Wednesday Worsts….Thanksgiving Fails

[soflagator]

You fcuking jinxed me.

Decided to deep fry this year (2 birds). Hadn't fried a bird in a loooong time so test drove the kit a few days before T-Day to ensure everything was working properly. Lit up just fine, no problems, even had a full tank of propane ready.

Come T-Day I fired up the burner and smelled gas, a lot if it. It was leaking out of the regulator that must have gone bad. Needed a regulator and hose to connect the propane tank to the turkey fryer burner. Of course, EVERYTHING was closed. No Lowe's, no Tru Value, no Wal Mart, nuthin. Not only am I unable to get parts to fix it, I can't get a last-minute replacement for the main course.

I figure I can cannibalize the regulator and hose from my gas grill and use it on the turkey fryer. The connections to the burner aren't the same size. The one from the gas grill is larger than the one to the fryer burner. Why? WHY! Look at the picture below. See the little adapter? The regulator that went bad had the smaller connector, not an adapter. I could use my gas grill's regulator and hose if I could find an adapter like that. I desperately comb through my garage looking for anything I can use. I'm looking at brass garden hose fittings, plumbing supplies, bike pumps, I even thought about splicing the hoses and sealing them with electrical tape.

Just as I'm about to do something foolish (and dangerous), a neighbor saves the day. He fries a bird every year but this year he's smoking so his fryer kit isn't being used. I am able to borrow it.

So another close call violation? Nah. This counts as a disaster. Why? After all, I was able to borrow what I needed and was able to cook the turkeys, right? Well, we told the fam to be there as early as they wanted, but Thanksgiving dinner was going to be served at 2:00 (yes, that's when we eat Thanksgiving "dinner", don't @ me). Most skipped breakfast, all skipped lunch. Everybody arrived no later than 1:00 (a Thanksgiving miracle for my chronically late family) and everybody was RAVENOUS by 2:00. Dinner wasn't served till 5:00. It got ugly. Very, very ugly.

Alex.

I wasn’t the one that invited people over with only main course entrees scheduled. What kind of person doesn’t offer appetizers of cured meats, cheeses and bread to their guests before dinner? Maybe a soup course? Something. Meanwhile at your house…

 

[Gatorbait25]

You fcuking jinxed me.

Decided to deep fry this year (2 birds). Hadn't fried a bird in a loooong time so test drove the kit a few days before T-Day to ensure everything was working properly. Lit up just fine, no problems, even had a full tank of propane ready.

Come T-Day I fired up the burner and smelled gas, a lot if it. It was leaking out of the regulator that must have gone bad. Needed a regulator and hose to connect the propane tank to the turkey fryer burner. Of course, EVERYTHING was closed. No Lowe's, no Tru Value, no Wal Mart, nuthin. Not only am I unable to get parts to fix it, I can't get a last-minute replacement for the main course.

I figure I can cannibalize the regulator and hose from my gas grill and use it on the turkey fryer. The connections to the burner aren't the same size. The one from the gas grill is larger than the one to the fryer burner. Why? WHY! Look at the picture below. See the little adapter? The regulator that went bad had the smaller connector, not an adapter. I could use my gas grill's regulator and hose if I could find an adapter like that. I desperately comb through my garage looking for anything I can use. I'm looking at brass garden hose fittings, plumbing supplies, bike pumps, I even thought about splicing the hoses and sealing them with electrical tape.

Just as I'm about to do something foolish (and dangerous), a neighbor saves the day. He fries a bird every year but this year he's smoking so his fryer kit isn't being used. I am able to borrow it.

So another close call violation? Nah. This counts as a disaster. Why? After all, I was able to borrow what I needed and was able to cook the turkeys, right? Well, we told the fam to be there as early as they wanted, but Thanksgiving dinner was going to be served at 2:00 (yes, that's when we eat Thanksgiving "dinner", don't @ me). Most skipped breakfast, all skipped lunch. Everybody arrived no later than 1:00 (a Thanksgiving miracle for my chronically late family) and everybody was RAVENOUS by 2:00. Dinner wasn't served till 5:00. It got ugly. Very, very ugly.

Alex.

Cook the bird in the oven and you won’t have that problem . If you have two birds do one fried and one oven roasted . You need a bird in the oven to make the gravy

 

[AlexDaGator]

Cook the bird in the oven and you won’t have that problem . If you have two birds do one fried and one oven roasted . You need a bird in the oven to make the gravy

I always cook a turkey (small one, or parts) in advance and save the drippings for Thanksgiving needs.

It’s a great prep. I filter and separate the fat from the juice. I can use the fat to make my roux for the gravy instead of butter, I can make gravy without rushing at the last minute, I can use the juice and fat in place of stock and butter in the dressing (outside the bird, with inside the bird flavor), if I make green bean casserole, I don’t use cream of mushroom soup, I make a roux with the Turkey fat and make a mushroom and milk/juices gravy instead, and of course I can spoon some juices over the white meat to help keep it moist after carving.

If you want to try this prep with turkey parts, thighs for flavor (and for eating) and wings/necks for getting a lot of collagen in those drippings.

Something else we used to do, you fish the meat and bones out of the roasting pan leaving all the drippings behind, throw in a pound of spaghetti and a little hot water if necessary and throw it back in the hot oven. Stir every now and then. Season with salt and lots of pepper (before putting it back in). The pasta cooks absorbing the pan drippings. Toss with lots of fresh grated hard cheese (like a Romano). It’s magnificent; peppery, salty, unctuous goodness. A little like a cacio i pepe but with turkey juices instead of water and turkey fat instead of olive oil. So damn good.

Alex.

 

[Durty South Swamp]

You guys sound like fags. You know what I do when I wake up on Thanksgiving morning? I brush my teeth, crack open a cold beer, sit back and watch my hot wife prep the meal. That's what I do.