While rummaging through the freezer last month, I ran across a wild turkey breast filet that came from a twenty three (23) pound Wild turkey my good friend John Gaddy harvested back in April or May of this year.  This wild turkey is not the drinking kind but the bird with two legs, a beard and spurs, etc. for all you rum heads that go into a spasm and DT’s at the mention of wild turkey.  As mentioned in the past, wild turkey is good vittles any time you can get your taste buds locked onto one. 

There are plenty of ways to prepare Wild Turkey but my favorite is to filet the breast from the ole boy and slice the meat across the grain in about 1/2 width strips the full thickness of the breast filet which can be an inch or two thick and marinate it a day or two in the refrigerator to soften the fibers up a little since they are much tougher than a tame turkey.  The recipe for the marinade as follows: 

            3 Eggs 

            2 Cups Buttermilk

            3 Tablespoons Paprika

            1 Tablespoon Salt

            1 Tablespoon Cayenne Pepper

            2 Teaspoons Onion Powder

            2 Teaspoons Garlic Powder

I usually drain the turkey strips using a colander and coat them with flour or a seafood breader like House of Autry and add a little additional sprinkling of salt and black pepper and deep fry them in hot oil @ 350 degrees until golden brown.  Inserted pix: 

This ole fish cooker is going on three decades old and hanging in there.  I have more up to date stuff but “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.  It is a good thing everyone doesn’t think like that, otherwise we would still be shooting recurve bows instead of compound and cam bows.  I have a nice stainless steel fish cooker with stainless steel basket and use the base of the cooker for doing deep fried turkeys but one is just as good as the other.  After years of usage even stainless steel without a lot of cleaning begins to look rough also!  Grin because mine looks rough on the outside.  As with most deep frying, the vittles begin to float to the top of the hot oil when about ready due to the moisture content cooked from the meat but that is not always the case and sometimes you have to go a little longer.  The next picture inserted will be those wild turkey breast filets after swimming around in the hot oil and sun bathing.

Now if those turkey nuggets don’t look beautimous, you need to sign up with the State Eye Plan.    

Take a look on the next page at the finished product.  The wild rice and beans go very well with the wild turkey nuggets.  There were plenty left over and my buddies at work had a chance to sample them too.  There were three batches deep fried from one half of the turkey breast.

I might have the other half of the turkey breast frozen but it is underneath a pile of ground venison, cubed venison loin straps and other choice cuts from Mr. Deer!  

The above photos were taken on 10-21-07 and of course the meal was totally devoured by yours truly Bill aka Mickey Porter and hope it makes you just a little bit hungry! 

Written on 11-16-07 by Mickey Porter