46 votes

Can I deep fry food in butter instead of vegetable oil?

You can certainly deep-fry foods in clarified butter (also known as ghee) and in lard. In fact, there are many foods that are traditionally fried in these fats. They both have very high smoke ...
FuzzyChef's user avatar
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25 votes
Accepted

Why does my deep fryer say not to use peanut oil?

On the T-fal USA website, they address this in their FAQ section. (A quick check on the UK Tefal site shows the same question.) Regardless of which model of fryer you have, it seems that all of their ...
AMtwo's user avatar
  • 8,987
23 votes

Can you can items using a deep frier instead of a pressure canner?

In theory, it may be possible to kill all of the contaminants inside your jars using a deep fryer. However, I would not call it "safe," since there is possibly more risk of getting hurt from ...
Esther's user avatar
  • 2,247
22 votes
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What's the difference between a deep fryer and a chip pan?

The part that handles the food is comparable, as you noted: A container for the hot oil plus a basket to lift the food out again. But the difference is in the periphery: A chip pan is just a pan (...
Stephie's user avatar
  • 57.8k
22 votes

On a naked chicken (skin on, but no coating, batter) is there any benefit of double frying?

I believe you are referring to this article? https://www.seriouseats.com/2012/01/the-food-lab-how-to-make-best-buffalo-wings-fry-again-ultimate-crispy-deep-fried-buffalo-wings.html Funny enough, I ...
Croves's user avatar
  • 658
20 votes

Can I deep fry food in butter instead of vegetable oil?

No, you cannot deep-fry in butter. It simply can't handle the heat; it will brown and burn before you reach deep-frying temperatures. In a comment you say that vegetable oils are unstable when heated,...
ElectronicToothpick's user avatar
20 votes
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Can you can items using a deep frier instead of a pressure canner?

That’s a nice thought, but physics make it impossible. It’s not about the external temperature, but about internal temperature, in the jars. The contents of the jar are (hugely simplified) water, ...
Stephie's user avatar
  • 57.8k
16 votes

Why not fry a turkey on a portable induction stove?

There's no reason you can't use a portable induction ring, as long as you can find one with the power to heat up a big pot of oil and keep it at the right temperature. The challenge you'll have is ...
GdD's user avatar
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16 votes
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Why can't you use lard or dripping in an electric deep fat fryer?

I’m going to use the manual for my Bella 1.5L Deep Fryer as an example. There are two different kinds of reasons: the superficial reason, and the underlying reason. The superficial reason is a ...
Jerry Stratton's user avatar
15 votes
Accepted

Can falafel be made using previously frozen chickpeas?

I made 4 test case batches: Dried chickpeas, soaked for 24 hours Dried chickpeas, soaked for 24 hours, frozen, then thawed Canned chickpeas Canned chickpeas, frozen, then thawed I tested with canned ...
Will Da Silva's user avatar
14 votes

what cooking oil(s) produce the crispiest and least greasy fried foods

The desired texture of 'crispness' is the result of many factors, and oil choice is generally not the biggest factor. Consider a french fry. The generally accepted best practice for fries is a blanch ...
MarsJarsGuitars-n-Chars's user avatar
11 votes
Accepted

How are Belgian fries different than the average French fries found in North America?

All of the sources I read say the same thing... what makes them different is that they're fried twice. From Saveur: Frites are the supercharged cousin to paltry American-style fries: made from ...
Catija's user avatar
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11 votes

I'm pretty sure these aren't scones, but what are they?

This is a staple of Balkan cuisine. You will see it named Lángos (and derivatives) in Hungary and Mekitza (and derivatives) in Slavic languages. Either of these words is used in Western Europe, ...
rumtscho's user avatar
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10 votes
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I'm pretty sure these aren't scones, but what are they?

Fried Dough As mentioned in comment, it's something I'm mostly used to seeing at fairs - the dough does not do well in a communal fryer where it could pick up other flavors (hmm, fishy fried dough - ...
Ecnerwal's user avatar
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10 votes
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Making crunchy creamy hash browns

The way I have achieved this is by gently simmering the potato cubes until they soften. (You want them pretty much cooked, but not so done that they won't hold together well.) I also lightly salt ...
Cindy's user avatar
  • 18.3k
10 votes

Can I deep fry food in butter instead of vegetable oil?

