^ This.

Quite easily the best tasting skin of all time. Combine the skin with the white meat in a single bite, and it is the food of gods.

This turkey was deep fried after being brined for 24+ hours in the following concoction (US units of course):


14 cups water
3 1/2 cups apple juice, preferably unsweetened and unfiltered
1 1/2 cups bourbon whiskey (I used Buffalo Trace because it has a really good flavor)
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
1 1/4 cups salt
4 bay leaves
12-14 whole black peppercorns
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
4 medium cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 lemon zest

(Recipe modified from a Washington Post brine for a smoked turkey recipe)


It ended up a little overdone, but because it was brined and deep fried, you'd never even notice. That's part of the benefit of deep frying, the water stays inside the turkey meat after vaporizing in 350°F oil. The caramelization on the skin is fantastic. It looks burnt, but it isn't at all.