Frying apparatus and method

A turkey frying apparatus, comprising:

• a container for holding an amount of cooking oil, said container having at least two position stops protruding into said container from opposed interior sidewalls of said container;
• and
• a basket dimensioned to be received in said container, said basket including a pair of handles and a pair of catch members, said catch members being movable with respect to a sidewall of said basket between a safety position in which said catch members are biased away from said basket and towards said sidewalls and engage said position stops, and a clearance position in which said catch members are urged inwards towards said basket and can move freely past said position stops when said basket is lowered into said container;
• wherein said handles include an upper gripping member, a lower gripping member and a spring disposed between said upper and lower gripping members, said spring biasing said upper gripping member away from said lower gripping member and urging said catch members to said safety position;
• wherein said handles further each include a lifting arm and a safety arm, said lifting arm including a pair of vertically oriented first lifting arm leg members rigidly attached to said basket and a pair of horizontal second lifting arm leg members extending outwards from said first lifting arm leg members, and said safety arm including a pair of generally vertically oriented first safety arm leg members, a pair of generally horizontal second safety arm leg members extending outwards from said first safety arm leg members, and said catch member;
• wherein said upper gripping member forms a part of said safety arm and said lower gripping member forms a part of said lifting arm;
• wherein said safety arm is pivotally attached to said lifting arm;
• and
• wherein said upper gripping member is movable against said spring bias toward said lower gripping member to urge said catch member to said clearance position.