DEEP FRIED BOUDIN RECIPES

Steps:

• Two days prior to cooking: Defrost turkey. Although not recommended by the FDA, when I have forgotten to take it out early enough, I have successfully thawed it in warm water in the sink - draining and refilling as water turns cool.
• Evening prior: Strain Italian dressing to catch items too big for the injector needle. Melt a stick of butter and add to the strained dressing.
• Take a handful of your favorite Cajun seasonings and add to marinade (I prefer Tony Chachere's (TM) Creole seasoning, Chef Paul Prudhomme's® blackened seasoning, Zatarins® Creole seasoning, Cajun Shake seasonings, and any Cajun spice I can get my hands on).
• Add onion powder and garlic powder to taste. You can also purchase Cajun Injector seasoning from the store.
• Use injector to inject marinade into the breasts, thighs, and wings. Stick the needle all the way in. As you slowly pull out, slowly press and inject spices into the turkey. Inject from multiple angles for maximum coverage. The more you use, the juicier the turkey will be when you cook it. Also, rub seasoning on the outside of the turkey, under the skin, and the inside cavity as well.
• Place turkey, legs up, on holder and place inside plastic oven roasting bag. Keep overnight in an ice chest with a little ice.
• Morning of: Fill fryer approximately 1/3 with oil (You don't need peanut oil, but once you try it, you won't use anything else. It also smokes less).
• Dip turkey while in the plastic bag in oil and fill or drain as needed. Oil should just cover the top of turkey. Ensure you have a hole at the top of the plastic bag, otherwise the bag will expand with air and you will not get an accurate reading. Take turkey out of oil and place back in cooler.An alternative is to use water the previous day prior to seasoning/injecting turkey. Place turkey in a plastic bag and then place in the pot. Pour water into pot until bagged turkey is fully submerged. Remove turkey, mark the water level, empty water, dry and pour oil to that spot.
• Heat oil to 375°-400°F. It takes approximately 30 minutes. Remove turkey from plastic wrap and place in oil. Oil should drop to 350°. Ensure you keep the temperature between 325°-350°F, but the closer to 350°F the better. Cook 2-3 minutes per pound. Never, ever cover pot with lid! You will have much more on your hands than a “smokin' Cajun turkey.“You may cook a larger turkey, but most cookers can't handle more than 20 pounds. The largest one I cooked was 21 pounds, but it barely fit in the pot and made cooking the very tip extremely tricky.
• Remove and let the turkey rest before carving. According to Emeril, the best way to carve is to pull the legs, wings and thighs off; then undercut the breast following the bone to the center and then slice.

Steps:

• Place the pork shoulder, celery, onion, garlic, bell pepper, and salt into a large pot. Cover with 2 inches of water, bring to a boil and then turn down the heat and simmer uncovered for 1 hour. After an hour, add the chicken liver to the pot and continue to cook for 45 more minutes or until the pork is tender.
• Strain the meat and vegetables, reserving the liquid. Finely dice the meat and vegetables with a knife, in a food processor or in a meat grinder set for a coarse grind. Once diced, place meat and vegetables in a bowl.
• Add to the bowl the cooked rice, jalapeños, thyme, oregano, paprika, green onions parsley, black pepper, and cayenne. Stir in 1 cup of the reserved cooking liquid and combine until the filling is moist and slightly sticky. If it appears too dry, add more of the reserved liquid. Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed.
• To stuff into casings for sausage, first rinse the outside of the casing and then place it in a bowl of water for 30 minutes to soften. Drain the soaking water and then rinse the inside of the casing by placing one end on the kitchen faucet, turn the water on low and allow it to flow through the casing. The casing will blow up like a balloon—this is fine.
• Lightly oil the stuffing horn on your sausage stuffer with vegetable oil. Tie a knot at one end of the casing. Take the other end and gently slide the entire casing onto the horn, leaving the knot plus an additional 4 inches hanging off the end of the horn.
• Place the filling into the feeder and push it through until it starts to fill the casing. Go slowly at first and note that you’ll need to massage the casing as the meat goes through it so it fills the casing evenly.
• Once you’ve filled the casing, to form links, pinch it every 5 inches and then twist it until it’s secure. You can then cut the casing to form individual sausages.
• To cook, poke holes into the casing then then poach in boiling water for 10 minutes. You can also grill or smoke the boudin.
• Alternatively, you can either serve the filling as a dressing, or you can roll it into walnut-sized balls, dip into finely crushed crackers and fry in 350 degree oil for 2 minutes or until brown to make boudin balls.