jr conlin's ink stained banana

There's a comment on the ySearchBlog asking if anyone has any ideas what to do with the left over deep fryer grease after they cook'em up some turkeys. It's a valid thought. i mean, you've got a couple gallons of peanut oil bubbling away at 320°, it just seems like a waste not to do something else with that amount of liquified fat.

i was tempted to respond to it by offering a list:

• Serve fries.
• Fondue for forty (even better if it's raining)
• Can solve that nasty Barbarians at the Gate problem.
• Hang a bird feeder above it and solve that nasty squirrel problem
• Keep it going 'til next year!
• Avoid frying turkeys.

Mind you, i've never really enjoyed Deep Fried turkey. Yes, i've tried it, no i've not found it moist or delicious. (Mostly because it took most of my beer to just cut the grease in my mouth after the first bite. ) i still prefer my traditional "stuff the bugger in the oven for three hours at 450° (or until the sensor goes off)", and the thought of dropping a 14lb "butterball" into a vat of grease just seems like a fun way to visit the hospital.

For the record, the best turkey i've ever had came from a Weber charcoal grill. It took them about eight hours to cook it, and there was a gallon steel bowl nearly filled with dripped fat hanging beneath the grill. It was moist, but not fatty and literally melted in your mouth. Plus the little burnt bits are were the flavor comes from. (See, deep frying doesn't actually remove any of the fat in the meat which makes it seem like it tastes better just like eating a scoop of butter drizzled with chicken stock tastes good.)

Ah well, i'm sure that many a turkey will be slaughtered a second time this Thursday, but at least there's take out. (So, who wants the festive, holiday spork?)