Cajun "Fried" Turkey....

This turkey has become a tradition. It's cooked in a infrared propane cooker and tastes like it has been under a rotisserie after it's cooked. You have to start thawing your bird in the refrigerator four days ahead. When it is thawed open the turkey wrapping over a sheet pan or clean sink because there will be liquid inside. Remove the neckbone, organs and sometimes a gravy packet from the cavity of the turkey. Our turkey had some in the back end and some in the front end. Set it aside for soup or gravy or whatever you like. Rinse the turkey under cool water, then pat dry and set on a sheet pan. Then season it up. Massage the rub up under the skin, the on top of the skin and in all the nook and crannies of every part of the bird. We the inject it some sort of flavored butter. Tie up the wings and legs so the don't hang loose and burn. Then we let it sit a couple of hours, until it was time to head to my sister in law's to cook the bird. It takes about 2 to 2 1/2 hours to cook in our cooker.

Preheat the cooker, set the turkey in the basket, insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part of the meat. We prefer a digital probe thermometer but we forgot it at our house so we used a regular food thermometer stuck into the breast so we could keep an eye on it. When it reached 165 degrees, it was ready to pull and set to rest for 15 minutes.

I like to cut out the whole breast and thinly slice it, the cut off the individual dark meat parts, like the wing, thigh and leg. Arrange it nicely on a platter, if you can before it's served. I couldn't even get it partially cut before little fingers were snatching it off the tray. 

All the food was great! I ate way more than I should have and enjoyed every bite. So Happy Thanksgiving and I hope yours was as great as mine.

Turkey Veggie Tray (delicious and adorable but not made by me)

Bon Appetit (my favorite magazine ever!!!!) Cajun Seasoning

5 Tbsp Kosher Salt
2 Tbsp Cayenne Pepper
2 Tbsp Garlic Powder
2 Tbsp Sweet Paprika
1 Tbsp Dried Oregano
1 Tbsp Dried Thyme
1 Tbsp Black Pepper
1 Tbsp Onion Powder

Stir these all together in a small bowl with an airtight lid.