As much as I love to experiment with new recipes for almost any occasion, this Fried Turkey with Honey, Bourbon and Pecan Glaze is a keeper, one that I will most definitely make again.

I had no intention of spending the entire day in the kitchen preparing a big meal either for Christmas this year. We’re fine with a more relaxed day and I’ve often prepared this Honey Roasted Lamb Salad or just a simple ham for our Christmas ‘feast.’

But this year, I wanted something different for Christmas so thought I would do a ‘trial’ and fry a turkey. It was almost too easy; it was most definitely delish! I had received this Masterbuilt Indoor Turkey Fryer from the folks at Masterbuilt and I was anxious to try it out. Yes, I said indoor.

My only previous experience with fried turkey was several years ago when my family went with friends to visit their relatives that lived near Pikes Peak. They had a propane fryer and it was positioned far from the house at the end of a driveway to avoid the dreaded incidence of ‘burning the house down.’

Knowing that each year several people lose their homes when deciding to fry turkey I naturally had some anxiety. There was no need; this unit has everything contained inside an electric model that eliminates the worry about flames meeting oil and house meeting doom.

The optimum size for a turkey for this unit is about 12 pounds. I was lucky to score a couple of fresh turkeys this year and since I did not have to wait days for them to thaw, I decided to brine the turkey the night before I planned to fry it.

I came up with my own take using these two brines from Jenn Cuisine and The Pioneer Woman; mine was a combination of all apple cider per Jenn and some additional herbs and spices ala Ree. I had never brined a turkey before but was game to try and must say the combination of brining and frying was easy and the results were fabulous.

I used a small cooler for the overnight brining since my fridge does not have the room. Making sure it was thoroughly clean, I dumped several inches of ice in the bottom of the cooler followed by the turkey and then more ice to cover. I poured the cooled brine on top of the ice and put the cooler in the garage. It was perfect; that there was still some ice the next morning assured me it has stayed cool enough and a simple rinse and dry and it was ready to go.

The frying part? Easy beyond belief. I used peanut oil for the fryer; it’s the one recommended by Masterbuilt. Once the oil was hot, the turkey is immersed in it and voila…a finished turkey in 44 minutes. Let me repeat that. FORTY-FOUR MINUTES!!!

Though it was juicy and succulent, I decided to make a glaze that John McLemore, the owner of Masterbuilt, includes in his book, ‘Dadgum That’s Good’ with recipes for not just fried turkey but barbecue, smoking, grilling, boiling and steaming. It was not your standard Thanksgiving seasonings and I liked that; I don’t like to replicate the flavors from one holiday to the next.

The glaze with roasted pecans in honey was SO good and yes, true to form I might have put a nip of bourbon in there. I do have a reputation to keep you know and it did seem perfect for a Christmas turkey. Fried and boozy…oh yes! You don’t have to fry a turkey to try it either; it would be a fabulous addition to a baked turkey or ham.

I’ll be serving it with some Cosmopolitan Cranberry Sauce and simple baked sweet potatoes seasoned with Sage and Caramelized Shallots Compound Butter. Easy and yum it is!

See that pretty serving platter? My Grandma Lizette Bathe gave that to me many, many years ago. She was in her 90’s and starting to show signs of Alzheimer’s and I think she must have known that plans were in the works to move her into a care facility.

When we were kids, my Grandma and Grandpa lived about 45 minutes from us so we just saw them irregularly. When I was 22 I moved into a small single bedroom home that was just minutes from her (my Grandfather died many years before she did) and that turned out to be the best move ever. I would visit her every Sunday afternoon and sometimes take her out to dinner during the week too.

My Grandma was then and remains for me today the epitome of sweetness; I never heard her lose her temper and she was so very special to me. No matter the time of day, when I walked in her front door it was always the same question, ‘Are you hungry Barbie?’

And she always had something good to eat in her fridge! She insisted that I take this serving platter and a matching gravy boat because she wanted to make sure I had something of hers. I’m so glad she did. I know she would love this turkey…as long as I had a beer for her on the side!

PIN IT! ‘Fried Turkey with Honey, Bourbon and Pecan Glaze’

Yield: 8 Servings Fried Turkey with Honey, Bourbon and Pecan Glaze Print Fried turkey is topped with a fabulous pecan, honey and bourbon glaze. Prep Time 20 minutes Cook Time 55 minutes Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes Ingredients For the Turkey: Peanut Oil

1 (10-12 lb) thawed turkey

Salt, pepper and/or your favorite seasoning for chicken and turkey For the Glaze: 1 cup pecans

1 cup honey

3/4 cup butter

4 Tbsp bourbon (optional) Instructions To Prepare the Turkey: Prepare and cook according to manufacturers directions for your appliance making sure it is cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees.I used peanut oil and an almost 12 pound turkey seasoned very lightly with a spice rub especially for fried poultry. Once the turkey is fully cooked; allow it to drain in accordance with manufacturer's directions and then let cool for 20-25 minutes. To Make the Pecan Glaze: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spread the pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 8 minutes or until lightly browned. remove from the oven, let cool and chop coarsely. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the honey and butter. Once combined, stir in the chopped pecans and bourbon if using and cook for 8 minutes to infuse the flavors. Remove the glaze from the heat and keep warm. Carve turkey, place on serving plate and pour glaze over the meat, passing the glaze as necessary. Notes Cook time does not include time for overnight brining. I brined mine for approximately 18 hours. Nutrition Information: Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 476 Total Fat: 32g Saturated Fat: 13g Trans Fat: 1g Unsaturated Fat: 17g Cholesterol: 87mg Sodium: 296mg Carbohydrates: 37g Fiber: 1g Sugar: 35g Protein: 12g The nutritional information is computer-generated and only an estimate.

This is a sponsored post for Masterbuilt but all commentary is my own.