Exploding Turkeys

[ysabetwordsmith]

This article explains why inserting a frozen (or even thawed but damp) turkey into a pot of boiling oil causes an explosion. 

Allow me to compare some popular methods of turkey preparation:

* deep frying -- adds unhealthy fat, sometimes explodes and starts a fire, occasionally kills people

* brining -- adds unhealthy amounts of salt

* smoking -- reasonably safe and healthy



* roasting -- a highly safe and healthy cooking method

* slow cooking -- a highly safe and healthy cooking method, especially if you add vegetables

Given that we have methods which are safe, healthy, and tasty it seems imprudent to choose less healthy or more dangerous methods.  I propose that death by exploding turkey is grounds for a Darwin Award.

Comments

[kengr]

I wasn't on shift when it happened, but A restaurant I worked in *many* years back had an "ice in the deep fryer accident".

A cook was dumping fries into the fryer (instead of into the basket, like you are supposed to do) and saw a fist sized chunk of ice go in.

Luckily for him fryer fryers were at the end of the wall between the fry/grill area and the rest of the kitchen So he just ducked thru the door before things went "Whoomp!"

Fortunately there wasn't a fryer, but they had to close the restarant not only clean it up that night, but have it closed for more cleaning the next day.

[cmcmck]

Then there are those who try to thaw a turkey in a microwave.................

[conuly]

Allow me to get into character here... wait for it... hold on...

Ahem:

Risktaking builds character and gives you something to be thankful for!

[mama_kestrel]

I have a friend whose husband insisted that he was going to deep-fry their turkey. She didn't tell him not to. She got out their big cast iron camping dutch oven and the camp stove, and insisted he do it outside. She also insisted that he have a fire extinguisher. He thought having a bucket of water would also be a good idea.

So he got all this set up, and lowered the turkey into the oil. Then he realized he'd forgotten to fill the bucket, grabbed it, and went back to the house faucet. So he was a good 20 feet away when everything went Ka-BOOM. He wasn't hurt, but dinner was vegetarian that year.

[acelightning73]

Brining doesn't need to use an unhealthy amount of salt. There's sugar in a good brine as well. It has some of the same effects as the salt - it loosens the structure of the meat so that flavors and moisture penetrate. (I use sea salt and maple syrup in my turkey brine, along with a chunk of ginger root, some rosemary, some allspice berries, black peppercorns, Sichuan peppercorns, one tiny hot chili pequin pepper, and maybe a bay leaf. Just don't leave the turkey in the brine for more than about 8 hours, or the texture gets mushy. And use some of the brining liquid in the pan to add flavor to the gravy.)