Deep-fried Nirvana

[katzenjammy]

I'm de-lurking to solicit the help and advice of eGulleteers.

Every year we celebrate my spouse's birthday by throwing a Deep-Fry Party. When we started this tradition, our reasoning went like this: Fried food is gooood. Everyone loves fried food but hates cooking it or feels guilty about it. It makes a mess, it stinks up the house, it's fattening, it's unhealthy. What better theme for a party? And indeed, the annual fry-fest has proved a huge success.

We set up a twin-basket professional fryer under a canopy in the back yard, crack a keg of beer, and commence frying until it gets too dark to see (or no one can eat another bite). Over the years, the menu has included the following:

• wontons/gyoza/dumplings/egg rolls
  
• doughnuts, beignets, funnel-cakes, & Twinkies (which turned into solid blocks of grease)
  
• Snickers bars (not as good as they're supposed to be)
  
• squid
  
• ice cream
  
• fish, both fresh and smoked
  
• shrimp & clam strips
  
• cheese curds (which exploded)
  
• jalapenos & "armadillo eggs"
  
• tempura
  
• potatoes & yams
  
• filet mignon
  
• papadums and shrimp crackers
  
• okra
  
• hushpuppies
  
• falafels
  
• (other stuff that escapes me at the moment)
  

This year is a big birthday for poor Spouse-boy, one of those significant-decade birthdays. We're planning the Mother of All Fry Parties, and I'm soliciting suggestions for interesting, yummy, and/or unusual (but not inedible) things to fry. Live the deep-fat dream!

[evilcartman]

Cubes of cheesecake, wrapped in phyllo, eggwashed, then rolled in Rice Krispies. Serve with Chocolate or caramel or whatever sauce. Tempura Portobello Mushroom "Fries" with some kind of Asian inspired sauce. My boss and I tempura'd some strawberries once...not bad with a dust of 10x. Get long stems if you can...then you don't have to drop them in and can batter the alomost all the way up. If you can't get long stems, use a long bamboo skewer. Apples are good, too. Maybe marshmallows? Wow, you've really got me thinking. I want to have a deep fry party now!! Like fondue only bigger, more dangerous, and with a keg!!!

[chezcherie]

onion rings.

[Malawry]

I've heard tell of a place an hour or so from here where they deep-fry the hot dogs. Sounds kinda gross to me, but as long as you're tossing stuff in the fryer you may as well try it.

We had planned to deep-fry moon pies at the pig picking Varmint hosted, but after the surfeit of pig fat, the airy blobs of hush puppies, and the formidable caramel cake, nobody could get motivated.

[browniebaker]

flaky triangles of samosa

corndogs

battered bananas and apples, to be dipped immediately in caramelized sugar and sprinkled with sesame seeds

and, of course, fried chicken!

[Jason Perlow]

SHRIMP TOAST!

[Jason Perlow]

and definitely deep fried batter dipped Oreos.

[Dave the Cook]

I've heard tell of a place an hour or so from here where they deep-fry the hot dogs. Sounds kinda gross to me, but as long as you're tossing stuff in the fryer you may as well try it.

We had planned to deep-fry moon pies at the pig picking Varmint hosted, but after the surfeit of pig fat, the airy blobs of hush puppies, and the formidable caramel cake, nobody could get motivated.

I think guajolote's donation of Knob Creek had something to do with it, too . . .

For the record, here's how to deep-fry a hot dog: cut a series of crosswise slits along the length of it, almost all the way through the dog. Toss it in the fryer. The dog will curl up in a ring, with a nicely crispy skin, in about 45 seconds. Do not overcook. Serve on a hamburger bun.

[Mayhaw Man]

Dill Pickle Slices (wash, spiced flour, wash spiced flour) Trust me. Just try it.

[Varmint]

Of course, the most important thing is how you sequence the items to be fried. Leave the most "aromatic" items for the end. Nothing worse than a deep fried Devil Dog that tastes like fish. Or dill pickles.

[Varmint]

Can you deep fry a whole, live lobster? No, I'm not trying to be sick here, but if we can boil 'em, what's wrong with deep frying one? Just curious.

[Mayhaw Man]

Of course, the most important thing is how you sequence the items to be fried. Leave the most "aromatic" items for the end. Nothing worse than a deep fried Devil Dog that tastes like fish. Or dill pickles.

That just goes to show that it takes all kinds.

I wouldn't want my dill pickles to taste like devil dogs or fish. But that's just me. If you like that sort of thing, go right ahead. Just don't ask me to participate in your mad scheme.

[Varmint]

Another thought: we poach eggs. What happens if you try to deep fry an egg? Does it hold together better than poaching?

[Mild Bill]

The other day, while deep frying some thickly sliced-lightly breaded eggplant, I opened the fridge looking for

"other stuff I could toss in while I was at it"...

I found the firm refrigerated polenta that I made two days earlier.

It was already nicely prepared with parmesan, cream and herbs...

It made sense!

I cut it into 2" cubes, tossed it into the egg mix, then the seasoned bread crumbs...

They held, got dark fast in the peanut oil, and cooled crispy on the outside with creamy insides...

Wonderful!

Edited May 7, 2004 by Mild Bill (log)

[bloviatrix]

Do any of you guys recall Shirley Cormier's appearence on the Jimmy Kimmel show when she, Kimmel and Snoop Dog went on a deep frying binge? The denouement was tempura wristwatch.

[col klink]

When it comes to deep frying twinkies, you have to dip them in a light batter first. If I had the recipe, believe me, I'd post it.

[fifi]

Can you deep fry a whole, live lobster? No, I'm not trying to be sick here, but if we can boil 'em, what's wrong with deep frying one? Just curious.

Can you visualize an exploding crustacean?

Might be kind of spectacular, actually. Sort of like the finale at a fireworks display.

[Carlovski]

What a brilliant idea!

I'd better not try myself though, I'm dangerous enough with a Barbecue Grill, never mind Gallons of boiling oil.

Maybe with adult supervision

Deep Fried Calzone sounds like a good idea to me.

[eskimoted]

Deep Fried Pizza http://www.begbie.com/dish.html

[Malawry]

Varm, I don't know about deep-frying raw eggs, but you just reminded me that Scotch eggs are a wonderful treat from the fryer.

[Mabelline]

Definitely try the pickles. Sonic drive-ins (of which there are none up here--grrrr) sell Pickle-o's...and they ARE good. Try em!!

[sparrowgrass]

Food TV had a thing about an asparagus festival--one of their big sellers was huge stalks of sparrowgrass, batterdipped and deep fried. Looked really good to me.

[JPW]

Mmmmmmm. Pickels.

Also try thin lemon slices

[fifi]

The more I read this thread the better this idea sounds. It reminds me of the tempura parties from many years ago. I am thinking that one of these shindigs would be like a tempura-party-on-steroids.

I remember now that we actually did almost the same thing one year while frying turkeys. After the 12th turkey we were getting a little punchy. While the oil was still bubbling, someone decided that we should fry that ubiquitous tray of crudites that someone brought. That was one crudite tray in the history of mankind that actually got eaten.

[eunny jang]

Judy Rogers talks about making deep-fried eggs as part of her fritto misto. You crack an egg into oil, catch it on a big bamboo spider or somesuch, and it will have perfectly poached in the time it takes to fall through the oil. You could even try it, i suppose, with really fresh eggs, dropping them in for a second just to get set, then rolling them in crumbs or panko, and giving them another few seconds just to cook the white.

The possibilities...are endless!