Although Saladmaster does not recommend deep frying for a healthy lifestyle, there may be special occasions that you would want to fry when entertaining or if you are just in the mood for a great tasting tempura. We recommend that if you choose to deep fry, that you make it an occasional experience and not a regular part of your daily diet. It is important that if you choose this method of cooking that proper steps are adhered to for safe and successful cooking.
Proper depth of oil is important when deep frying foods. We recommend using the 6 Qt. (5.67 L) Culinary Basket with 7 Qt. (6.6 L) Roaster when deep frying. This allows for proper flow of oil through the Culinary Basket, which will result in thorough cooking while creating an even crispy coating.
When adding cooking oil to the roaster, never fill to the tip edge because when the oil is heated it could boil over or splatter during cooking. Fill roaster half to three-fourths of the way full. Place Culinary Basket in the 7 Qt. (6.6 L) Roaster prior to turning on the heat. Cover (note: the cover of the 10 Qt. Roaster interchanges with the 6 Qt. Culinary Basket) and allow oil to heat for approximately 10 minutes over medium-high temperature.
When oil is hot, remove the cover and set aside. You are now ready to begin adding food to the Culinary Basket for frying. It is important not to add too much food at one time, as too much food will cause the temperature of the oil to drop, resulting in greasy rather than crispy food. Overcrowding the Culinary Basket with food will also result in uneven cooking.
We recommend using long stainless steel tongs when adding foods to the hot oil. Be careful not to drop anything into the hot oil, causing it to splash upwards. Instead gently ease ingredients into the oil right at the oil's surface.
Remove food carefully from the oil with tongs or a perforated skimmer. Place cooked food on a platter to which paper towels have been layered to absorb excess oil drippings.
When deep frying with battered foods, always remove small batter particles that may have broken away from the food during cooking. Always remove the particles from the oil with a large slotted spoon or cooking spider. This will keep the oil free of floating batter particle buildup during cooking.
Have ingredients ready to be inserted as soon as the oil has heated for approximately 10 minutes. Start by placing one piece of food in the hot oil to test the temperature. If the food doesn't bubble rapidly when inserting, the oil may not be hot enough for deep frying. Continue heating for an additional 5 minutes and test again. Foods will bubble rapidly when inserted into hot oil.
When frying for an extended amount of time, be sure oil returns to required temperature before frying each batch. It is also important to keep the oil at the recommended level for each recipe, adding more oil as needed. Remember, when foods are fried at the proper temperature, minimal oil is absorbed. Discard oil after use and not reuse.
Cleaning Tip: As easy way to clean the Culinary Basket after deep frying is to fill the roaster three-fourths of the way full with water to which 2 tablespoons (28g) of baking soda has been added. Place the Culinary Basket in the water mixture and place temperature setting on medium-high for 20 minutes. Allow to cool, then wash in hot, soapy water, rinse and dry. We recommend cleaning with baking soda water each time you deep fry. This will make cleanup easy.
Frying Tip: When frying foods that are not coated in batter, always make sure to pat dry with paper towels before inserting in the hot oil. Excess moisture on the food can cause the oil temperature to drop, and the smallest amount of water will also cause hot oil to splatter.
CAUTION: Due to the superior thermal construction of your Saladmaster cookware, high heat is not necessary to attain the proper temperature for deep frying with oil. Using high heat could result in an overheated pan.