Confession: I never fried anything until about a year ago. It’s true. Up to that point, I thought that if you wanted to fry, you needed one of those big ol‘ Fry-Daddy contraptions like my uncle used to have. That and, like, 10 gallons of oil.
While you still need a whole bunch of oil, I discovered it is possible (and quite delicious) to fry things on your stove top using kitchen implements you might already own. This is the magic of pan frying. This means mountains of onion rings, piles of French fries, buffalo wings, shrimp, fish and chips, and any other fried deliciousness that you love — or dare to concoct — can be right at your fingertips.
Here is what you need: Cast iron pan. Oil. Food thermometer. Splatter screen. That’s it.
First, a cast iron pan. In addition to being the most versatile pan ever made, cast iron is real heavy and holds heat well enough to maintain the steady high temperatures needed for frying. If you’re looking for new cast iron, the best deals can actually be found at TJ Maxx (don’t judge me). Look for Lodge Cookware, it’s best in breed and is made in America (and make sure it's pre-seasoned).
Next, oil. You can fry in almost anything with a smoke point above 350 degrees. I like peanut oil, but you can also use canola oil, very light olive oil, even solid vegetable shortening, like Crisco, which you melt beforehand (it returns to a solid after it cools). Buying peanut oil in quantities suitable for frying can get kind of pricey, so do not be alarmed if you turn into your grandma and start straining and saving used fry oil for later use. And don’t be surprised if you develop sinister heist fantasies when you walk into Five Guys and see those huge jugs of peanut oil just sitting there in the dining room.
The rest of the stuff. You’ll need a fry thermometer (about $5 at your favorite restaurant supply store) and a splatter guard (you’ll thank me for this one). If you want, you can also get a spider, which is a funny looking basket-on-a-stick thing that helps manage the goods while frying in the oil.
Now that you’ve got the tools, what should you fry? I’ll give you the quick and dirty on my favorite fried thing ever: Fried chicken.
I’m pretty sure fried chicken was the reason the whole frying process was invented in the first place. Pan-fried chicken prepared at home can be a life changing taste experience. You may just find yourself dropping your vowels, craving banjo music and cheering for the Tide.
Here is the basic recipe for fried chicken:
Take a whole chicken. Cut it up into pieces, reserving the neck and carcass for stock making. Submerge chicken pieces in buttermilk and soak in the fridge overnight. Take chicken out of the fridge, drain, and let the pieces warm up a bit. Season with salt and whatever other spices you want (pepper, garlic powder, paprika etc). Dredge in all-purpose white flour (my momma uses a brown paper bag of flour and shakes the pieces around) and let pieces rest for about 5 minutes. Heat about 1/3 – 1/2 inch of oil to 350 degrees in your skillet (this is what the thermometer is for). Place chicken pieces skin-side down, put the splatter screen over the pan, and let cook for 12 minutes. Turn the pieces over, cook for another 12 minutes. Take pieces out and let drain on a cooling rack. Eat. Enjoy. Repeat.
Whether it’s fried chicken or fried Twinkies, frying things at home using a cast iron pan opens up a world of culinary possibilities. The patterns of frying are fairly standard and conducive to experimentation. So get some oil, get a pan, and have some fun.
Images: top- Ross Catrow via Flickr; bottom- star5112 via Flickr.
This article appears in Feb 3-9, 2011.