Deep Fry at Home

Deep frying is very easy to do, and you can make many foods at home that you would otherwise have to buy pre-made. You can also control the amounts of sodium and fat going into your food, making it healthier than going out. Doughnuts, tempura, falafel, chicken, french fries -- hungry yet?

Steps

Setting Up

  1. Grab your wok, deep-walled saucepan, stockpot, or deep fryer. Some swear that the wok is easiest, mainly because it leads to less mess -- the angled walls catch more splashes of oil and it gives the hot oil more room to expand if things do go wrong. But anything with walls that are around 4 inches (10 cm) tall or more will get the job done just fine.
    • For the purpose of this article, we'll assume you're not working with a deep fryer. If you are, you're better off reading the instruction booklet for your particular model. It'll probably say something like, "Turn on. Fill to fill line. Put in food." It'll be very straightforward!
  2. Get out your candy or deep fry thermometer, tongs, fry basket, wooden spoon and/or deep fry spoon, if you have them. But if you don't have them, don't fret. Here's the gist on why these things are helpful but not necessary:
    • Many places swear that you need, need, need a thermometer. Your oil has to be around 350ºF (150ºC) (depending on the recipe) and the only way to know is a thermometer. However, if you don't have one, you can use a wooden spoon. If you put the tip in and the oil boils around it, you should be okay.
      • But if you plan on making a habit of this, it's best to invest in a thermometer.
    • Tongs, a fry basket, and a deep fry spoon are mainly for your safety. The last thing you want is hot oil on your skin, and these give you an extra foot or so of wiggle room. But they're not necessary for the process, no.
  3. Choose your oil. You want what's called a "neutral" oil with a high smoke point. Your best bets are peanut, soybean, grapeseed, sunflower, and pecan oils, or a blend of them. Restaurants often keep some previously used oil and add that to new oil to improve the frying process.
    • Can you use olive oil? Well, sure -- if you don't mind a burned, bitter taste and you're keeping it below 350ºF (150ºC). Olive oil has a lower smoke point (read: it'll burn more easily) than most other oils.[1]
    • Canola and vegetable oil are totally acceptable, cheap options, too. If you're in a pinch, these will be totally fine.
    • If you're rolling in the dough, use shortening or lard -- it'll result in food that's crispier and less greasy. Non-hydrogenated lard or beef fat is primo, top-shelf stuff.[2]

Frying Your Food

  1. Fill your vessel of choice with oil. How much do you need? Well, it depends on what you're frying and how big your vessel is. A good rule of thumb: the minimum is whatever will submerge your food about halfway. But if you have enough room and enough oil, aim for full submersion.
    • If your pan is on the shallow side, you want it about half full; a few inches of space is necessary for inevitable splashing.
  2. Heat the oil to the desired temperature. It should be in the range of 300-375ºF (150-190ºC). If your recipe doesn't clearly indicate it, your best bet is 325º to 350ºF (160-175ºC). That should equate to medium to medium high heat. Lower than that and your food won't crisp -- any higher and it'll burn before it's even close to done.
    • If you're sans a thermometer and you don't trust the wooden spoon method, there are a couple of other things you can try. A pinch of flour will sizzle nicely and not burn if you're at a good temperature; popcorn will pop nicely, too. And if you do a trial with your first piece of food, it should sink a little and then pop right back up. If it's too cold, it'll sink and stay there. Too hot and it'll never break the surface.
      • But again, a thermometer is best. These aren't super scientific methods.
  3. Make sure your food is dry before you put it in. Adding water to a pot of hot oil is just about the opposite of a good idea. It can cause the oil to jump and, worst case scenario, boil over your pot. Need a better reason? Frying is about removing water from your food. You're kinda defeating the process and asking for soggier food if there's extra water around.[3] So pat it down before you put it in.
  4. Place the food into the oil carefully, a bit at a time. Tongs or a basket can help keep things from splashing, but if you don't have those, just take it slow and easy. For long or large items, place the bottom of the item in oil and set the rest of it in away from you, ensuring that any splash or spatter goes the other direction.
    • Many novices get a little spooked and end up dropping in the food from feet above the pan. In two words: terrible idea. It'll just splash everywhere. You want to drop in the food from as close to the oil as possible. If you have a long item, submerge it slowly, only dropping it when most of it is already in the oil.
    • If you dump all of your food in there at once, the temperature of the oil will drop significantly. Instead, take it slow, bit by bit.
  5. Keep the food moving and prevent crowding. You want the oil to be on all sides of your food; if pieces are crowding together, they won't brown evenly. So make sure every piece has its own little turf to get the best, even crisp.
    • It's a good idea to keep the food moving for heating purposes, too. The room temperature food does bring down the temperature of the oil, so moving the food around prevents little pockets of cooler oil from forming.
  6. Wait, but don't go anywhere. Some items will take 30 seconds while others will take a few minutes. If you're deep frying a bowling ball, it'll take a bit longer -- but traditional things like chicken, doughnuts, and french fries won't take long at all. To know if something is done you can:
    • Look at it. If it is golden brown it is probably done, but you should make sure the inside is properly cooked, especially for larger pieces of food.
    • Stick a probe thermometer into it. Some even come with internal temperatures indicators that tell you when different things are done.
    • Stick a toothpick in. If it is at the desired level of softness then it is probably done. Some things need further testing.
    • Take a taste test. If it tastes done then it should be done. Only do this if the food is absolutely OK to eat; foods like eggs need to be properly cooked before tasting.
      • For this, make sure it's cooled down! A burned tongue can't taste the deliciousness that is about to ensue.
  7. Remove your food from the oil carefully when its finished and place onto a tray lined with paper towels. Your spider utensil will come in handy right about now, or you can use your tongs or just a spoon. Just don't use your fingers!
    • Be sure to turn the stove off! Grease fires are no fun. But while we're on that note, they're best suffocated by baking soda, a damp towel, or a fire extinguisher. Do not go running through the house with the pan, trying to escape.

