When I was first starting to cook, sometime back in the dark ages, frying actually scared me. Basically, I didn't know what I was doing. But then I learned. And now I know. And I’m sharing with you.
You need a good heavy pot for your oil. I use a heavy duty commercial grade aluminum pot. It has an 8-inch diameter and a 4-inch depth. I pour in about 2 1/2 inches of peanut oil.
You need an oil with a high smoke point. The smoke point of an oil is the temperature at which the oil goes from merely shimmering to smoking, or burning, and breaking down. When an oil breaks down, it releases chemicals that will give your food a bitter or burnt flavor. Different oils have different smoke points, varying from a fairly low 300° to upwards of 500°. Also, the smoke point of a particular oil can vary 50 or so degrees depending on multiple factors, say the age of the oil, field or growing conditions, fatty acid composition, and the levels of refinement and filtration. For example, butter has a low smoke point - about 300° and it will burn fairly easily. If you clarify butter by removing the milk solids, you raise the smoke point considerably. Extra virgin olive oil also has a low smoke point - around 325° - 375°, depending on the oil. Coconut oil runs about 350°. Vegetable shortening about 360°. Vegetable oils can run 400°- 450°. For deep frying, I use peanut oil, with a smoke point of approximately 450°.
You need to monitor the temperature of your oil. Deep-frying is all
about temperature control. I use an an instant-read, infra-red digital
thermometer so I know exactly what my oil temperature is. For frying shrimp, I use peanut oil heated to 360°-375° and I
fry in batches. It’s important not to crowd the pan, thus lowering the
temperature. I fry 5-6 shrimp at a time, cook for a minute or two depending on the size of the shrimp, then remove the shrimp, let the
oil come back to temperature, and add in the next batch. Maintaining proper temperature is paramount to frying. If your temperature is too hot, your food will burn on the outside before it cooks through. If your temperature is too low, your outside crust forms too slowly and the food absorbs more fat, retains more moisture, and becomes soggy and greasy.
Here's my set-up.
From top left moving clockwise:
- My peeled and de-tracted large shrimp (I say de-tracted, not de-veined. That black line going down the back of the shrimp is the digestive tract, not a vein. Get rid of it.) And I like to leave the tails on for little handles.
- My wet batter.
- My dry coating
- My shrimp, battered and coated, waiting to be fried.
Equal amounts breadcrumbs (unseasoned) and potato flakes (I had about 2 dozen large shrimp and used 1/2 cup each.)
Dip shrimp in batter and shake off excess.
Dredge battered shrimp through crumb mixture.
Shrimp is ready for frying.
Drop shrimp into hot oil one at a time.
Doesn't take long.Let drain.
Serve with a basic cocktail sauce - ketchup, horseradish, Lea & Perrins, and lemon juice. Maybe a splash of Tabasco. Amounts are up to you, depending on your tastes. Also I never totally combine a cocktail sauce. I'll half-ass mix it, leaving what I like to call "pockets of flavor."
OR, you can serve it with this "hybrid" dipping sauce.
2 TB mayonnaise
Now, there are your pockets of flavor!
Enjoy!
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