Fried foods predominate on menus. Inspired ingredients/techniques enliven the category and can even serve keto, paleo, plant-forward or gluten-free diets.
Below are just a few of the many ways to upgrade classic fried favorites.
FRIED FAVORITES
More than 60 percent of diners want these (Datassential, 2018)
American regional
- Nashville hot chicken
- Hush puppies
- Chicken-fried steak
- Deep-fried shrimp and grits
- Pan-fried, breaded oysters
Shareables
- Buffalo cauliflower
- Chicharrón-crusted fried avocado wedges
- Fried-chicken chips
- Crispy beef-jerky strips
- Arancini
- Croquettes
Global fried foods
- Katsu Sandwiches (Japanese sandwiches with breaded, fried pork, chicken or shrimp)
- Milanesas
- Schnitzel
- Korean fried chicken
- Fried rice
- Veggies
- Flash-fried cauliflower
- Deep-fried pickles, zucchini or green beans
- Loaded French fries
NEW FRYS
Breading:
Think beyond wheat flour and cornmeal:
- Almond, cassava coconut, kamut and heirloom flours
- Ground nuts or pork rinds
- Gluten-free flours & Panko
- Crushed cereals and favorite snacks, like Cheetos
Batter up!
- Tempura
- probiotic-rich kombucha
- Local microbrew beer
- Pickle brine
- Juice
Fats & Oils
- Umami-rich animal fats – like bacon, duck, goose and beef
- Ghee (vegetarian),
- Lasting Oils like Rice Bran, Cottonseed Canola, Corn oil, Peanut, Soybean
Techniques
- Double-frying
- Shallow-pan frying
- Sichuan dry-frying: slow-fry meat/veggies in oil to dry out the exterior, concentrate flavor; then stir-fry with flavorful ingredients that get reabsorbed into the dry surface.
The best for your fryer
Looking for the perfect fryer oil for to perfect your plates? Jensen Foods custom blends cooking oils to meet the performance needs of chefs and the health priorities of customers. Try our premium line of vegetable and canola cooking oils, ASPEN GOLD XTREME® specially formulated for long-lasting performance that gives you “xtra fry life and xtra fry value.”
Need to clean up?
We love ProClean No Boil Fryer Cleaner, a labor- and time-saving product that improves food quality. The ready-to-use formula clings well to all surfaces inside the fryer and works on warm surfaces with no flashing. Watch this demo to see the six cleaning steps in action.
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