Recipes

[momtochloe]

 I am very new to deep frying and have a few questions if you folks have a moment.

I have just tried frying fish and it came out rather well but my questions are:

1. After you pull the fish out of the oil, do you place it on a rack or on paper (I used brown paper bags not entirely successful in my opinion)?
2. Do you strain and save your oil or use fresh every time?
3. What type of oil do you recommend for frying?
4. How on earth do you get the smell of fish fry out of your house???

I am going to attempt chicken next but wanted to hear what you ladies have to say about these questions (and then after I attempt chicken that will be volume two).  

Any assistance you can lend will be most gratefully appreciated.

Thank you in advance!

[IamMrsG]

Congratulations, Mtc, on your success!  Here are my answers to your questions:

1.  I drain onto paper towels, although your brown paper bags are good, too.  

2.  Saving the oil  depends on what you last fried in it.  Flavors are retained in the oil, and, of course, "debris" falls to the bottom.  So, French fries?  Sure.  Fish?  Not so much.

3.  I use solid Crisco vegetable shortening.  It will re-solidify after use and prevents spillage.

4.  The fish odor can be tough.  A bowlful of vinegar left out on the counter overnight helps.  I've heard coffee grounds work,  too.  

Good luck!      --Mrs. G. 

[IamMrsG]

I'm experiencing Gremlins this morning.  I answered this before, but my post neither posted nor was autosaved.  Let's try again:

1.  I use paper towels to drain onto, but your paper bag would work well, too.  Some may tell you it's unsanitary, but I wouldn't adhere to that.

2.  Saving the oil depends on its last use.  Flavors, odors and 'debris' are held by the oil.  So, French Fries?  Sure.  Fish?  No.

3.  I use Crisco solid vegetable shortening.  I like that it re-solidifies, preventing spillage.

4.  Fish odors are tough.  A bowlful of vinegar on the counter overnight helps.  I've heard coffee grounds do, too.

Congratulations, Mtc, on your efforts.  Continued good success to you!  --Mrs. G

[adoreqvc]

mtc whenever I deep fry I always have paper towels ready to place the fried food on. It has to drain the grease away, or foods will retain the greasy flavor. 

I always fry using peanut oil since it has a very high frying point.

I like batter dipped fish so I always use peanut oil. 

Same for all my fried foods, as I always trust peanut oil.

I do not save the fried peanut oil since it must be strained well, and with the large amount of frying I do, the oil is really used to the point it must be discarded. 

You can save it if you wish and are not frying a large quantity, but you have to be sure to strain it well through some paper towels like bounty or through cheese cloth to get all the tiny fried bits out. Always let it cool off before you store it.

Some people place it in the refrigerator, and some leave it out in a covered container.

As for getting that smell out mtc you really need a pro fan with a very powerful motor and an outside exhaust to get that out. (I have one but still also like to use natural items to scent the air like simmering a mixture of cinnamon sticks, cloves, whole allspice and a couple of bay leaves).

It puts a bit of warm moisture back into the air and it smells absolutely divine. (It is also great for masking most odors quite well).  

You can also look at the deep fryers now which are electric and have charcoal filters you can wash and re-use, or you can also just replace those inexpensive charcoal filters.

They keep the odor trapped inside the fryer, so it does not permeate the entire house. (Do open and close fast though, so the room does not get the fried food odor).

You can also place a box type fan on exhaust against another window so it will pull the air put of your frying area......All these options are what I can advise in lieu of buying an electric fryer with a charcoal filter which traps the odors.

I'll post back with some links as to the type of deep fryer I am referring to...

http://www.amazon.com/Presto-05442-CoolDaddy-Cool-touch-Fryer/dp/B00066XRO4/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1...

mtc Amazon has so many electric type deep fryers, so look there for more deep fryers with reusable charcoal filters, and regular charcoal filters, which are inexpensive to replace.

Page me if you need more help.

[ChiliPepper]

Hi mtc!

When I fried, I would put everything on paper towels out of the fryer, they absorb the excess oil.

I always allowed my oil to cool somewhat, strained it, stored it in the fridge & re-used it several times. Some people leave it out but I was afraid it would go rancid.

The smell issue is a tough one. That's why I go out for fish fry LOL!

[Zhills]

I would not save oil after frying fish unless I were going to use it soon for frying more fish.

I would strain and keep (or filter drain) in the fridge.  I don't deep fry often.

[mousiegirl]

When I lift the food from the pot, I hold it with tongs or a slotted utensil and touch it briefly on paper towels, then place on a rack over a pan, otherwise, the bottom will get soggy, and the point of deep frying is to get that wonderful crispy, crunchy crust.

[RedTop]

I also drain fried foods on paper towels. I use vegetable oil for French fries, onion rings and hush puppies. I strain the oil, store in the refrigerator, and use several times when cooking fries, but once I cook onion rings, or hush puppies in it, I throw it out and start fresh next time. My husband and daughters are the only ones who eat fish here, and while it cooks, I simmer a pan of water and white vinegar on the stove to help get rid of the smell.

[momtochloe]

Oh thank you all so much for all your replies.  I have learned so much, it was exactly what I was looking for!

I know you can always Google, but sometimes you want to speak with people who's opinions you trust and that's why I came here.

Thanks again everybody!