Thanksgiving Death Wish: Deep frying a turkey?

Perhaps you’re one of the many people who gave into the temptation to purchase the once-a-year appliance

specifically designed for deep-frying turkeys, and you have no idea how to deep fry a turkey.

Common knowledge about deep frying turkeys boils down to two basic tenets. One, they’re supposed to be delicious (but again, I’m skeptical anything can make a turkey taste good), and pitching a 30 lb still-partially ice-block frozen into a vat of boiling oil is a somewhat risky proposition.

In keeping with the scariness of deep frying a turkey, the best information I found on the process came via firefighters, with an alarming frequency of use of the term “structure fire.” If structure fires aren’t in your plans for the day, a firefighter quoted in the article says:

He said those using fryers should read and follow all operating instructions; place the fryer on a flat, noncombustible surface; properly gauge the amount of oil in the fryer and avoid overfilling it; use the fryer outdoors only and at least 10 feet from the house; and have a multipurpose, dry-powder fire extinguisher on hand.

If a fire does break out, Julazadeh said the resident should call 911 immediately, avoid moving the pan outside or to the sink and if the controls can be safely reached turn off the heat, then slide a pan lid over the flames to smother a grease or oil fire.

So for anyone seeking tips on how to deep fry a turkey, it seems like the general top advice is “don’t die.” And necessary ingredients come down to a fire extinguisher. Happy Thanksgiving

!