Tag Archives: deep fried

Spiralized Curly Fries

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It’s over. Done. My quest for an absolutely perfect curly fry recipe is over. I have reached the end, and the end is good. Perfectly curly. Perfectly seasoned. And perfectly crunchy. I could’ve just skipped whatever else it was I was having for dinner. I don’t even remember what else I had. I just remember these curly fries.

i used the smallest blade on my spiral slicer to make these curly fries. You could use the bigger one, but of course cook times will go up. I think the small blade is the perfect size.

The batter gives the fries their fantastic flavor. I plan on using the same batter on a whole lot of other fried foods. It’s a thin batter, not thick. Perfect for something like fish fillets or even non-curly fries.

I also love making a copycat of McDonald’s fries. They aren’t spiraled, but boy, they’re good! But then, Arby’s fries are spiral….

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Spiralized Curly Fries
Author: 
Recipe type: Side
Cuisine: American
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4 servings
 
Ingredients
For the potatoes
  • 2 large russet potatoes, peeled if desired
  • Water
  • Vegetable or canola oil, for deep frying
  • Kosher salt
For the batter
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1 teaspoon seasoned salt (substitute Mrs. Dash if you like)
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
For the potatoes
  1. Fill a resealable container with cold water.
  2. Spiralize the potatoes (I used the smallest blade) and place into the water.
  3. Transfer to the refrigerator for 1 hour.
For the batter
  1. Place all of the batter ingredients into a large bowl or container and whisk until smooth.
  2. Heat 3" of oil in a deep fryer or Dutch oven to 365 F.
  3. Drain the potatoes and pat dry.
  4. Place potatoes in the batter and coat well.
  5. Working in batches, fry the potatoes until golden brown, turning once.
  6. Transfer cooked potatoes to a wire rack or pan lined with paper towels and sprinkle liberally with salt.
  7. Serve immediately.


Nashville Hot Pickles

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Ever since I made a crazy good batch of Nashville Hot Chicken I’ve been jonesin’ for that same great hot crunchy experience on other foods. Like fried pickles. Making these Nashville Hot Pickles was easy, and boy are they packed with a nice kick! I didn’t go the mild route with these, that’s for sure. And to make sure I kept the burn going I served the pickles with a habanero ranch sauce for dipping.

Nashville Hot PicklesYou’re going to see other great dishes like this one for Nashville Hot Pickles here on Life’s A Tomato. I love that great crunchy breading and that fiery hot seasoning. Next up? I’m thinking chicken fingers!

Also try my jalapeno bottle caps and my and my copycat of Hooter’s fried pickles.

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Nashville Hot Pickles
Author: 
Recipe type: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
 
Ingredients
  • 16 ounce jar Dill pickle slices, drained, dabbed dry with a paper or kitchen towel
For the dip
  • 1 cup milk (or buttermilk)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon Louisiana-style hot sauce
For the dredge
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
For frying
  • Vegetable oil
For the spicy coating
  • 1/3 cup hot frying oil
  • 1-3 tablespoons cayenne pepper (I used 2 and found the flavor to be perfect, and not too terribly hot)
  • 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 12 teaspoon paprika
  • 12 teaspoon garlic powder
For serving
  • Ranch dressing (I used a habanero ranch for extra kick)
Instructions
For the dip
  1. Whisk together the milk, eggs and hot sauce in a pie pan or shallow bowl.
For the dredge
  1. Whisk together the flour and salt in a pie pan or shallow bowl.
For frying
  1. Heat a few inches of oil in a deep fryer or Dutch oven to 325 F.
  2. Working in batches, dredge the pickles in the flour. Shake off excess.
  3. Dip pickles into the milk mixture. Shake off the excess.
  4. Return the pickles to the flour and dredge again. Shake off excess.
  5. Transfer pickles to the hot oil and fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes.
  6. Place on a rack to cool and drain.
For the spicy coating
  1. When you're done frying the pickles, ladle 1/3 cup of the hot oil into a small sauce pan and whisk in the spicy coating ingredients.
  2. Brush mixture over the pickles. The more you brush on, the hotter it'll be.

Jalapeno Bottle Caps with Blue Cheese Dip

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We love deep fried mushrooms. And deep fried pickles. It was just a matter of time until we made deep fried jalapeno slices (called jalapeno bottle caps because, well, they’re shaped just like bottle caps). Oh my are we ever glad we did. These little bites are crazy good. They are not very hot but they do have a bit of a kick. If you’re leery of heat, fear not. They have great jalapeno flavor and a little crunch from the breading. I served them with a great, cool blue cheese dip.
Jalapeno Bottle Caps with Blue Cheese DipThe deep fry mix in this recipe can be used for anything from mushrooms to pickles to jalapenos to shrimp. Make a batch and keep it on hand in an air-tight container.

Also try my Nashville hot pickles.

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Jalapeno Bottle Caps with Blue Cheese Dip
Author: 
Recipe type: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4 servings
 
Ingredients
For the jalapeno bottle caps
  • Vegetable oil, for frying
  • 1 cup deep fry mix (see below)
  • 8 tablespoons (or more) beer
  • 3 large jalapeno peppers, seeded, and sliced crosswise 1/4-inch thick
  • Kosher salt
  • Blue cheese dip
For the deep fry mix
  • 3 cups self-rising flour (or combine 3 cups all-purpose flour with 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt)
  • 1/2 cup self-rising white cornmeal (or combine 1/2 cup regular cornmeal with 1/2 teaspoon baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
For the jalapeno bottle caps
  1. Heat a few inches of oil in a deep fryer or Dutch oven to 375 F.
  2. Add beer to the fry mix and mix until smooth. You might have to add more beer. Don't make it too thin, you want it to stick to the jalapenos.
  3. Add in the jalapenos and cover in the batter.
  4. Working in batches if needed, deep fry the jalapenos 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with salt.
  5. Serve hot with cool blue cheese dip.
For the deep fry mix
  1. Combine all ingredients. Store unused portion in an airtight container.