GoKawiilThere’s no denying the appeal of deep-fried foods, from donuts to drumsticks, plus numerous bite-sized appetizers and every kind of potato. But when it comes to whether to bother deep-frying at home, it isn’t necessarily a matter of difficulty. With the right vessel and thermometer, frying can be a quick, easy way to make memorable dishes — the real issue is: what to do with all that leftover oil?
Shallow frying can also get the job done in many cases, but it can also create a conundrum. Putting that oil down the sink? Potentially drain-clogging, environmentally dubious, and frankly, wasteful. I grew up in a household where leftover grease and oil went into a glass mayonnaise jar kept under the sink, to be discarded once it was full. Sure, this saves the sink, but it doesn’t address the other two issues. It’s a quick kitchen hack that makes it easier to put it out with food waste, but there’s also another solution.
Leftover frying oil is begging to be reused. Pamela Vachon/CNET
Don’t get rid of it. “Oil used for frying is not one and done,” says Melanie Underwood, cookbook author, culinary instructor, and founder of Nourish and Gather, “unless the oil has been overheated, or if you’re frying things that are particularly strong in flavor. With something like seafood, you want to be careful, but it’s perfectly reusable as long as it wasn’t smoking.”
With that, Underwood shares her best practices and advice for reusing oil multiple times before it’s done.
Manage the oil before and during the frying process
A proper frying temperature is between 350 and 400 F. Pamela Vachon/CNET
To ensure oil is good for multiple uses, first make sure you’re using the right oil — something neutral in flavor with a high smoke point. “Any vegetable oil, such as canola oil, peanut oil or sunflower oil, is best for frying,” says Underwood. While olive oil can be tricky to fry with because it has a lower smoke point, “I definitely have used olive oil,” she says, “and I have never had any problem with it whatsoever.”
Resist the impulse to eyeball your oil for temperature clues, or test bits and pieces to make sure you’re in the right zone, unless you fry so regularly that it’s second nature. Otherwise, that’s a recipe for pieces with burnt exteriors and undercooked interiors, and/or smoking out your upstairs neighbors. (Speaking from experience, sadly.) Using a thermometer, “the correct range for frying is usually between 350 to 400,” says Underwood, which prevents smoking.
Just a bit of residue, which you can easily skim off. Pamela Vachon/CNET
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