Got a deep fryer?

[Hemidoc]

What do you fry in it and what oil do you use?
I usually cut taters into strips and fry those.
Also like to take chicken breasts cut them into strips. bread them with egg and cornmeal. Then drop in the fryer.

I use peanut oil.

 

[grrickar]

Peanut oil and chicken wings (for hot wings of course), catfish, breaded chicken strips, stuffed jalapenos, hushpuppies.

 

[Hammy71]

Home cut fries are the favorite of me and the family. So much, they got me a nice fry cutter for xmas. Hmmm....wonder if that was really a gift for me, or them.

 

[ruger988]

Those of you that makes fries may already know this, but it makes such a huge improvement I have to mention it...

Cut your potatoes as far ahead of time as possible (24-36 hours is great, but even 2-3 will be good enough) and soak them in water. Dry them off with a paper towel when you're ready and fry away.

Frying at 300* until they're nice and tender then bumping the temp up as high as it will go to finish them off makes them even better.

 

[Silentdrinker]

Steak with water. Because I use it as a sous vide using my stc1000 controller.

 

[unionrdr]

We wore out a couple of those countertop fryers. We used to take the kids fishing for big bluegills or channel cats. Breaded & fried in canola oil. Add cornmeal, baking powder & chopped green onion to leftover coating flour for hush puppies. I like making Jo-Jo's (breaded potato wedges) to go with them & Cold home brew. Breaded mushrooms always make me drool. When my daughter was little, she used to love my Kentucky-fried squirrel!

 

[vanishingpint]

Son and I are gonna do 15 lbs of wings next weekend . A dusting of cornstarch , fry em up and vacuum pack a dozen to a bag .When you are in the mood for wings let them thaw ,heat them at 425 on a cookie sheet til sizzling and toss in wing sauce .So nice not to have to fire up the fryer every time ,plus what's more fun than hot oil and beer for a whole afternoon?

 

[unionrdr]

My wife makes'em really good & juicy/crispy. I like BW3's lemon pepper sauce with'em. Tried Sweet Baby Ray's buffalo sauce, but it has this tart funk to it I don't care for by itself. Maybe add something to it?

 

[Jacob_Marley]

I currently have a deep frier that looks like a large crock pot but with a basket and a degree'd temperature setting.
I used to use, and wish I still had, a large cast iron griswold dutch oven. The heavy cast iron was great for keeping the oil at temperature.
I want a nice large La Creuset dutch oven. As soon as I can bring myself to spend the $300+, maybe I'll get one.

I use different shortenings. Definitely peanut oil for certain special things (often things made with fried dough). I often use a solid shortening for things like chicken or appetizers ... often a solid shortening that is partially lard. Yep, lard is not very healthy, but I don't make deep fried things very often, and a good quality lard gives fried foods an incredible savory flavor that you really can't get any other way.

 

[Hemidoc]

For those of ya doing tortilla chips.
What's your method?
I've tried everything and my corn tortilla chips come out more chewy than crispy.
Right now I have some corn tortillas that I cut into 1/4s in the oven to dry out some and then drop in the fryer at 300.
What am I missing to get a crisp corn chip?

 

[unionrdr]

Don't take'em out of the oil so soon. If they're a bit chewy, they ain't done yet. Should be yellowy-golden brown. Plus, it seems to me mine was set at 325-375 to fry fish or chicken.

 

[Hemidoc]

Don't take'em out of the oil so soon. If they're a bit chewy, they ain't done yet. Should be yellowy-golden brown. Plus, it seems to me mine was set at 325-375 to fry fish or chicken.

Got it! Found my oil wasn't hot enough. Just gotta experiment a little more to get just right.
I just did two small batches. One I dried some in the oven on my pizza stone, then put into the fryer for three mins at 350 were a bit to brown.
Did another, just heated the oil to 350 and dropped in the tortillas for two minutes and change. We're getting close.

 

[unionrdr]

You basically want to flash fry them. That works the best for me to get'em crisp without being tough.

 

[vanishingpint]

Ok . Slight bump .I thought it was 15 lbs but when I dug in the freezer turned out to be 23 .Gots some wing fryi9ng to do tomorrow !

 

[imasickboy]

^^^That's a really good problem to have.

I typically fry chicken, potatoes, fish, onions, scotch eggs, and the occasional other vegetable. Home-friendly deep fryers are way too small, so I use a 5 gallon stainless pot. Easily used indoors or out.

 

[Temptd2]

I bought a small Oster deep fryer - we've been making homemade potato chips - plain salted, chile lime salted, and BBQ. Then we made a bunch of corn tortilla chips and used the chile lime salt. I see extra weight in my near future!

 

[GHBWNY]

My deep-fry experience is our annual Christmas tradition of deep-fried turkey. To make it even better, my son-in-law does everything from brining to carving. All I have to do is eat.

 

[unionrdr]

I don't remember the brand, but our son bought us one of those rectangular deep friers with the basket. They now have a wider two basket one I'd like to get. My wife used to work the hot deli @ Giant Eagle & folks came from the surrounding area to by wings, subs or pizza when she made them. They'd even ask if she made them before purchasing. We used to buy those big bags of chicken wings & she'd fry a mess of'em up with different sauces. Then some fries & a cold beer...

 

[Jacob_Marley]

This cast iron dutch oven is what I need to get. Been waiting to find a used one (frugal) but this looks about right ... the 9 quart looks just dandy.
http://www.webstaurantstore.com/lod...h-oven-with-spiral-bail-handle/530L12DO3.html

 

[unionrdr]

I got the 5Qt Lodge cast iron dutch oven for Christmas. Could be good for this stuff. I miss making fried chicken, fry bread, etc.

 

[vanishingpint]

My son used my single basket deep fryer and i manned my 8 qt. dutch oven on my propane burner.Man that dutch oven holds a steady temp like nobody's bidness.

 

[mikescooling]

Almost any kind of catfish, I let them soak in salt water for a day, then dust them with flour, then in egg, then in homemade bread crumbs. It has a golden brown crust that's hard to break through, then the tender white meat. when I go fishing, people don't understand why I get so happy when I'm only catching Bullheads.