So you need a 'quick thaw' for your frozen Thanksgiving turkey?

Confession time: I've never cooked a turkey before.

This year will be my first.

Don't get me wrong, I'm an experienced cook who really enjoys trying new things in the kitchen.

But as my family does not like turkey, I typically cook a standing rib roast for them.

Last year, though, my wife and kids had fried turkey for the first time while we visited with her brother down in South Florida.

And they fell in love with turkey.

So at the last minute this week, I decided this year I'd try to replicate the fried turkey that we enjoyed last Thanksgiving.

And when I write 'last minute,' I mean LAST MINUTE.

I stopped at the neighborhood grocery Tuesday to select by 18-pound frozen turkey, without a thought in the world about being able to defrost it in time to fry it.

The recommended thaw time, I later learned, is 24-hours in the fridge for every 4-5lbs of bird. So, with an 18-pound bird, I'd need 4-to-5 days in the fridge to properly thaw.

Which means we'd need to wait until Saturday or Sunday to eat Thanksgiving dinner.

I mentioned my Thanksgiving frozen turkey challenge on the air this morning and was delighted to see  a tweet from Michael Roberson on how to 'speed thaw' a frozen bird.

Michael, whose bio includes 'food scientist and food safety professional,' writes: 2 thaw #turkey, put N leak proof bag, put N sink w/cold H20, change H20 every 30 min, takes ~30min/LB

He also tweeted me this infographic from the USDA:

There are three safe ways to defrost a turkey: in the refrigerator, in cold water and in the microwave oven. Thawing food in the refrigerator is the safest method because the turkey will defrost at a consistent, safe temperature. It will take 24 hours for every 5 pounds of weight for a turkey to thaw in the refrigerator. To thaw in cold water, submerge the bird in its original wrapper in cold tap water, changing the water every 30 minutes. For instructions on microwave defrosting, refer to your microwave’s owner’s manual. Cold water and microwave thawing can also be used if your bird did not entirely defrost in the refrigerator.

(app users can see video here)

Of course, as I prepare to fry this turkey in hot oil, I'll have all these amazing videos running through my head:

Oh, also - I bought the Butterball XL Indoor Electric Turkey Fryer.