Wild Turkey, Two Ways

For deep frying, an injection of seasoned butter or an injectable marinade like those from Cajun Injector work perfectly.

Roasted Wild Turkey

As stated above, the secret to a great roasted wild bird is moisture. The more you keep inside the meat, the better the finished product. Start by brining your turkey for 24 hours. The brine recipe can be doubled if a single recipe isn't enough to fully cover the turkey. A large plastic tub with a tight-fitting lid makes the perfect brine container. If you don't have room for a tub in your refrigerator, use a clean cooler to hold the turkey. Pour the brine over the bird, weight it down with a plate or heavy glass, then pour in enough ice to keep the bird cold. Check in on the turkey a time or two over the brining process and add more ice as needed.

Begin the roasting process by preheating your oven to 300 degrees. Remove the bird from the brine and pat it dry with paper towels. Coat the turkey skin liberally with softened butter. The butter helps to moisten and flavor the skin and acts as a binder for the seasoning.

While the oil heats, use an injection syringe to inject marinade throughout the turkey. The goal is to cover as much of the meat as possible while making the fewest number of holes in the skin. Inject the syringe deep into the meat, press the plunger, then withdraw the syringe partially and inject another area next to the first. Continue until the entire turkey has been injected with marinade. Once the bird is injected, season the skin heavily with your favorite Cajun seasoning.

Using heavy tongs, or wire tied tightly around the turkey's legs, lower the bird into the hot oil. Be prepared for the oil level to rise drastically when the turkey is lowered into the pot and the oil begins to bubble and froth.

Cook time for fried turkey runs around 4 minutes per pound. An instant-read thermometer will let you know when your bird is ready.