A Beginner’s Guide To Deep-Frying Plus Two Delicious Recipes To Try

Sometimes, on a drizzly weekend, my husband, Adarsh, and I will pile the kids into the car for a trek to Vancouver’s Punjabi Market for paper bags of piping-hot potato samosas and crisp, golden pakoras­, deep-fried fritters made of chickpeas and vegetables.

Despite the rain, I can close my eyes and find myself back on a sun-drenched houseboat in Adarsh’s native Kerala, taking sips of steaming chai between bites of vada, a counterpart of pakoras from South India.

Every nook in the world has beloved deep-fried snacks on offer, and with good reason: The crunch and flavour are simply unrivalled. When a crisp, salted exterior gives way to a soft, warm middle, bad things just don’t happen. Immersing food in hot oil is a wildly effective heat-transfer method that—when you know how to do it right—produces amazing results.

First, food cooks at lightning speed. Drop the takeout menu and make your own pakora or lemon chicken faster than they could be delivered. Second, water evaporates from the exterior almost instantly, leaving dry surface starches and proteins primed to produce a golden, crisp crust.

If the food is coated, a layer of insulation is established to protect the food inside, so it is cooked more gently and retains moisture. And if done properly, without letting the oil temperature drop, deep-fried food will absorb less oil than pan-fried.

Deep-frying is totally worth learning, even if it’s not an everyday technique—much like knowing how to bake a birthday cake. Here are my tips for perfecting it for yourself and introducing a little more crunch into your life.

What equipment do I need for deep-frying?

You need two pieces of essential equipment to get started: a large dutch oven and a deep-fry thermometer.

The dutch oven has sides high enough to allow a good depth of oil, while still giving plenty of room to prevent escaping splatters. I personally love frying in a wok, but the wall space doesn’t accommodate dramatic bubbling, so I recommend getting comfortable with the high-walled dutch oven first.

A deep-fry thermometer gives you essential feedback to know when the oil is hot enough and to prevent it from getting too hot.

What oil should I use?

High-smoke-point oils, such as avocado, lala or peanut oil, can withstand the necessary 375F frying temperature (and beyond) without degrading, burning or emitting smoke. Save your olive oil, which breaks down at high temperatures, for another use.

While I prefer avocado oil for its health profile in most of my high-heat cooking, the price tag precludes large-quantity use in cases like these. Generally, I like to keep an inexpensive jug of canola oil on hand for deep-frying.

What basic steps do I need to follow when deep-frying?

1. Off heat, pour 2 to 3 in. of canola oil into a dutch oven. The sides of the pot should always be 3 in. higher than the oil level, because the oil bubbles up vigorously when a food’s surface moisture turns to steam upon contact.

2. Heat the oil over medium, as this gives you more control than heating over high. Check the temperature frequently or buy a thermometer that clips onto the pot for continual feedback. Deep-frying should happen between 350F and 375F.

3. Use tongs to slide food into hot oil. Avoid tossing in food from far away; this just causes splashing. Add pieces, one at a time, until each piece has room to cook with 1 to 2 in. around it.

4. Flip pieces halfway through indicated cook time for even browning. Remove pieces with a slotted spoon to let excess oil drip back into the pot. Drain on wire racks or paper towels.

Two delicious recipes to put your deep-frying skills to good use

Lemon Chicken

In this homemade version of a take-out favourite, bite-sized pieces of chicken are battered and fried to crisp golden-brown and then tossed in an irresistible sticky sauce made with fresh lemon juice and zest.

Mixed Veggie Pakora

These savoury Indian fritters are delicious dunked in tamarind chutney and served with hot chai. Find chickpea flour in the natural-foods section of most grocery stores or in Indian grocers (or, if you have a high-powered blender, you can make your own from dry chickpeas!).