I used to. Then I developed some sort of "allergy" to the smell caused by deep frying :) no, seriously, I always ended up with my throat aching, which isn't a good thing especially since I study classical singing... :-/

I have a zucchini situation at home right now that's calling out for zucchini fritters, but I've never made them, and never deep fried, so I'm a little nervous. My only fritter-related experience has been with sweet potato latkes and those were delicious, but not exactly a smooth cooking process.

We have a huge deep fryer and a smaller countertop one as well, but we only use them twice a year: once to deep-fry turkey on thanksgiving, and once to make wings for the Super Bowl.

Dealing with all the oil is just too much of a hassle the rest of the year.

mmm....doughnuts.

I've never worked up the courage to deep-fry, but I'm getting close.

I don't deep fry at home, but have fond memories of my mom's Fry Baby. It looked sort of like a black, insulated sand pail, but contained a big blob of grease. You plugged it in, choose the desired heat setting, and in a few mintes, viola, hot oil. She used it most for french fries and tater tots. She once fried donuts in a big pan of oil on the stove, too. That was yum!

All the oil? It's not that much when we do it.

Love zucchini fritters! Curious about donuts but haven't done it.

Is this a coincidence that I just threw out my 6 year old DeLonghi deep fryer this morning?
I used to use that once a week for fried dumplings for the first few years, but have taken up healthier eating habits now. Left unused for a couple years the fryer has turned into this disgusting greasy sticky thing that'll give you a heart attack just by looking at it.
I would deep fry again, but would use a wok from now on. Deep fryer was a pain in the butt to clean...

Just this once, I'll agree with Hesser.
I started deep frying after hanging out with an Italian woman one summer, deep frying squash, onions, sweet potato slices, sage leaves and lemon rind.
Use a deep pot with just a few inches of oil, to avoid splatter.

Electric frying pans are also superhandy for a fritter orgy (or fried chicken), since you set it for the oil temp you need.

I agree with the Wok method for deep frying. We use it to make falafel, and it's only minimally messy. I am never sure what to do with the oil, though, after we use it a couple times (stored in tupperware in the fridge). Eventually we seal up a plastic container and have to toss it into the dumpster.

I've never deep fried, but I've always wondered: What do you do with the oil after you fry? You can't just dump it down the sink, can you?

I also use a wok. I love deep frying silken tofu (when not making chicken or spring rolls or shrimp fritters).

If the oil doesn't burn I keep it in a little metal oil canister with a spout in my fridge just like my mom and grandmother did. You can use it over and over again a few times.

deep frying at home is the only way to get hush puppies and buttermilk fried chicken in california...and those things i cannot live without.

I live in Belgium, owning a deep fryer is pretty much mandatory!

of course I do, especially fish.

yes, don't burn the oil -- save the oil and reuse
but strain it to get the little bits out

eliza, do not dump it down the drain
you want that to coat your pipes??

Three words...

...deep fried oreos.

And I get tired of frozen french fries in the energy consuming toaster oven. It takes just a few minutes to cook them compare to 10-15 minutes in an oven.

I've only done chicken wings (my favorite food) a couple of times and the breading never comes out like the restaurants. So I oven bake those.

That's why God invented the Hooter's restaurant chain.

This is what I use at home. I just wish the pot came out of the plastic body. I'm sure there are nicer ones for the same price.

i love veggies breaded in cornmeal and then fried. squash, and okra are my favorites!! i use a wok usually and it does not make too much of a mess. I don't have a vent hood over my range in this apartment though, so frying stinks up the whole place for days :(

Ah, the Fry Baby... My parents have the Fry Daddy and I'm fairly certain they received it as a wedding gift. It still works 29 years later. I'm sure it has a really nasty permanent crust on the bottom. I have fond memories of the assembly line we'd form to make homemade fries with that thing. One sister would wash the potatoes, one sister would peel them, one would smash them through the fry press, and then mom would tump them into the black pail o' oil.

I fry whenever the mood strikes me, which isn't too often. I don't own a fryer, so it's just a cast iron skillet or a pan of oil generally. Such a pain to clean up afterwards.

Homemade chicken nuggets, tempura, fritters, hush puppies, and fried pickles are the usual deep fried items I make. Matter of fact, I was just craving fried catfish recently...

Deep fired for the first time in years this weekend. My craving for fish tacos would not be ignored. (And I lacked the time or resources for a quick flight to San Diego from JFK.)

And yes, they were delicious.

Guido,

Of course not! That's why I asked! :)

We received the Delonghi Deep fryer as a wedding gift. It is quite awesome. Not having to much around with the temperature, especially if you're utilizing the restaurant technique of double frying your french fries at 325 and 375, is the best benefit.

Plus, considering there are no decent fried belly clams in NYC (shocking), I need to do them myself.