With home-cooking rising as a hobby faster than ever due to recent lockdowns, more and more people are asking themselves what additional equipment they can buy for their kitchen to help cook those crazy dishes you always see on Facebook. Deep-fat fryers have become less and less common in homes over the last couple of decades due to swaying public opinion on the effects of fatty foods. But worry not, when used correctly, a deep-fat fryer adds many new recipes and possibilities to your repertoire. Before even thinking about whether you need a deep-fat fryer, you should make sure you want to make dishes that require one! Luckily, this article talks about the best way to use a deep fryer, so you should have a good idea as to whether your kitchen is in need of one.
The Basics
Dep-fat fryers are easy enough to use. Simply fill with one of the manufacturer’s recommended oils, wait for it to heat, and dip in your chosen treat of the day. They do, of course, run incredibly hot, so you must be extremely careful during all parts of the process. But It’s always worth it in the end! A small amount of maintenance should also be conducted, such as changing out the oil at the recommended frequency for your fryer (Usually every 5 to 25 uses). This helps keep the unit clean and keeps your oil fresh to maintain the best possible flavor for your food. On the subject of cleanliness, you should clean out your fryer when changing the oil and clean as much as possible in between uses. Smells are the most common issue people find with deep-fat fryers and every unit will emit some less desirable smells both while in use and while idle. This can be reduced significantly when keeping your machine well maintained and regularly cleaned, so it isn’t a terrible issue, and certainly worth the effort.
What to Cook
A lot of the magic of deep-fat frying comes from food choice and preparation. Luckily, many cultures from all over the world have some dishes which require or prefer deep-fat frying. The huge amount of options ensures that most people who are interested in cooking can find a good few dishes they’d love to fry. There are many Chinese dishes, such as the ever-popular chicken balls and many forms of fried meats which can only be replicated with a deep-fat fryer. There are also of course many different secret recipes for fried chicken you could try to replicate or improve, an opportunity many would love. And one of my favorites, fried calamari, which can only be brought to its best in a deep-fry. There is also always the opportunity to try deep-frying foods which might not have popularly been tried, which has almost become a tradition in the UK, where all manner of items can be found sold in their deep-fried form. So what are you waiting for? Got out and experiment!
So, does your kitchen need a deep-fat fryer? This depends entirely on what you like to cook. If you like the idea of trying out foods that you can only get in restaurants or in poor imitations in the frozen aisle at the supermarket then it would be a magnificent addition to your arsenal. There are plenty of delicious foods that are easy to make at home with a deep-fat fryer which is virtually impossible without one, granting great breadth to your cooking. If there isn’t a significant amount of deep-fry exclusive foods you can’t wait to have a hand at cooking, then it might just be relegated to the cupboard for longer than it’s worth.