Commercial Frying Tips From the Fry Guy Chefs

Fried foods continue to be popular. Whether it’s a full-service restaurant, a QSR, a ghost kitchen, or even in schools, the desire for fried food is still important to customers because, well, fried food is good. We know that serving the crispiest, best-tasting fried food is key, and this is why we started our Fry Guy series to help commercial chefs learn a little more from expert Pitco fryer users around North America. Here are some of the Fry Guys offering commercial frying tips about the two most asked questions they often receive.
What is the best piece of advice you would give someone who wants to add fried food to a menu?
“Select the temperature that foods fry best at.” —Ron Rippley, Corporate Chef with The Jay Mark Group, located in Elk Grove Village, Illionis
“Size your fryer correctly to achieve the best results. Making sure you have adequate space to keep from over-crowding the basket means you can have a more consistent product. You need that consistency to avoid becoming another place where everything tastes the same.” —Nick Sortore, Arizona-based Chef with Elevation® Foodservice Reps, located in Denver, Colorado
“Menu mix! Be sure to calculate how many items you’ll be frying.” —Jeff White, Corporate Chef with Phoenix Marketing, located in Indianapolis, Indiana.
“First, you need a quality fryer to achieve results. Second, consider a cabinet and a warmer to help maintain quality.” —Arturo Marchand, Corporate Chef with Griffin Marketing in Salisbury, North Carolina
“Spend the money to upgrade to a solid state control. Don’t buy a fryer based on what is the cheapest. All fryers are not created equal!” —Will O’Kelley Corporate Chef with PMR in Lawrenceville, Georgia
“Get filtration! It will save you so many headaches (and a lot of money).” —Dan Frenette, Territory Manager & Culinary Specialist with W.D. Colledge, located in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
“Start with a Pitco fryer. Everything else is easy!” —Matt McMeekin, South Florida Corporate Chef with Eaton Marketing, located in Clearwater, Florida
What are common frying mistakes that you see, and how would you recommend fixing those mistakes?
“Overcrowding and not giving time to recover. We’ve all done the move where you tear open a bag of fries and dump the whole bag in the 2 fryer baskets. It’s a classic! All the ice crystals fall into the oil and it’s spitting everywhere. You need to be more thoughtful in your actions during service. Plan ahead so there are no desperation drops.” —David Ford, Corporate Chef with Heartland Reps, located in Kearney, Missouri
“Not filtering enough is a common mistake. Others include not having a crisp and hold, trying to fry too much at once, and not changing the oil in your fryer when needed. Consider going with automatic filtration to start. Get a crisp and hold to maintain the quality of your fried foods, and definitely change your oil as necessary. It’s as simple as that.” —Matt McMeekin
“Fry at 350-375 degrees, and use a spider or something similar to pull debris out of oil after each or every other drop. Filter and clean every night. That includes inside the door and under the tank, as well.” —Chris Boyce, Corporate Chef with One Source Reps, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
“Using dirty oil or not using a filtering schedule. I also see operators use undersized fryers for production needs. It’s important to educate the end-user on the types of fryers available. Most only think of an economy fryer, so it’s important to explain the efficiencies and better product results they can achieve with the proper fryer . . . and you better filter your oil, damn it!” —Dave Wilson, Corporate Chef with WD Colledge located in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
“Not changing the oil often enough and then not boiling it out when they do. It starts with the top. Train upper management on the proper processes so they know how to hold their employees accountable.” —Jeff White
Ready to learn more fry tips from the experts? Schedule a free oil management advice session – click below to get started!
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