waiting to happen. Happy Thanksgiving!!