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A Turkey Renaissance

According to Barbour International's Web site bayou-classic.com, their invention of a new cooking tool has caused a new method of cooking turkey to sweep the nation that may affect your Thanksgiving dinner: deep frying the Thanksgiving turkey. In spite of its growing attractiveness as an alternative to traditionally baked bird, most people meet the concept with skepticism. They believe it will be done "Pittsburgh Rare" (burnt on the outside and raw in the middle).

Not true. Deep-frying an entire turkey is a new, innovative way of cooking turkey to most, but it's been around for a long time in the Southern United States. Really, it's no different than deep frying chicken wings, shrimp or potato chips. Simply season it to your liking and put it in hot oil. But the size of a whole 10-15 pound turkey creates logistical problems for most household gourmets. The famous Cajun chef Justin Wilson's recipe calls for a 40 to 60 quart pot filled with four to five gallons of peanut oil heated to 350-375 degrees. Not many households are equipped to safely perform this Epicurean feat.

But the lure of deep-fried turkey's rich flavor and crispy skin compelled inventive turkey-lovers to make this delicacy convenient to the common home with turkey fryer kits. A typical turkey fryer consists of a large pot, a basket and/or rack for lifting and lowering the bird, a stand containing the heating element and a hose with regulator valve leading to a propane tank.

While many of these components may be old-hat, it may be Rodney Barbour's "Poultry Frying Apparatus," patented on June 2, 1998, to Barbour International, that made deep-fried turkey a possibility nationwide. Barbour International's Web site states, "In 1995, Barbour International, Inc. designed a turkey frying product for which it holds two U.S. patents. This design has rocketed the trend of frying whole turkeys to mainstream America." The patent is for the rack on which the turkey rests while frying and makes handling the turkey easier than with a cooking fork or tongs. Since then, deep-fried turkey certainly has gained in popularity among notable gourmands.

But Barbour International, which specializes in outdoor cooking products, didn't stop with deep frying whole turkeys (a job recommended done outdoors for safety reasons). Another of their innovative products, called the Turkcan, allows a turkey to be cooked in an oven or on a covered grill while being steamed from the inside with your favorite canned beverage, commonly beer but also cola, ginger ale or lemon-lime soda.

In operation, the Turkcan (and its cousin the ChickCAN), holds a canned beverage upright and acts as a skeletal support for the poultry. Just slide the bird over the Turkcan holding the can, set it on a baking sheet and put it on the grill. As the Turkey bakes, the liquid in the can gets warm and begins marinating the turkey from the inside with flavored steam.

InventHelp® believes that even the most venerable traditions like baking the Thanksgiving turkey can be improved through invention. So we ask: What other kinds of delicacies are we missing out on because of traditional methods of doing things? Who knows? Maybe someday someone will even invent a way to make great tasting poultry in the microwave. Regardless of how you prepare your Thanksgiving meal, InventHelp® wishes you a happy and safe holiday.

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