The Ultimate Fryer Cookbook (Quintet Book)
By Wendy Sweetser
For many people, comfort food means french fries, doughnuts, fried chicken, fritters, or potato chips. In fact, deep-frying appears in nearly every global cuisine, in the form of samosas, egg rolls, fritto misto, or some other everyday delicacy. The keys to success are proper equipment, temperature, technique, and choice of cooking oil. This sumptuous collection of recipes from around the world includes mushroom and scallion wontons, Vietnamese rice rolls, and Southern fried chicken with cream gravy. It's a complete guide to deep-frying for the lightest, crispest, most healthful--and delectable--results.
About the Author Wendy Sweetser lives in Southend-on-Sea, England.
Wonderful Book This is a wonderful book. It is simple, but informative (information on best oils, etc.), has an enticing range of recipes (from appetizers to entrees to desserts), and is beautifully photographed. Of three books I purchased on deep-fryer cooking, this is my favorite. The recipes are simple and straightforward, but with nice variety - American, Asian and East Asian recipes are to be found. The photography is beautiful and is something that I find an enjoyable supplement in a cookbook as it can entice me to try something that I otherwise might not. All the recipes I have tried have turned out well and, while not Cook's Illustrated, the book provides a better level of detail for this form of cooking than do a couple of other books I have on deep frying. For example, the recipe for corn dogs in another deep frying book I purchased simply says to dry the hot dogs with a paper towel, dip them in batter and then put in the deep fryer. This book instructs you not just to dry the hot dogs with paper towels, but then to dust them with flour before dipping them into the batter in order to help the batter stick. The recipe further advises you to lower the corn dog into the oil carefully so that the corn dog doesn't plunge in, hit the basket and stick to it. All of this may sound basic and self-evident to more experienced cooks, but none of it was to me as a relative beginner to deep frying. When I first made corn dogs following the recipe from the other book before I had purchased The Ultimate Fryer, I had difficulty with the batter sliding off the hot dog (because the recipe did not mention dusting with flour) and in my rush to get the corn dog into the oil before the batter slid off, I was obliged to drop it quickly into the oil with the result that the corn dog plunged to the bottom of the fryer whereupon it stuck to the basket. When I later tried to rotate the cooked corn dog, it tore loose from the basket and pulled off the batter on the end of the corn dog. The oil began to boil as it hit the exposed hot dog. This is a simple example of the differences between this book and the other two I have, but it highlights why this book is my primary reference for deep frying and why I only turn to the other two after I consult this one first. Great cookbook This cookbook gives clear, concise instructions, even for the novice. The beautiful photos pique your appetite for trying new dishes. Great cookbook Nice photos and simple to follow. Just purchased a deepfryer and had no idea what to make or how to do it, the book was perfect.
