Do You Deep Fry?

[Rocklobster]

Yeah, I rarely deep fry in the winter at home, don't have the exhaust system to make inside work for me.

Do you use your commercial kitchen for deep frying inside?

Not any more. I finally phased out deep fryers when we started our current place. I didn’t want to have to deal with them any more. 20 years in a family restaurant and 10 more in our deli. I’m done with those. Now I just have a convection oven, range and smoker.

 

[blissful]

Us, not anymore. No deep frying, shallow frying, frying in oil at all.
There's nothing quite like hot crispy deep fried foods.

I use oil in salves and medicinal oils.

 

[pictonguy]

Not any more. I finally phased out deep fryers when we started our current place. I didn’t want to have to deal with them any more. 20 years in a family restaurant and 10 more in our deli. I’m done with those. Now I just have a convection oven, range and smoker.

Oh, ok. I thought you used a fryer called a grandpappy or something and used a fan on your stove?

 

[caseydog]

So, do you deep fry?

I grew up in Texas, so what do you think?

CD

 

[caseydog]

The oil should be filtered after each use and after it's cooled of course, and cheesecloth works well, then put in an airtight opaque container and ideally refrigerated or in a cool place and if using a refined seed oil then I would recommend that you use fresh oil or at best use it one more time and then dispose of it.

I use peanut oil for deep frying. It seems to be more stable. If I strain it after use, I can get five or six uses.

Seed oils seem to be the least stable, from my experience. Especially sesame oil.

CD

 

[caseydog]

We deep fry every once and a while. Never usually anything big, just a side of finger foods or egg rolls, etc. It's just my wife and I so we don't do much at any time. I have this fryer called the Grandpappy. There is a smaller version called the Fry Daddy. It uses about 3 cups of oil and heats to 350. When I am done using it, I let it cool overnight and then filter the oil using a food grade filter and a larger measuring cup. Give the machine a quick wash and pour the oil back in. I use avocado oil or beef tallow I render at the shop. It has a tight fitting lid so I snap that on and put the whole thing in the freezer until I need it again. The chord disconnects so it goes into the utility drawer. There is a fill line inside to top it up. Every few uses I'll chuck the oil and start over. Especially if I used it for fish or onion rings..lol. Works good for me. When the weather is decent I have a table just outside the kitchen door on the back deck where I'll use it.

View attachment 76629

I used to have a FryDaddy. Downside, it only had one temperature setting. Upside, it was super easy to clean.

CD

 

[caseydog]

Are any of those fryers capable of filtering the smell?? Doesn't have to be perfect but at least to where you don't smell it for days on end?

If the weather is good, I sometimes take my deep fryer out to the patio, especially if I am frying fish.

CD

 

[dcSaute]

the only 'regular' thing here that gets a deep fry is beer battered butterfly shrimp.
now,,, frying for two . . . I can use a small pan on a gas cooktop with an exhausting hood . . ~2 cups of oil.
shrimp cook so quick I can do 2-3 batches and serve them all 'still hot.'

our local Royal Farms does really good fried chicken - in the past I've done 'southern fried chicken' in a CI skillet about half-up with oil - same hood, etc. but for the work, we now just buy it the 2-3x/year.

 

[FrankZ]

the only 'regular' thing here that gets a deep fry is beer battered butterfly shrimp.
now,,, frying for two . . . I can use a small pan on a gas cooktop with an exhausting hood . . ~2 cups of oil.
shrimp cook so quick I can do 2-3 batches and serve them all 'still hot.'

our local Royal Farms does really good fried chicken - in the past I've done 'southern fried chicken' in a CI skillet about half-up with oil - same hood, etc. but for the work, we now just buy it the 2-3x/year.

I love me some Royal Farms chicken.

 

[grumpyoldman]

i have 4 deep fryers ...yes 4 of them 2 of them are residential fryer with a 1 gallon cap. 1 counter top commercial with a cap. of 1 3/4 gallon and the grand daddy of them all is my Cajon fryer with a cap. of 5 gallons. so yea i think its fair to say i deep fry a little ..lol

 

[dcSaute]

@FrankZ
yup. I was surprised, but not unexpectedly so, to see it top rated in 'gas station chicken'
alas, it is semi-local: Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia and North Carolina. if you gotta' go, pick the busiest location . . .

