How to deep-fry without a deep fat fryer

How to deep-fry without a deep fat fryer

How to deep-fry without a deep fat fryer

21 May 2015

How to deep-fry without a deep fat fryer

While many home and professional kitchens have a deep fat fryer for frying, it isn’t an essential piece of equipment – all you need is a frying pan, some cooking oil and a slotted spoon. A kitchen thermometer is very useful when trying to control the temperature of the oil but, again, not essential.

The best oils to use for deep-frying are flavourless with high smoking points, for example, sunflower, groundnut and vegetable oil.

Method

1
Pour the oil into a deep saucepan – make sure you do not fill the pan to above 1/3 full as hot oil can expand and be extremely hazardous
2
Place the pan over a high heat (if you are heating the oil over a gas flame, ensure that the flames do not extend further than the width of the pan so there is no danger of igniting the oil)
3
Heat the oil to the desired temperature (usually between 180˚C and 200˚C) and monitor it with a thermometer, if you have one. If you don’t have a thermometer, test whether the oil is ready by dropping in a small cube of bread – it should turn golden brown within 15 seconds if the oil is hot enough
4
Using a slotted spoon, carefully immerse the ingredient in the oil and cook as per instructions.
5
After use, leave the oil to cool completely; it can then be passed through a sieve and reused. Oil can be used 3-4 times

Tips

For safety reasons, never leave a pan of hot oil unattended.

Make sure the ingredients you are deep-frying are completely dry before immersing in the oil – any residual liquid will cause the oil to splatter which is dangerous.

Always deep-fry in small batches and lower the ingredients into the oil carefully.

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