That is, Fear of Deep Fat Frying (not to be confused with FOMA, or Fear of Missing Out).
Pictured above is the fryer I bought at Aldi, oh, about a month ago by now. I dithered and dawdled about unpacking it until I finally did so on Thursday, when I made french fries, and then followed that up with fish sticks yesterday.
And it works, and it’s pretty cool how quickly you can make these sorts of items, and how much easier it is than fussing with baking them in the oven. What I haven’t figured out yet is this: how many times can I re-use the oil before I have to toss it? Will it be obvious, or will I only realize I should have done so when I bite into whatever it is I’ve cooked? Is it necessary to strain the oil each time (I’ve done this so far)? And is it better to store the oil in the fryer or in a tupperware in-between frying (which would also enable storing the fryer somewhere other than the countertop, on which there’s precious little space — not that there’s much more space anywhere else, and lack of space for small appliances was one of the reasons I hadn’t bought a fryer before now, in addition to the need to buy a gallon of oil)?
My next efforts will be such things as chicken fingers, and maybe even some variant of donut, which I’d been wanting to try for a long time.
So now, dear readers, please give me your advice: what helpful hints should I know about deep frying? And what works well recipe-wise?
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