With Thanksgiving just around the corner, many
kitchens will soon start prepping for their holiday dinners. Everyone knows
that turkey is Thanksgiving's most common and best-known dish around the dinner
table. The day isn't called "Turkey Day" for nothing. In fact, according to time.com, over 46 million turkeys are
eaten across America on Thanksgiving Day. While many take the usual approach of
oven roasting their turkey, a tradition near and dear to some Louisianans is
deep-frying their holiday bird. Fun fact: The tradition of frying turkeys
originated right here in Louisiana—a tradition that has now led to the
deep-frying of turkeys in homes and backyards throughout the world.
What kick-started the deep-fried turkey craze was the
creation of portable propane cookers in the 1970s. According to seriouseats.com, it was then that propane
cookers were developed that featured large gas burners sturdy enough to hold
heavy aluminum pots. At the time, these portable cookers were used by Cajuns to
cook another Louisiana staple: boiled crawfish. As the portable cookers
utilized sizable pots, they were ideal for boiling water filled with tasty seafood
or for cooking delicious meals. People later branched out from boiled water and
began filling the cookers with other liquids, such as oil to deep-fry
delectable foods, starting with chicken and fish.
In 1982, according to United Press International
Reporter Gary Taylor, a small town in Louisiana developed a new method of using
the cooker to deep-fry the Thanksgiving favorite turkey. The Louisiana cooks
created a liquid base of Italian dressing that they proceeded to load with
salt, pepper, cayenne, and various Cajun seasonings in order to inject the
turkey with mouthwatering flavor. From there, the Cajun deep-fried turkey was born!
This Cajun delicacy was the bird heard round the world. The new cooking method
for turkey sparked a flame among Louisianans that led to published articles,
recipes, and television programs showcasing deep-fried Cajun turkey. By the 1990s,
fried turkey had become a food phenomenon and a certified specialty of the South,
specifically Cajun Louisiana, where the cooking style was developed.
Cajun Louisiana is to thank for the culinary tradition
of deep-frying turkey, with it becoming a Southern standard by enhancing the
bird with full-flavored Cajun spices and seasonings. Deep-frying turkey has
also become a go-to method to cook turkey on Thanksgiving for many throughout
the United States and is still done in its original fashion of injecting or
seasoning with Cajun zest before deep frying. The frying method has become well
known for creating a crunchy exterior with a tender and juicy interior, which turkey-lovers
are sure to enjoy.
The deep-fried bird has become a holiday favorite used yearly with all the same Cajun flair. Whether you deep-fry turkey every Thanksgiving or are just trying a hand at it for the first time this year, make sure that all turkeys are seasoned to perfection with all the Cajun fixings, but also cooked carefully and safely!