As @ElectricToothpick said, the milk solids in butter will brown and burn, so that's not a good option. Since ghee has had the milk solids removed, that's not an issue. Traditionally, rendered animal ...
kitukwfyer's user avatar
  • 5,204
10 votes

On a naked chicken (skin on, but no coating, batter) is there any benefit of double frying?

It does help, yes. The first frying acts to partially dehydrate the skin, while partially hydrolysing the collagen into gelatin. The second frying then completes the dehydration and "puffing up". If ...
Sneftel's user avatar
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10 votes
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How can I hold a battered Mars bar in a deep fryer without leaving any chocolate exposed?

Put in on a stick. Depending on the size of the bar a toothpick may be sufficient. Just make sure the batter covers the stick a little where it goes into the bar.
Debbie M.'s user avatar
  • 5,325
9 votes
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Low-calorie French Fries

Isn't the oil (and bad oil temperature), the main reason for calories in fried food, not the vegetables themselves? Just coating in corn starch will not help at all, the moisture in the vegetable ...
Max's user avatar
  • 20.4k
8 votes

Cause of foam in fried chicken pan?

Further editing about other causes of oil foaming It never occurred to me to add reasons other than lecithin leaching into oil as a cause of foaming. I hope most people don't re-use their oil for ...
Jude's user avatar
  • 3,963
8 votes

Why are we frying in the oil, but not in any other liquid? (besides the temperature)

We do cook over 100C in a pressure cooker, but not enough to brown food, as this would take very high pressures. It probably wouldn't be safe or economical at home, and doesn't have enough of an ...
Chris H's user avatar
  • 43.1k
8 votes

Best way to Store and Rewarm Fried Chicken

Nothing you do will be perfect but here are a few things you can do to help. When done frying dry well in a dry space. Sealed spaces will trap the moisture released by the chicken as it cools. ...
Summer's user avatar
  • 3,022
8 votes

Can I deep fry food in butter instead of vegetable oil?

Electronic Toothpick is correct about deep frying in butter. Lard, however, is perfectly acceptable for deep frying. French fries taste better fried in lard (imho). Solid fats in general are still ...
wumpus D'00m's user avatar
  • 4,021
8 votes

Deep frying with tallow in a stainless steel pot

I don't think you will have the risk of fire, as long as you keep the oil in the pot. Temperature will modulate more quickly than in cast iron, but it is not going to vary much within the pot itself. ...
moscafj's user avatar
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7 votes
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Can deep frying oil be too hot?

Yes, certainly. Deep frying only works well in a very narrow temperature range. The optimal temperature is different for every food, but it's in the 180 to 210 Celsius range. The needed temperature ...
rumtscho's user avatar
  • 135k
7 votes
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Why are my apple fritters too doughy in the center?

The overcooked exterior and undercooked interior indicates that your oil temperature is too high or your fritters are too large. You should be able to solve your problem by frying at a lower ...
Debbie M.'s user avatar
  • 5,325
7 votes
Accepted

What do the numbers on my deep fryer dial mean?

I am pretty certain these are degrees in Celsius. They cannot be degrees in Fahrenheit, that wouldn't deepfry a thing if they were. Similarly, unless you have a fryer which can only fry a single ...
rumtscho's user avatar
  • 135k
7 votes

I'm pretty sure these aren't scones, but what are they?

Fry bread. They are often served as tacos with savory toppings. Sweet toppings like butter, honey, or cinnamon are also common. They are also similar to sopapillas. As far as I can tell, these are ...
Sobachatina's user avatar
  • 47.5k
7 votes

I'm pretty sure these aren't scones, but what are they?

It's a party food also in the south of Italy, usually prepared as street food too. We call it "pizzillo", and it's made by deep frying the same bread dough used for Naples' pizza, and served with a ...
lorenzo-s's user avatar
  • 171
7 votes

I have a built in deep fryer outside. Is it safe to leave oil in it

Assuming that your fryer is protected from the elements, the safety issues for an outdoor fryer are the same as for an indoor one. Fryer oil can be used over and over again. It absolutely does not ...
Jolenealaska's user avatar
  • 58.4k

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