Worst thing is that many (most?) of the king prawns (nearest thing to American shrimp we have) are actually farmed in filthy river deltas and esturies in Asia. Good old UK-caught scampi/langustine are the best bet now.
Deep Fat Fryer
- Thread starter ajh101
- Start Date
- Joined
- Friday July 10, 2009
Around this time of year I'll make a few trips to an Asian supermarket and pick up some eel, squid, cuttle fish or octopus most of it to be cooked tempura style. I've always loved whitebait but it's difficult to get fresh (ecologically damaging) or without an added crispy coating. You wouldn't like it, it's quite fishy and it's clear you have a penchant for bland tasting fish as long as it's in batter, that about right?
We've made two separate, concerted, attempts to own, and regularly use, a deep fat fryer. Primarily to cook fish and chips.
The actual finished product was delicious. Beer batter and good jumbo sized cod fillets. Really did get the hang of producing as good a fish and chips as we could ask for.
But, again, we've given up on the idea. The amount of time taken getting the oil out of the can (and waiting for it to cool and then decanting it back into the can), preparing the fresh beer batter and doing the cooking was not inconsiderable, but the time taken cleaning the surrounding area, cooking tools, the deep fat fryer and its filter etc, and the amount of oil that clogged up the hob filter and smell of oil etc in the kitchen....all got too much to bother with. So we drive twenty minutes to the coast and eat it facing the sea, or in the car if it's wet, or in a restaurant, or buy it locally to take away and it's all done and dusted with no mess and it didn't take an hour and a half to clear up.
The actual finished product was delicious. Beer batter and good jumbo sized cod fillets. Really did get the hang of producing as good a fish and chips as we could ask for.
But, again, we've given up on the idea. The amount of time taken getting the oil out of the can (and waiting for it to cool and then decanting it back into the can), preparing the fresh beer batter and doing the cooking was not inconsiderable, but the time taken cleaning the surrounding area, cooking tools, the deep fat fryer and its filter etc, and the amount of oil that clogged up the hob filter and smell of oil etc in the kitchen....all got too much to bother with. So we drive twenty minutes to the coast and eat it facing the sea, or in the car if it's wet, or in a restaurant, or buy it locally to take away and it's all done and dusted with no mess and it didn't take an hour and a half to clear up.
Man, An all time favorite dish of mine is calamari steaks/strips done tempura style. Whew that's good eating and I am serious.
Yep Tony, you know me pretty good. If it smells anything like seafood, toss it back. Bad as that is, actually tasting it (that fishy thing) must be gruesome.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Thursday September 26, 2013
- Location
- Halifax, Republic of Yorkshire
... just did some chips for the Mrs this evening. Fat chips in the deep fat fryer. It's a simple supermarket own brand thingy which I've had for years. I had chicken drumsticks ... 12 of 'em ... jerked. Mmmm ... there's 6 legless chickens out there, somewhere 
Now, when it comes to cleaning these things (and you should, quite regularly along with changing the oil ... quite regularly), Virosol is the product I use. Dilute to taste but it cuts through grease faster than a knife through butter.
Now, when it comes to cleaning these things (and you should, quite regularly along with changing the oil ... quite regularly), Virosol is the product I use. Dilute to taste but it cuts through grease faster than a knife through butter.
- Joined
- Saturday January 28, 2012
- Location
- Southampton
I wonder how close to tempura you guys actually get. I've not eaten anything close outside of Japan and have long since ceased to order it.
- Joined
- Saturday February 27, 2010
We had a DFF, but it spent too much of its life in the garage unused. Still, at least we have a decent local chippy.