Many foods can be deep fried, including:
1)small pieces of lean meat
2)chicken
3)whole or filleted fish
4)cheese
5)vegetables
6)prepared items such as fish cakes, fritters, samosas or spring rolls.

Conventional deep-fried foods, except potatoes, are coated in order to:
a. protect the surface of the food from intense heat and from fat/oil penetrating the food
b. prevent moisture and nutrients from escaping
c. modify the rapid penetration of the intense heat

The most common coatings are:
a. milk and flour
b. flour/egg/breadcrumbs
c. batter
d. pastry.
Crumbed food should be chilled before frying: this helps to keep the crumbs attached. Immediately before cooking, shake off any excess crumbs and pat the surface to make sure the coating is in contact with the food.
Battered food should be allowed to drain before cooking, so that there is no excess batter. It needs to be lowered carefully into the hot fat.

The purpose of the fat/oil in deep frying is to achieve the distinctive texture and flavour of deep-fried food. The fat/oil used depends on the food being cooked, the temperature required and the flavours desired. Suitable fats are:
a. oils (soya, vegetable, sunflower, etc.)
b. clarified butter (but remember this may burn at a much lower temperature than oil)

c. animal fats, e.g. lard
d. a mixture of oil and clarified butter.
If solid fat is used, it needs to melt in the fryer at a low temperature (so that it does not burn), before being brought up to a frying temperature.
Method

The process for deep frying food is as follows
1. Cut the food into small pieces of uniform size.
2. Coat the food (see above).
3. Fill the fryer with oil or fat. Commercial fryers usually have a mark showing the required oil level: it is dangerous to overfill them. Any other pan or fryer should be filled between half and two-thirds full.
4. Preheat the oil to the correct temperature, normally between 175°C and 195°C. It is aiways best to use
a thermostatically controlled fryer. As the oil gets close to this temperature, it will become quite still, with a little haze above it. (If it gets too hot, it may
catch fire, so take care.)
5. Place the food carefully into the oil when the temperature is correct. (A frying basket may be used.)
6. Fry until cooked and golden brown.
7. Food can be turned with a spider (a wide, shallow mesh spoon with a long handle) during cooking, to help it cook evenly.
8. Remove and drain well before serving.

Timing and temperature are very important. Thicker pieces of food need to cook for longer without
becoming over-coloured, so the oil should be at a lower temperature. The smaller the pieces of food, the
hotter the oil and the shorter the cooking time. The recommended temperature also varies depending
on the fat/oil used: most are used at 180°C but pure vegetable oil and drippng may be used at 170°C and
olive oil at 175°C.

Smoking point occurs when oil is overheated:between 165’C and 224°C depending on the type of oil. Flashpoint is when oil catches on fire: between 270°C for olive oil and 324°C for vegetable oils Always check oil packaging for temperature advice.

Follow these guidelines when deep frying food:
a. Make sure that the fat/oil is hot enough before adding food. If it is too cool, the food will absorb extra fat/oil, making t greasy and unpalatahie

b. Make sure that the fat/oil is not too hot or the surface of the food will burn, but the inside will stay raw. The food may become dry and tough.
c. Never allow the fat/oil to smoke: this gives food a bad taste and smell as well as being dangerous as flashpoint’ temperatures are close.
d. If the fat starts to foam when food is added, lift out the food and allow the temperature to adjust.
e. Do not deep fry too much food at once: it is better to fry food in batches. Adding too much food at once reduces the temperature drastically. If
necessary, remove excess food from the fat
f. When frying continuous batches of food, allow the temperature of the fat to recover after each batch, before adding the next one. If this is not done, the food will be pale and soggy.
g. Serve food as soon as possible after frying or it will lose its crisp texture.
h. During cooking, skim off crumbs regularly using a spider. The fat will last longer if this is done. (Crumbs build up and cause the fat to go off, giving it a rancid taste.)
i. Do not deep fry fatty foods. Do not add wet foods to the fryer.
J. Any strongly flavoured food should be fried separately from other foods, or be the last thing fried before the fat is discarded. This is because the fat/oil will take on flavours from the food.
k. Small, thin pieces of food can be deep fried from frozen. Fry frozen food in smaller quantities, as it will
bring down the temperature of the oil.
l. Turn down the temperature of the fryer during quiet periods, to save on fuel.

When you have finished frying:
A. Allow the fat/oil to cool then strain it so that there are no food particles present next time it is heated up.
B. Cover the fat/oil while the fryer is not in use, so that it does not oxidise (the oxygen in the air can turn the oil or fat rancid).

Some commercial fryers have a ‘cool zone’. This is a section at the base where crumbs and food particles
are collected, so that they do not overcook in the oil. These crumbs must be removed when the fat is cool.

Health and safety
Deep frying can be very dangerous. Hot fat/oil can cause serious burns.
A. Only use a deep fryer after proper training.
B. Use a thermostatically controlled fryer with oil-level indicators rather than heating oil on a stove.
C. Never leave the fryer unattended. Keep a close eye on the temperature and do not let it get too hot: never let oil reach its smoke point. If it is smoking, it is very close to its
flashpoint and could catch fire.

D. If a fryer catches fire, switch off and cover with a lid if possible so that the fire does not get any more oxygen.
Fire extinguishing equipment should be kept near the fryer. (Wet chemical extinguisher or fire blanket.) Only use
these if you have been trained in their use and never use any other type of fire extinguisher on a fryer fire.
E Stand back when placing food into hot oil and avoid putting your face, arms or hands over the fryer.
F. Do not move a pan of hot oil, leave where it is until cool.
G. Avoid sudden movements around fryers and do not drop anything into the fryer.