If at first you don’t fricasse, fry, fry again

My husband and I don’t always see eye-to-eye on food, but there is one thing we do agree upon: almost every type of food benefits from being deep fried. While deep frying foods can be daunting – with a bubbling pot of hot oil there are many things that could go wrong – if you follow a few simple rules, you too can enjoy the tasty benefits of fried foods. Over at Epicurious, Katherine Sacks lays it all out with tips on achieving deep frying perfection. 

Temperature is a critical factor to ensure good results, so be sure to invest in an accurate thermometer. The sweet spot for many fried foods is 350°F, but you might need to go higher on certain foods to avoid a greasy outcome. Check with the recipe and do a test on one or two pieces to make sure you have the proper temperature for what you’re frying. 

Another important rule is to keep from overcrowding foods in your fryer. Whether you are using an electric deep fryer or a Dutch oven, only add as many items as will comfortably fit with room enough for expansion. Many fried foods grow once they hit the hot oil (especially items like doughnuts), so be sure to take that into account. Add items one by one instead of dumping them in all at once – this keeps the temperature from dropping too much. 

Other tips include a listing of the appropriate tools you’ll need to gather, along with advice on what to do with your foods post-frying. If you follow the rules suggested in the article, you will want to fry, fry again even after you nail the technique. 

Photo of French fries from Pure Delicious by Heather Cristo