usadeepsouth.com
by Steve McElfresh
Here's the answer to a cooking question we've all pondered. Maybe. Don Drane asked Steve McElfresh (who lives, Don says, on the "left coast") if he knew why turkey and chicken frying time varied so greatly. Boy, did he ever give Don an answer. Be sure to read Don's terrific Southern Fried Turkey article. Step by step instructions from a master chef!
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Don,
Your kind words on my posting a few days ago reminded me to tell you I have also been thinking about your turkey/chicken fry time conundrum. I think I have got it.
I suspect the answer has to do with some basic geometry. It might require another scotch or two to get through this. Grab one (bourbon if you must) before proceeding. I haven't had mine, so sublime clarity will likely escape me.
Nonetheless . . .
Volume (and weight) increase as a cube of a dimensional increase -- i.e., a bird that is 2x longer, higher, AND thicker is 8x heavier (cube: 2*2*2). But since the hot oil is only 2x further away in the larger bird, the fry time increases by 2x not 8x. Coming closer to realistic differences: a bird that is 5x (25 lbs vs. 5 lbs.) heavier is going to be on average about 1.7x (the cube root of 5) larger in any linear dimension. Please test with your next chicken and turkey and report back.
If true . . .
By the fry-times you gave me earlier, a 5 lb bird (at 9 min/lb) takes 45 min., and a 25 lb bird (at 3.5 min/lb) takes 88 minutes. Whatdayaknow? The 5x weight difference requires a 1.9x (88/45) cook-time difference -- almost exactly what you would expect if the cook time is a function of the 1.7x linear dimension difference (aka, distance from the oil), not the 5x weight difference. I.e., even though the bird is 5 times heavier, the hot oil is only 1.7 further away from the deepest meat.
For reasons I won't bore you with, the 3.5/9 minutes per lb ratio suggests that the average turkey used to get these fry-times is about 4.4x heavier than the average chicken used for the same purpose.
Of course, if all this is true it means that a more accurate cook-time will be based on the addition of length, width and height rather than weight. More important: it also means that when following the normal weight/fry-times rules, birds of either kind that are much bigger and smaller than average will tend to be over and undercooked, respectively.
Got it? If not, take another drink, stay away from the hot oil, and give a call sometime.
Regards,
Steve Mac
P.S. I suspect that none of the rules above could be applied to frying the turducken, as the darn thing will be so much thicker for each inch of length, etc. Go with a slow roast/smoke on that baby.
P.P.S. Now you will know better than to ask a reformed statistician such a question . . . .
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