Deep-Fried Confit Turkey Thighs
Duration
15 minutes
Serves
2 Very Hungry People
There are plenty of good ways to eat confit turkey thighs, but deep frying might be the best of them all. After hours of slow cooking in fat, the meat becomes incredibly tender and rich, just likeduck confit. A quick dip in buttermilk and dredge in seasoned flour and a plunge into hot oil transform the outside into a crisp, craggy crust while the inside stays silky and juicy. Perhaps it's the fact that I’ve cooked the turkey in oil twice, the first time low and slow and the second time hot and fast!
Serve the thighs on their own, pile them onto white bread with pickles and hot sauce, or pair them with mashed potatoes and gravy for the kind of meal that earns silence around the dinner table.
Ingredients
- 2 confit turkey thighs (Get therecipe here.)
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 egg
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 2 tsp. coarse sea salt
- 2 tsp. black pepper
- 2 tsp. paprika
- 2 qts. oil for frying (see note)
Preparation
- Start withthis recipe. Remove the confit turkey thighs from their fat and let any excess oil drip off. Use paper towels and try to remove as much oil as possible. Allow them to completely cool so that they don't fall apart when you try to dredge them in flour. If they were chilled, allow them to come to room temperature so the coating adheres evenly.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and egg until fully combined.
- In a gallon-sized ziplock bag, mix the flour, cornstarch, salt, black pepper, and paprika.
- Dip each turkey thigh into the buttermilk mixture, coating fully and letting the excess drip off. Transfer to the bag with the flour mixture, seal it, and shake until well coated. Remove, gently shaking off any loose flour, and then repeat the buttermilk dip and flour coating for a thicker, craggier crust. Set aside until ready to fry.
- Add oil to a heavy pot or deep fryer and heat to 350°F to 375°F.
- Carefully lower the turkey thighs into the hot oil and fry until the exterior is deeply golden brown and crisp, about 3 to 5 minutes. Since the meat is already cooked, you’re just crisping the outside.
- Remove and drain on a wire rack or paper towels. Let them rest for a few minutes before serving.
- Serve hot and crispy on their own or alongside something simple and bright like pickles, slaw, or hot sauce to cut through the richness.
Note: When making confit turkey thighs, I like to use a crockpot for easy, hands-off cooking. I also use an oil with a high smoke point, like grapeseed, instead of schmaltz so that I can reuse the oil from the confit for frying.
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Deep-Fried Confit Turkey Thighs
Duration
15 minutes
Serves
2 Very Hungry People
There are plenty of good ways to eat confit turkey thighs, but deep frying might be the best of them all. After hours of slow cooking in fat, the meat becomes incredibly tender and rich, just likeduck confit. A quick dip in buttermilk and dredge in seasoned flour and a plunge into hot oil transform the outside into a crisp, craggy crust while the inside stays silky and juicy. Perhaps it's the fact that I’ve cooked the turkey in oil twice, the first time low and slow and the second time hot and fast!
Serve the thighs on their own, pile them onto white bread with pickles and hot sauce, or pair them with mashed potatoes and gravy for the kind of meal that earns silence around the dinner table.
Ingredients
- 2 confit turkey thighs (Get therecipe here.)
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 egg
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 2 tsp. coarse sea salt
- 2 tsp. black pepper
- 2 tsp. paprika
- 2 qts. oil for frying (see note)
Preparation
- Start withthis recipe. Remove the confit turkey thighs from their fat and let any excess oil drip off. Use paper towels and try to remove as much oil as possible. Allow them to completely cool so that they don't fall apart when you try to dredge them in flour. If they were chilled, allow them to come to room temperature so the coating adheres evenly.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and egg until fully combined.
- In a gallon-sized ziplock bag, mix the flour, cornstarch, salt, black pepper, and paprika.
- Dip each turkey thigh into the buttermilk mixture, coating fully and letting the excess drip off. Transfer to the bag with the flour mixture, seal it, and shake until well coated. Remove, gently shaking off any loose flour, and then repeat the buttermilk dip and flour coating for a thicker, craggier crust. Set aside until ready to fry.
- Add oil to a heavy pot or deep fryer and heat to 350°F to 375°F.
- Carefully lower the turkey thighs into the hot oil and fry until the exterior is deeply golden brown and crisp, about 3 to 5 minutes. Since the meat is already cooked, you’re just crisping the outside.
- Remove and drain on a wire rack or paper towels. Let them rest for a few minutes before serving.
- Serve hot and crispy on their own or alongside something simple and bright like pickles, slaw, or hot sauce to cut through the richness.
Note: When making confit turkey thighs, I like to use a crockpot for easy, hands-off cooking. I also use an oil with a high smoke point, like grapeseed, instead of schmaltz so that I can reuse the oil from the confit for frying.