Deep fat fryer
I haven’t owned a deep fat fryer for years. However, I thought that any good cookery book needed a section of deep-fried treats, then the user could decide how often to eat them rather than be exasperated at their lack. TT gets fish and chips from the chip shop, and occasionally craves fried chicken. I would like to be able to have an occasional doughnut and jellabie.
On Sunday I went to the electrical store and bought a DeLonghi deep fat fryer. I chose it because it seemed robustly made, had a tap to drain the oil, and the element lifts out of the oil bath and then everything else can go in the dishwasher. It also says it has a ‘coolzone’ which is where the element is above the base of the pan so that the oil is slightly cooler at the bottom and bits that fall down don’t burn so quickly, meaning you don’t have to change the oil so often.
I tested the fryer when I first got it. I filled it with three litres of fryer oil, which I found at the cheap supermarket next to the electrical store. It has an anti-foamer, which seems like a weird idea, but I certainly had no trouble with the fat rising up when I put the food in. It took less than six minutes to heat to 180degrees C. I checked the temperature with my thermometer, and it was pretty close to the marked temperature.
I made four types of doughnuts, battered fish, mushrooms and onion rings, and fried chicken. I have had the machine working for quite a bit of the time for the last forty-eight hours, and I am astonished by how little the house smells of cooking fat. I used to find that a single batch of shallow frying permeated the house with fat smells, and I particularly had trouble with the laundry smelling, which dries in an open room above the kitchen.
When finished, let the oil cool down completely. It takes a lot longer to cool down than it does to heat up, so leave it while you get on with something else.
The emptying tap has a filter on, which can be dismantled for cleaning. The oil comes out clean. The residue and bits of batter collect in the base of the tank, and they can be scooped out easily for disposal. The heating element and probes can be cleaned, and the tank and lid washed in the dishwasher.
Emptying and dismantling is very easy. I have read that it is best to store the filtered oil for future use in a cool dark place but not the fridge, which apparently increases the spitting when the fat is reheated.
Recipe write-ups to follow.
what is the best way to cook crispy chips
ReplyDeletemost of the recipes I looked at suggested that the best way to get crisp chips was to cook them at a lower temperature until they were cooked all the way through but stay pale, take them out (you can leave them while you fry other things at this stage) and then put the temperature up higher for a final quick fry to make the outside crisp. Some people suggest three stages, which seems too much of an effort to me. It is worth thinking about the cooking and the crisping as separate activities as it takes the time pressure off having the chips cooked at the right time too.
ReplyDeleteI am attempting to move house at the moment and only have access to the internet in cafes or I would link you to some good instructions which give precise temperatures for both stages.
Also, make sure you use potatoes that are good for chips - they usually say on the labels in stores. We like Maris Piper best as they seem to work for everything.
Yes! Finally someone writes about best deep fryer.
ReplyDeleteHere is my site - best deep fryer oil