Deep fat frying - cheap oil/fat ? good fryer ?

linzmac_2

Is rapeseed oil not what the Americans call canola oil? If so, I don't think I would be using that...especially not cheap non cold pressed stuff!

Definitely go with lard or beef dripping (usually cheap from a decent butcher) and I just use a normal heavy based pan with a lid and have never had any problem...a wok works quite well too.

Edwardia

I'm not sure, I always thought canola was a brand of corn oil ??

I do buy lard and dripping and shallow fry with them, as well as ghee, coconut oil (not sure about that, smelled burnt before I'd even cooked with it !), goose and duck fat.

Embarrassing confession.. I was using a big steel wok once and the veg and herbs were so finely chopped that a few bits floated up, landed on my hair and set it alight. I only noticed when I saw the flames in the reflection of the wok :eek: So linzmac you can call me a wimp but I'd rather use a deep fat fryer not a saucepan.

PS: How much do you pay at the butchers ? I got Morrisons Saver lard and Britannia dripping for under 50p each at Morrisons.

linzmac_2

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canola

I get dripping for 60p for a pot that is probably equivalent to a supermarket block but I know that it is grassfed and of good quality with no chemicals used etc.
My butcher doesn't do lard but gives me pork fat to render my own for free.

A._Badger

I was really interested (not to say relieved) to see the sensible comments about lard and dripping. I was tempted to suggest them in the first place, then thought better of it, given the brainwashing that has gone on in the past few decades (no doubt helped by generous 'research' grants from the oil processors).

I use lard now and again and far prefer it to deodorised, synthesised alternatives. So did grandpa Badger, who died just past his 100th birthday, clearly another tragic victim of the traditional diet!

Animal fats have the additional virtue that they solidify after use, which makes for fewer spillages.

I'll await the hatemail from the 'health' lobby with resigned amusement!

linzmac_2

A._Badger wrote: »

Animal fats have the additional virtue that they solidify after use, which makes for fewer spillages.

And you can re-use them several times which you cannot do with veg. oils.

Edwardia

My father had high blood pressure and high cholesterol so I was reared on the low fat diet. Didn't do anything for my Pa who went from toxic drugs to stent to pacemaker to heart attack nor for me as I have Type 2 diabetes despite being an ex chef who never ate ready meals or puddings.

In two years I've reduced my blood sugar to normal levels, improved my kidney function to normal, and I've got excellent cholesterol and blood pressure. I haven't been to the gym or counted a single calorie. I eat high fat moderate protein low carb..the old-fashioned way and eat at least a dozen eggs a week :rotfl:

The whole low fat thing is a fiasco and much as the governments hate it, it was their bad health advice that caused the diabetes epidemic. I know of more than fourteen medical research studies that back up what I'm doing.

So yeah this is a lard n dripping no Flora zone