ISO uses/advice on a fryer

[watermelonman]

I made onion rings at a friend's place last weekend and really enjoyed both making and eating them.

Now I kind of want my own fryer. What else is there to do other than make onion rings? Do homemade french frys come out well? What about other food items?

 

[kitchenelf]

Cut small pieces of fish and fry them. I've got a grouper recipe around here somewhere that has a distinctive Asian flair. Fried shrimp. Tempura which would be using a tempura batter and frying cauliflower, broccoli, onions wedges or rings, mushrooms, green beans, and even batter pieces of sushi rolls and frying them. There are Thai or Vietnamese spring rolls. Do you want more convincing?

 

[Andy M.]

Crab rangoon, egg rolls, french fries, chicken wings, fish and chips, fried chicken, onion rings...

This Europro below is a good choice. It holds 5 quarts of oil and all the parts except the digital control unit are dishwasher safe. A large oil capacity is beneficial because it will hold the heat better when you add the food so the items will fry better.

,

 

[bowlingshirt]

I purchased a deep fryer several years ago and don't regret it one bit. Here's a link with a bunch of fryer recipes.

Deep Fried Recipes - Recipes for Deep Fryer

 

[mugsy27]

i agree with andy m. i got that exact fryer from target for about $50. makes some mean chicken wings, freedom fries, onion rings...u name it!!

 

[sattie]

Agree with Andy M and mugsy27.. I too got the same fryer and love it!!! Does wonderful deep fried chicken!!!! I love the temp control and timer.

 

[watermelonman]

Cool, thanks.

How well do homemade french frys and homemade donuts work?

 

[Andy M.]

They both can be as good as, or better than, store/restaurant bought.

You need a good technique, a good recipe and practice.

 

[watermelonman]

That's good to know about the larger amounts of oil. I don't think I would put that much food in there, though, at least not frequently. Do you drop the oil level when only cooking a few small items, or does it need to be full to operate well? How much oil do you typically use?

Also, I've read that people sometimes leave the oil in the fryer between uses. Does that work fine with all brands and models?

 

[Barb L.]

I bought one similar to the one above (on the net), love it. I use peanut oil and there is a min. and max oil line to use. I do leave my oil in while storing. We don't use it weekly but would not be without it.

 

[Andy M.]

That's good to know about the larger amounts of oil. I don't think I would put that much food in there, though, at least not frequently. Do you drop the oil level when only cooking a few small items, or does it need to be full to operate well? How much oil do you typically use?

Also, I've read that people sometimes leave the oil in the fryer between uses. Does that work fine with all brands and models?

You can use the oil more than once and leave it in the fryer between uses.

I fill the fryer to the max. level so it's already for any frying. Also, that extra oil helps maintain temperature.

 

[pacanis]

I have a Waring Pro. And while I don't think it lives up to the reviews it received on Amazon when I got it last year, it does fry.
I use it for french fries all the time. If I want them crispy I make sure to cut them "McDonald's size". Sometimes I make my own potato chips, too. They are something I usually don't buy or have a taste for all the time, but the fryer does a great job at this when I'm in the mood for some chips. I've done wings in the fryer, but for the quantity I like to eat I find the grill works better. I don't like cooking things in batches. A recipe I recently got for popcorn chicken is probably my next "new food" to try in the fryer.
I use a blend of peanut oil and vegetable oil I bought at Wally World supposedly "specially made" for frying foods. It works.

 

[bowlingshirt]

I use it for french fries all the time. If I want them crispy I make sure to cut them "McDonald's size".

The key to making crispy fries is to cook them twice.

 

[pacanis]

The key to making crispy fries is to cook them twice.

Been there, done that. Several times even. The recipes that came with the fryer also mentioned this method. Unless I got a defunct fryer that doesn't reach its 375F potential, the larger than McDonald's size fries only got crispy if they were dark brown
Do you think switching to straight peanut oil would help? I prefer a thicker french fry than what I currently make.

 

[Andy M.]

Been there, done that. Several times even. The recipes that came with the fryer also mentioned this method. Unless I got a defunct fryer that doesn't reach its 375F potential, the larger than McDonald's size fries only got crispy if they were dark brown
Do you think switching to straight peanut oil would help? I prefer a thicker french fry than what I currently make.

A different oil won't effect the crispiness. For the second frying is you rfryer's temp at the highest setting? If the oil was a little hotter, the fries will crisp quicker.

 

[Caine]

I have the Philips HD6161, which I purchased at Target about three years ago, and I am extremely happy with it.

​

It holds approximately 1 gallon of oil, and I use canola oil, which I can buy in a gallon plastic jug much cheaper than the same quantity of peanut oil. When I am finished frying, after a complete cool down of course, I pour the oil back into the plastic jug through a gold coffee filter neatly fitted inside a big funnel, which fits snugly into the neck of the jug. I put the used oil back under the kitchen sink, and I put all the parts of the fryer except the contol module, including the funnel and filter, into the dishwasher. Sometimes, if I deep fry something on Friday or Saturday night, I will leave the oil in the deep fryer and make monte cristos for breakfast the next day, but I never store the unit with oil in it.

I will use the oil anywhere from 2 to 5 more times, depending on what I have cooked in it and if it smells like what I cooked in it (i.e. fish). Then I toss the whole jug full of used oil into the dumpster and buy a new one.​

 

[pacanis]

A different oil won't effect the crispiness. For the second frying is you rfryer's temp at the highest setting? If the oil was a little hotter, the fries will crisp quicker.

Yes. I think the recipe called for 350 to start and 375 to finish. Then I tried 375 for both "sessions". I always made sure the temp light registered heated back up to temp.... I could never get that golden brown and crisp until I started cutting them thinner.

edit: And thanks for letting me know oils don't effect crispness

 

[keltin]

There are a couple of things to consider. The potato used should be a starchy potato such as Idaho or Russet. All the potatoes should be uniform in shape and size so that they all cook at the same rate. You need to fry in small batches since adding too many fries at once can drop the temp of the oil. Recommended size is 1/4” to 1/2" thick.

The fist frying should be done at 325 degrees F until they are pale in color and limp. They should then be drained on paper towels until completely cooled. Then fry them again at 375 F till crisp.

I too used to start at 350 and never got good results. Try starting at 325 for 5 or so minutes or until they are just starting to get color and are limp.

 

[Caine]

Buy a bag of frozen french fries (I prefer crinkle cut). Lower them slowly, still frozen, into 375F oil and cook them until they float, then leave them until the desired color is achieved. Always crispy and delicious.

 

[keltin]

Buy a bag of frozen french fries (I prefer crinkle cut). Lower them slowly, still frozen, into 375F oil and cook them until they float, then leave them until the desired color is achieved. Always crispy and delicious.

Yeah, the bagged fries always come out perfect, no matter how thick they are. I actually cook more bagged fries than I do homemade fries. The new “Fast Fries” are thin like McDonald fries, and fry up in 3 – 4 minutes and are super crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside. Good stuff. The thick steak fries are good, but like you, I eat more crinkles than anything.