Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 4: The preparation
• Part 2 of 4: Deep-frying your food
• Part 3 of 4: Dripping and cleaning
• Part 4 of 4: Try it out for yourself
• Tips
• Warnings
• Necessities

Frying is very easy to do and you can make a lot of food at home that you would otherwise have to buy as a product in the store. You also have full control over the amount of salt and fat in the food, making it healthier compared to eating out. Donuts, tempura, falafel, chicken, French fries - hungry yet?

To step

Part 1 of 4: The preparation

1. Grab your wok, a deep saucepan, stockpot or deep fryer. Some swear that a wok is the easiest, mainly because it creates less mess - the sloping walls trap more oil splashes and the oil has more room to expand in case something goes wrong. But anything with a height of around 10 cm or more is fine.
   • For the purpose of this article, we assume that you are not using a deep fryer. If you do, it is better to take the manual of your device than this article. It probably says something like, "Turn it on. Put the food in it." As simple as that!
2. Bring a candy or frying thermometer, tongs, basket, wooden spoon, or frying spoon, if you have one. If you don't have all of this, don't worry. Here's an explanation of why these things are useful, but not necessary:
   • In many places you will read that you "absolutely" need a thermometer. The oil should be around 150ºC (depending on the recipe) and the only way to find out is with a thermometer. But if you don't have one, you can always use a wooden spoon. If you stick the tip of the spoon in the oil and bubbles form around it, it should be okay.
     • But if you plan to make deep frying a habit, it is best to invest in a thermometer.
   • Tongs, frying basket and frying spoon are mainly for your own safety. The last thing you want is hot oil on your skin, and these things reduce the chances of that. But they are not necessary.
3. Choose your oil. Choose a "neutral" oil with a high boiling temperature. It is best to take peanut, sunflower or pecan oil, or a mix of them. Restaurants often use leftover oil and add oil to make frying more smoothly.
   • Can you use olive oil? Well, you can - if you don't suffer from the slightly burnt, bitter taste and you keep the temperature below 150ºC. Olive oil has a lower boiling point (read: it burns more easily) than most oils.
   • Canola and vegetable oil are also completely acceptable and inexpensive. If you have little money, this is a great option.
   • If you're swimming in the money, you can also use shortening or lard - this will result in crunchier, less greasy food. Non-hydrogenated lard or cooking fat is fine top-shelf stuff.

Part 2 of 4: Deep-frying your food

1. Fill the pan of your choice with oil. How much do you need? This depends on what you are frying and the size of your pan. A good rule of thumb: the minimum is that which comes halfway through the food to be fried. But if you have enough space and enough oil, put in so much that the food floats.
   • If your pan is a bit shallow, fill it halfway; you need a few inches of leeway for oil splash.
2. Heat the oil to the desired temperature. This is in the range of 150-190ºC. If the recipe doesn't clearly state this, then the best bet is 160-175ºC. That should be enough for medium to medium-high heat. Lower than that and the food will not get crispy-higher and the food will burn before it even comes close to being cooked.
   • If you don't have a thermometer and don't completely trust the wooden spoon method, there are a few other things you can try. A little flour will sizzle nicely and will not burn when it is at the right temperature; popcorn will also pop well. If you do a test with some bread, it will first sink for a while and then immediately float to the top. If the oil is too cold, it will sink and stay there. Too hot and it never settles down.
     • But again, a thermometer is best. The foregoing are not exactly scientific.
3. Make sure your food is dry before putting it in the oil. Putting water in a pan of hot oil is the opposite of a good idea. This can cause the oil to splash everywhere and, in the worst-case scenario, boil over the edge. Need a better reason? Frying is about it remove of water from your food. You undo that process and thus ask for soggy food if there is extra water nearby. So pat it dry before frying it.
4. Gently put the food into the oil, a little at a time. Tongs or a frying basket can help keep it from splashing, but if you don't have any, just take it easy. If you have larger food, place the bottom part of it in the oil and the rest so that it faces away from you, so that any splashes or splashes jump the other way.
   • Many beginners may find this a bit scary and move on to dropping the food to be fried in the oil. In three words: a terribly bad idea. The oil will splash in all directions. Try to "put the food in the pan as close to the oil as possible". If you have a long item, dip it in the oil and only let go of the rest at the end, when most of it has already gone into the oil.
   • Tipping all food into the oil immediately will cause its temperature to drop significantly. So take it slowly, little by little.
5. Keep the food moving and avoid putting too much in the pan. The oil is meant to be on all sides of the food; if there are pieces that are touching each other, they will not brown properly at that point. So make sure that each piece has its own place for the best, even crispness.
   • It's also a good idea to keep food moving because of the heating. The food that is at room temperature will cause the temperature of the oil to drop, so keeping the food moving will prevent colder areas from forming.
6. Wait quietly but never leave the kitchen. Some stretches will take 30 seconds while others will take a few minutes. If you want to fry something the size of a bowling ball it will take a little longer - but the traditional things like chicken, donuts and French fries take very little time. To know if something is done, you can do the following:
   • Look at it. If it is golden brown, it is probably cooked, but you will need to make sure that the inside is cooked too, especially when it comes to the larger pieces.
   • Use a suitable thermometer. Some even come with built-in temperature indicators that tell you when different things are cooked.
   • Insert a toothpick. When the desired softness has been achieved, it is probably cooked. Some things require further testing.
   • Do a taste test. If it tastes done, it is probably done. Only do this if the food is absolutely OK to eat; foods such as eggs need to be cooked properly before you can taste them.
     • Wait until it has cooled down a bit first! A burnt tongue will not be able to taste all those goodies you are preparing.
7. When ready, carefully remove the food from the oil and place it on a wire rack covered with kitchen paper. To do this, use tongs, slotted spoon or just a spoon. Don't try to do it with your fingers!
   • Turn off the gas first! Fire created by fat and oil is no fun. But while we're on the subject, it's best to smother it with sodium bicarbonate, a damp cloth or a fire extinguisher. Go not running around the house with the pan trying to bring it out.