I have seen "Sysco" type trucks delivering there - wonder if they have a proprietary 'coating' or ???
whether it is the batter or the cook/fry technique . . . dang good fried chicken!

my best for 50 years,,, is my MIL procedure - soak in ice water, batter in seasoned flour, air dry, re-dredge,,, then a rather slow half-deep fry. flip and resume. absolutely NOT "fast food"
but most definitely worth 'waiting' for.

prolly why the Colonel opted for 'other methods'

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

...and the grand daddy of them all is my Cajon fryer with a cap. of 5 gallons.

You need some real cajones to use that one!

I have a T-Fal EZ Clean deep fryer that holds almost a gallon of oil. I used to use peanut oil but it got too expensive for a retiree on social security, so now I use vegetable oil. I have an air fryer, but some things don't taste right unless they are fried in oil.

Mostly I deep fry French fries and/or battered fish filets, but I also love to make monte cristos for Sunday brunch. I like that I can drain the oil into the holding tank, remove the heating element and the bucket, scrub it out, dry it, reassemble it and return the oil to the bucket, all clean and filtered.

 

[FrankZ]

@FrankZ
yup. I was surprised, but not unexpectedly so, to see it top rated in 'gas station chicken'
alas, it is semi-local: Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia and North Carolina. if you gotta' go, pick the busiest location . . .

I have seen "Sysco" type trucks delivering there - wonder if they have a proprietary 'coating' or ???
whether it is the batter or the cook/fry technique . . . dang good fried chicken!

my best for 50 years,,, is my MIL procedure - soak in ice water, batter in seasoned flour, air dry, re-dredge,,, then a rather slow half-deep fry. flip and resume. absolutely NOT "fast food"
but most definitely worth 'waiting' for.

prolly why the Colonel opted for 'other methods'

I sometimes think it a tad too salty, but we are not big on salty. Yes, you have to know which one is busy and get it fresh.

I will say it is not often you see pressure fryers in a "gas station" that sells chicken. Though the two RoFos we use don't actually have gas.

 

[Linda0818]

Rarely. I get anxiety about all the oil used just to make a quick dish, then it sits until I have to throw it away. So it's not really worth the money for me. I wouldn't mind using my deep fryer more often, though. It's a fairly nice one with the basket that lowers down in and the lid closes as it's frying the food, which keeps oil from going everywhere.

My son's been wanting me to make "real fried chicken" (rather than oven-fry it, like I normally do) but that intimidates the heck out of me. I'm always afraid the chicken will look beautiful and brown and crisp on the outside, but still be raw on the inside.

Maybe I'll start practicing with temperatures and cook times. Practice makes perfect, right? I won't know until I try.

 

[dragnlaw]

When Mom made donuts there were 5 kids all clamouring and clambering over each other to be first in line for when they cooled.

You could always start your practice with the donuts and work your way up to the chicken. Lastly fish.
That's 3 meals spaced over a couple of weeks should make you feel better of the use of the oil.

Use a htermometer for your meat.

 

[Linda0818]

When Mom made donuts there were 5 kids all clamouring and clambering over each other to be first in line for when they cooled.

You could always start your practice with the donuts and work your way up to the chicken. Lastly fish.
That's 3 meals spaced over a couple of weeks should make you feel better of the use of the oil.

Use a htermometer for your meat.

Now, see, I can do fish. I'll sometimes make fish & chips. It's the chicken that worries me. But yep, my meat thermometer will definitely have to come into play. I use it all the time when making baked chicken.

My mom used to make donuts too. They were so good. She would also make giant homemade beer pretzels, but those weren't deep fried. Still good, though. Soft and warm and chewy and mmmmmmmm.

 

[grumpyoldman]

chicken is easy, we fry a lot of chicken and here is how not to have to worry about it being done , oil temp 340-350 degrees , big pieces like breasts thighs and legs , fry for 20 minutes , wings will be done in 15 minutes
works everytime

 

[pictonguy]

I've never cooked chicken wings for 15 minutes, mostly 8 to 10 max. My preferred method is to sous vide wings and then deep fry to brown, if I remember and have the time.

 

[dragnlaw]

I know I've had wings and I liked them - but I don't remember when or where it was. Don't think I've ever ordered them in a restaurant or such and I know I've never made them myself.
Only chicken wings I've ever cooked have still been attached to the bird.

 

[grumpyoldman]

it does kinda depend on how thick the wings are , the thick one's that look like legs take a bit longer than the little flat ones , but at 15 minutes you will never have to worry about them being done

some one asked how to dispose of the oil , its biodegradable so i just put it back in the container it came it and put it in the garbage , never had a problem