A Christmas Tradition: The Turkey Derrick

My dad was a pretty handy guy. He’d been in the trades his entire life and is handy with a set of tools. So years ago when he erected this ladder-based pulley system designed to safely drop a turkey into a fryer from a safe distance away.

Now, if you are an Alton Brown fan like I am, you may recognize the turkey derrick from Season 10, Episode 13 of Good Eats titled Fry Turkey Fry! As far as I can tell, my dad didn’t watch cooking shows and designed the turkey derrick independently of Mr. Brown, even if it is nearly identical. Great minds think alike, indeed!

My dad showing off his turkey derrick, Christmas 2011

We lost my dad last year, but he was able to leave behind many gifts to his family…not the least of which was the turkey derrick! We decided to take it off the wall of the garage and put it to use this past weekend to fry up a Christmas bird. It turned out beautifully!

Another family tradition showed up too…keeping food warm by putting it in bed and covering it up with your blankets. Does anyone else do that? Is it a fire hazard?

Maybe…but it’s been done for generations, and I haven’t heard of any burned down houses…yet.

Enjoy your families this holiday, and whatever unique traditions come with it!