origin of the "cajun" fried turkey
While preparing for this year’s Thanksgiving festival, where I will be serving a delicious fried turkey, I became interested in the origin of the succulent treat.
What is fried turkey?
“Frying whole turkeys is kind of the southern version of making fondue. You have a lot of your friends, you poke around in a pot of hot oil with some chopsticks, and then you pull out your dinner.” Justin Wilson, of Cajun food fame, remembers first seeing deep-fried turkey in Louisiana in the 1930s.” — Something Different: Deep-Fried Turkey, Beverly Bundy, San Luis OfficeNovember 24, 1997 (Food p. 4)
What is a deep fried turkey you ask? Injected with marinade and cooked in peanut or other vegetable oil at 350 degrees F, fried turkey is anything but greasy. The frying process seals in the juices creating flavorful meat and flavorful, golden skin. Incredibly juicy on the inside and wonderfully crisp on the outside, the explosion of flavor and contrasting textures have made it a favorite for barbecues, block parties, tailgating, holiday banquets and casual wedding receptions.
It seems like I first heard about frying turkey about 15 years ago, then all of a sudden everyone and their brother was doing it. So what caused this sudden phenomenon?
Roots in the southern United States
Fried turkey has its origins in the southern United States, namely Louisiana. I’ve heard there are some restaurants in South Louisiana that have made it popular by injecting whole birds with a Creole-style marinade and then dipping them in hot peanut oil. However, there had to be something bigger to get the word out, regional restaurants simply don’t have the reach to change a tradition as entrenched as roast turkey.
I thought maybe it was the new accessibility of large fryers like the original Kamp Kooker marketed by Home Depot, or was it a favorite of celebrity chefs like Emeril?
Why is it called Cajun if it isn’t?
I started doing some research on the internet and although I only spent a few hours it seems that no exact year, restaurant or person is connected to this particular style of cooking turkey. There is evidence that fried turkeys were cooked outdoors for large popular events (family reunions, benefit dinners, church dinners, etc.) in the early years of the 20th century.
Commonly thought of as a Cajun tradition, I couldn’t find any direct links to the Acadian-Cajun culture. In fact, I’ve found that food historians generally agree that fried turkey has its roots in Bayou (Louisiana/Texas) Creole cuisine. Recipes then migrated from Louisiana/Texas to Missouri, Tennessee, Georgia (peanut oil) and Washington DC before branching north to Seattle and Vancouver.
The power of Martha Stewart
So here seems to be the magic bullet. I found where Martha Stewart is credited for bringing the recipe to mainstream America in the early 90’s:
“Fried turkey has been all the rage for at least the last decade in New Orleans, and long before then it was a tradition in the bayou and throughout the South. Like many vainglorious culinary crazes before it, the national renown of fried turkeys can be traced directly to Martha Stewart, who brought them out of regional obscurity and into her magazine in 1996. “—It’s treacherous, but so tasty; Fried Turkey Fans Take the Chance, Annie Gowen, Washington Post, Nov 22, 2001 (p. B1)
If this is the case, it seems that Martha may have created an entire industry. A typical setup that includes all of the turkey fryer accessories can easily run $200-$300. I would say those people and the peanut oil people owe Martha a big thank you.