Deep Fat Fryer

Minder

How many people own and use a deep fat fryer? There seems to be a misconception that fried food is the work of satan - that eating fried food will turn the arteries to lard.

Anyone use one for anything other than chips? Lets have your deep fried recipes!!!

Tree

onions rings \o/ though they wreck the fryer, maybe my batter is just too light.

BaZmO*

Moved into my house 2 years ago and got a real fancy deep fat fryer for a present and it's still in it's box. It's not that I don't use it because particularly unhealthy, it' mainly because a DFF stinks out the house. Plus I don't want to get in the habit of having fried food too often.

Minder

BaZmO* wrote: »

it' mainly because a DFF stinks out the house.

Good point - I find changing the oil regularly keeps the odours down. I used groundnut oil, but that works out quite expensive for a refill. Trying veggie oil on the next oil change.

When the weather is mild and the evenings are bright, I use it in the garden.

BaZmO*

Minder wrote: »

When the weather is mild and the evenings are bright, I use it in the garden.

I know a friends that do that too!

Toto Wolfcastle

I remember having a deep fat fryer years ago but it broke and we never replaced it. My parents just used a heavy saucepan from then on, and only to make homemade chips and chicken goujons. (And I used it to make doughnuts and got given out to because I was only 14 and wasn't supposed to be playing with nearly boiling oil!) Now my parents very rarely deep fry food, and I certainly don't in my hole of an apartment! We oven cook our chips and goujons now. It was never a health thing though. More that we got sick of deep fried food and only have it once in awhile.

The Hill Billy

My DFF broke over a year ago & I haven't replaced it, for 2 main reasons:
1. I didn't use it very often. When I did it was mainly for chips. Occasionally for tempura veg or fish. I do wedges in place of chips now & anything else I can shallow fry in my pan instead.
2. When I did look for a replacement there were no models of a decent size available. They all seemed to be farty little things with tiny baskets. Not worth a curse.

noby

We have, and regularly (a couple of times a week) use ours. Chips, obviously, chicken goujons, beer-battered fish, occasionally pakoras, onion bhajis and onion rings.

rubadub

Minder wrote: »

When the weather is mild and the evenings are bright, I use it in the garden.

Same here when I used it. I have seen them in the garage, shed and boiler house.

Minder

I regularly use mine for buffalo wings - keeps the wings moist as well as crisping the skin. Tempura is another favourite. Chicken strips made with panko bread crumbs. Prawn crackers and spring rolls. Occassionally a large piece of cod. Patatas Bravas - a spanish fried potato dish served with a spicy red sauce with peppers.

There is a Japanese dish I made a few times. Take a pork fillet and thinly slice it until it is a large rectangle - sort of slicing it and unrolling it at the same time. Neaten up the edges. This is spread with nori seaweed, a miso paste and a line of umeboshi paste in the centre. Roll up like a swiss roll. It wants to be about 3 to 4cm in diameter. Flour, egg and panko breadcrumbs, then deep fried. Sliced thinly - it is delicious.

ntlbell

no one does mars bars n batter?

why bother owning one?

Mellor

The main problem with DFFs is that they oil gets very stick and thickens around the lid, really hard to clean.

This can be avoid if you use solid fat, such as Crisp n Dry solid vegtable fat. Once it cools it goes hard and flakes back into the basket, far better than regular oil.

Minder

ntlbell wrote: »

no one does mars bars n batter?

why bother owning one?

Battered cream egg for easter - only in Scotland.

Minder

Mellor wrote: »

The main problem with DFFs is that they oil gets very stick and thickens around the lid, really hard to clean.

This can be avoid if you use solid fat, such as Crisp n Dry solid vegtable fat. Once it cools it goes hard and flakes back into the basket, far better than regular oil.

If it looks like engine sump oil, it's time for a change.

Mellor

The solid oil stay "fresh" longer, its far better imo,

mildews

Why not just Bake, Roast or steam the food and wash it down with a couple of spoons of cooking oil... Same result..:D:D

Mellor

Same result, different taste
what its all about im afraid

mildews

I can feel the clots approaching my heart as I type...:o:o:o

Dizzyblonde

I threw my DFF in the skip when I moved into my new house

Minder

mildews wrote: »

Why not just Bake, Roast or steam the food and wash it down with a couple of spoons of cooking oil... Same result..:D:D

Is that the same couple of spoonful of oil that is used to make a sitr-fry, or used to fry an onion to make a sauce? Probably slightly different to the same couple of spoonfuls of animal fat in the spag bol or chilli. Does anyone make roast potatoes without a least a small lash of oil to stop them sticking?

Why is the prawn cracker or onion bhaji from the local takeaway any different from the one I make at home in the DDF? Both deep fried, except I know what went into mine.

As for steaming food, apart from steak and kidney pudding, it is a scientific fact that those who eat a regular diet of steamed food are more likely to die from boredom:D