Part 3 of 4: Dripping and cleaning

1. Allow the dish to drain before eating to remove excess fat. That's what the grid (and / or baking tray) and kitchen paper are for. You can put it on a wire rack alone, but the paper will help absorb more fat.
   • Make sure to drain well on all sides to avoid the otherwise inevitable. Pat all sides and turn food over if necessary; replace the kitchen paper if necessary.
   • If you are concerned that the food will get too cold, you can put it in the oven at a lower temperature (70-90ºC) for a while to keep it warm. This is a good idea if the rest of the food has yet to be cooked.
2. Season it while it is still warm. This part is up to you. Salt? Pepper? Cumin, paprika, dill, curry, garlic, lemon? Of course you can also skip this step! But if you want to spice it up, know you do now has to do. The flavors will absorb the best when it is still warm.
3. Save the oil! Don't throw it in the sink! Do not! It's terribly bad for your pipes and the environment - and you can save it for next time! Use a colander or slotted spoon to fish out any food residue from the oil (just throw it away) Pour the cooled oil into a cup and then using a funnel into a container that can be kept in the refrigerator. You can use the same oil several times and the food will taste no less.
   • Skeptical? That's not necessary. You can see immediately when the oil is no longer good. It will then turn dark brown and smell awful. If so, keep it in the bin and take it to waste disposal.
   • Never put hot oil in a plastic garbage bag. That is asking for trouble. Always wait for the oil to cool before storing or disposing of it.

Part 4 of 4: Try it out for yourself

1. Make French fries. One of the most basic things you can fry is French fries. It is quite difficult to fail this and the amount you can make with it gives you many opportunities to practice. You can also make your own chips or rösti!
   • Have you seen the regular fries now? What about sweet potato fries ?!
2. You can also fry turkey. A turkey can be fried in 45 minutes. If you want to put a different spin on Thanksgiving (or just this weekend), you've found it! The wikiHow article about this comes complete with helpful images.
3. Make fried whipped ice cream. You've probably seen this at restaurants that advertise it and secretly you always wonder, "How" do they "do that ?!" Now you can do it yourself! You will be the hit of any party with your mastery of hot and cold forces.
   • You can do this with any flavor and any type of coating. Don't just stick to vanilla and cornflakes if you want something different!
4. Fry cheese. You can make this as stylish and sophisticated as you want. Turn your wire cheese into homemade mozzarella cheese pieces or make it chic with fried French cheeses as a modern take on the hors d'oeuvre. Whichever route you choose, fried cheese is always "tasty."
   • You can use a salsa-like dipping sauce, but jam is also delicious with it!
5. Make fried Snickers. Okay, now is the time to push your cholesterol levels. You may have heard of it, but until now it seemed nothing more than a myth. Now you can make fried candy bars at home! Quick, can you come up with an excuse to throw a party this weekend? Everyone can bring their favorite sweet snack and make it a great night! Technology isn't great.
   • You can put a layer on it and deep fry it. Don't stop at bars! Fried peanut butter and jelly sandwich? Fried pizza? Fried Kool-Aid? Mac n 'cheese ?! Lasagna?! STRAWBERRIES ?! You are now in heady weather - experiment with anything you think will make it even better!

Tips

• Season it immediately after removing it from the pan.
• Check the temperature of the oil from time to time after adding or removing food, and adjust the height of the wick accordingly or, even better, buy a deep frying thermometer that will keep you constantly informed of how hot the oil is .
• Always leave 8cm of space up to the rim of the pan to prevent oil from bubbling over the rim when you add the food to it.
• If you want to use a slotted spoon to clean the oil, stir in one direction first. Then put in the slotted spoon and move it the other way.
• The more oil you use, the more constant the temperature of the oil will be, and the longer it will take for the oil to become too hot or too cold.
• The food you are going to fry should all be about the same size if you want to be able to fry it evenly.

Warnings

• Never put cold water or ice in hot oil. This is very dangerous due to the splashing of the oil.
• Metal objects can get very hot.
• Never put anything made of plastic or rubber in the oil.
• Do not overfill the pan. Then frying will no longer work properly.
• The oil and food will get very hot. Depending on the oil you choose, an ordinary pan can explode if the temperature rises too high. In other words, if you don't have a suitable deep fat fryer, buy a thermometer.
• Make sure that no flammable items are or are hanging near the pan.
• Do not under any circumstances allow the food to drain on newspaper (or use it to serve the food). The ink comes off and is poisonous. They have not forbidden it for nothing.
• The oil splatters and can cause burns, so gently put the food to be fried in the oil with a long spoon and cover your arms. Don't forget that oil stains.
• When filling the pan with oil, take into account the volume of the food you are going to fry. If the food displaces so much of the oil that it spills over the edge and onto the heat source, the pan will ignite.

Necessities

• Oil (peanut, soybean, grape seed, sunflower, pecan, vegetable, canola)
• Something for deep-frying (this does not have to be a deep fryer, a cast iron pan is also fine, or even a stockpot, high saucepan or a wok)
• Frying or candy thermometer (optional, but recommended)
• Kitchen paper or drainer
• Herbs and spices to taste, such as salt and pepper
• A slotted spoon or pasta spoon (optional)
• Frying basket (optional)
• Tang (possibly)
• Wooden spoon (optional)