Draining and Cleanup

  1. Drain the food prior to eating to remove the excess oil. That's what the tray (or plate) with paper towels is for. You could place it on a wire rack, but the absorption powers of the paper towels will be more effective than the excess oil just dripping off when it feels like.
    • Be sure all sides are drained to prevent any inevitable song. Pat all sides and flip your food as necessary, replacing the paper towels if need be.
    • If you're worried about your food becoming cold, you can throw it in your oven at a lower temperature (150-200ºF or 65-90ºC) to keep it warm. This is a good idea if you're waiting for the rest of your meal to finish, too.
  2. Season to taste while still warm. This part is all you. Salt? Pepper? Cumin, paprika, dill, curry, garlic, lemon? Of course, you can omit this stage, too! But if you do want to season, know that you should do it now. The tastes will absorb best while the food is still warm.
  3. Save your oil! Don't pour it down your drain! Don't do it! It's terrible for your drains and the environment -- and you can keep it for next time! Take a strainer or skimmer and get out all the solid bits that have escaped (do throw those away). Pour the oil (if it's not scalding hot) into a cup, and then funnel it into a container and place it in the fridge for safe-keeping. You can use the same oil several times over and your food will taste just as good.
    • Skeptical? Don't be. You will 100% know when oil has gone bad. It'll turn dark brown and smell terrible. If that's the case, keep it in its container and throw it out.
    • Never throw hot oil into a plastic garbage bag. That's asking for trouble. Always wait until your oil has cooled down before you do anything with it.

Trying It Out

  1. Make Delicious French Fries. One of the most basic things you can make using this method is french fries. It's pretty hard to create a nasty french fry and the sheer volume gives you lots of opportunities to perfect your strategy. You could also deep fry homemade potato chips or hashbrowns, too!
  2. Try deep frying a turkey. A turkey, when deep fried, can be ready in as little as 45 minutes. If you're looking for a spin on Thanksgiving (or just this weekend), you've found it! The wikiHow article is complete with sweet, sweet GIFs and all.
  3. Make deep fried ice cream. You've probably been to those restaurants that advertise this and inside you're always thinking, "How do they do it?!" Now you can do it yourself! You'll be the hit of any party with your hot and cold powers.
    • This can be done with any flavor and any type of outer coating. Don't just stick to vanilla and cornflakes if you don't want to!
  4. Try deep frying cheese. You can make this as classy and sophisticated as you'd like. Either turn your string cheese into homemade mozzarella cheese bites or get all fancy with fried, French cheeses as a modern take on an hors d'oeuvre. No matter your route, fried cheese? Good.
    • You can use a salsa-like dip, but jam is equally to die for!
  5. Make deep fried Snickers bars. Alright, it's time to put your cholesterol to the test. You've heard about it at state fairs, but up until now it was just myth. Now deep fried candy bars are in the comfort of your own home! Quick, what's an excuse to have a party this weekend? Everyone can bring their favorite candy bar and make a night of it! God, technology is amazing.
    • If it can be coated, it can be deep fried. Don't just stop at candy bars! Deep fried PB&J? Deep fried pizza? Deep fried Kool-Aid?[4] Mac n' cheese?! Lasagna?! STRAWBERRIES?! You're about to get into some dangerous waters -- experimenting with everything you can get your hands on!



Tips

  • Check the oil temperature occasionally after adding or removing food and adjust the heat accordingly, or better yet, get a deep fry thermometer that will give you a constant gauge of how hot your oil is.
  • Season directly after removing from the oil.
  • Always leave at least 3 inches of space at the top of your pot, to prevent oil from bubbling over when food is added.
  • Your food should all be roughly the same size for uniform frying.
  • To use a skimmer to clean the oil, swirl the oil in one direction. Then place the skimmer in, going the other way.
  • The more oil used, the more constant the temperature of the oil will be, and the longer it will take for the oil to get too cold or hot.

Warnings

  • Never put cold water or ice into hot oil. It becomes very violent.
  • Metal objects can get very hot.
  • Do not use plastic or rubber implement in the oil.
  • Do not overcrowd the pot. Your food won't fry well.
  • The oil splatters and can burn you, so put the food in gently use a long spoon and cover your arms, but remember that oil stains.
  • Do not, under any circumstances, drain or serve the food on newspaper. The ink comes off and is toxic. There is a reason it was outlawed.
  • The oil and food will be very hot. Depending on which oil you use, if you use a regular pan it could explode if the temperature is raised too high. In other words, buy a thermometer if not using a designated deep fryer.
  • When filling the vessel, plan for the volume of the food you will add. If the food displaces so much oil that it spills over the edges and onto your heat source, you will have a fire on your hands.
  • Make sure there are no flammable items near the area you are frying in.

Things You'll Need

  • Oil (peanut, soybean, grapeseed, sunflower, pecan, vegetable, canola)
  • A frying vessel (this need not be a deep fryer, it could be a dutch oven or even a stockpot, deep-walled saucepan or wok)
  • Deep fry or candy thermometer (optional, but recommended)
  • Paper towels or a draining rack
  • Seasonings to taste, such as salt and pepper
  • A slotted or spider spoon (optional)
  • Fry basket (optional)
  • Tongs (optional)
  • Wooden spoon (optional)

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://food52.com/blog/5639-deep-frying-without-fear
  2. ↑ http://www.culinate.com/columns/bacon/deep_frying
  3. ↑ http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/06/wok-skills-101-how-to-deep-fry-at-home.html
  4. ↑ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/20/deep-fried-kool-aid_n_880268.html
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