Should you be deep frying that turkey? Modesto chefs offer their Thanksgiving tips

For the home cook, Thanksgiving can be a daunting proposition.

There’s that big bird, all those sides and then what to do with a ton of leftovers. The Modesto Bee asked a panel of Modesto restaurant chefs to help ease readers’ concerns about cooking the big feast next week. Fielding your questions were Ralston’s Goat chef Gil Alfaro, Bauer’s 661/2 Skillet & Grill and Bauhaus chef and owner Tye Bauer, Galletto Ristorante chef Michael Goularte and Food Fix Truck chef and owner Hank Olson.

Each had their own preference when it comes to cooking the main event, the turkey. Bauer is a deep fry guy, while Goularte and Olson brine their bird and Alfaro goes for the tried-and-true roasting technique.

Readers had questions about deep frying, a popular though potentially dangerous technique for preparing turkey. Bauer said one of the keys is to test the depth the oil needs to be in the pot first by using water. Fill the pot with water then drop in the bird to check how high it rises. There should be four to five inches of space below the pan’s edge and the liquid with the turkey submerged. Then make sure the turkey is defrosted and thoroughly patted dry before submerging in the hot oil. It should fry for about three minutes a pound.

But if you mess up, don’t fret. Even the professionals do sometimes. Be sure to use gloves and have a fire extinguisher nearby.

“We tried to deep fry a turkey two or three years ago. We did it out by my mother-in-law’s pool. We didn’t put anything out and we didn’t check the level of oil in the pot,” Olson said. “So as soon as we put that bird in it was just oil everywhere. It actually stained the concrete around the pool; we had this peanut oil stain. That was pretty bad, everyone was just silent eating after.”

Barring any peanut oil stain disasters, keeping food warm can be tricky in a home kitchen. The key to keeping all the dishes warm by service time is timing. But they said it’s not necessary everything be fresh off the stove. Some things, like the turkey, need to rest after coming out of the oven and before being carved into. Other dishes can be placed hot in an empty cooler chest, which will insulate the food.

“The ice chest isn’t only an ice chest, it’s a warmer. Drop it in there, put the casseroles in there and stack it up and those will stay hot for two hours,” Bauer said.

Leftovers can be dealt with in a variety of ways, and in fact most of the chefs said the food tastes better the next day if treated right. For mashed potatoes, reconstitute them by mixing in some fresh butter and milk slowly in a pan. Leftover turkey can be put to use in the traditional turkey sandwich or other ways like tacos and enchiladas. And don’t forget the turkey bones and carcass, which can be placed in a pot with water to make a tasty soup.

Cook the bones and a little mirepoix (celery, carrot and onion) together for at least an hour and a half, then pull out the bones and strain. Goularte said you can add more vegetables and even mashed potatoes as a thickener.

If your family aren’t big turkey fans, Alfaro suggests tri-tip or prime rib, which can be cooked in the oven or smoked on the barbecue. Ham is another popular option in the area. And for dessert, he said, there’s no shame in picking up a pie at Marie Callender or elsewhere instead of baking your own.

All the chefs agree that the holiday should be a fun, family filled one and cooking does not have to be a stressful experience.

“I think the tradition of what people do in their families (is important). It’s just getting together, spending time with family and having that experience,” Goularte said. “You’ll have a story either way whether it’s a perfect dinner or you stain the concrete around the pool. You can remember it forever.”

This story was originally published November 18, 2017 at 4:15 PM with the headline "Should you be deep frying that turkey? Modesto chefs offer their Thanksgiving tips."