Best Fried Thang Evar

[StriperGuy]

Please share your experience of The Best Fried Thing you ever ate...

A recent contender bought earlier today (I ate it 5 hours later) from a Cambodian grocery store in Lynn, MA called:

Pailin Lynn Market
859 Western Ave
Lynn, MA 01905
[phone]

Hard to even describe: dense chewy donut-ish outer with a nice cracking/crumbling confectioners sugar frost. Inside an almost savory but sort of sweet. Thought it was white bean paste (but a bit more savory), very crumbly almost like cooked egg yoke. Not doing it justice, but it was sublime. Amongst the best deep fried things I have ever eaten.

[JanPrimus]

Chicken Gizzards might have to my fav. I love the texture.

[hotdoglover]

Not only my favorite fried thing to eat, but my favorite overall thing to eat is an authentic "Newark Style Italian Hot Dog". This is a regional specialty that was invented in Newark New Jersey in 1932 by James Raccioppi. It is an all beef hot dog (2 dogs for the more common double) that has been deep fried or sauteed along with peppers, potatoes, and onions. This concoction is put in pizza bread, which is Italian bread shaped liked a pita and baked in a pizza oven.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gQHPM...

[Sal Vanilla]

I'm gonna say an apple fritter. Not one of those dough balls that can double as a door stop. One with lots of nooks, crannies and crispy horns mixed with pillowy soft interior. Each bite gooshing with just sweet enough cinnamon sugar apples. All this dunked in a thin sugar coating. When you bite into it, it snaps, then crunchycrackles and then oozes.

I also love a perfectly fried piece of fish. One that is supremely crunchy, not a hint of too much batter and has been fried in perfectly seasoned oil.

corn meal encrusted fresh fried okra... doused with vinegar pepper sauce. I could eat a bowlful bigger than my ever expanding rump.

[LBeater]

I'm going to have to say fried ice cream.

[Thunderduck]

Either calamari or breaded mushrooms stuffed with chicken liver pate.

[roro1831]

As I haven't read the list in a while, not sure if spedini is on there or not, but just had some the other night and forgot how good it was

[MattInNJ]

Fried pickles, have to get em every time I see them...

[waddleidoer]

This may not necessarily be the best fried thing *ever*, but for my personal nostalgia + taste, my mother's version of mozzarella sticks can't be beat. We called them string cheese rolls—string cheese sticks cut in half, wrapped in spring roll shells, then deep fried in a pot of vegetable oil until the shells turned a crispy-crackly golden brown and melted cheese started oozing out the ends. Dip the piping hot string cheese rolls in a bowl of fresh spicy pico de gallo... talk about heart-cloggingly delicious!

[mcsheridan]

Driving back from Donegal about three years ago, my friends and I stopped in the town of Killybegs, the largest fishing port in Ireland, and were fortunate enough to snag that day's Halibut at a dockside seller's stand. We brought it back to our hostel, dredged it in leftover "pancake" mix we'd been carrying, dipped it in egg and then into crumbs, and fried the lot. OMG we still talk about that fish to this day.

No other fried fish will ever compare.

[PattiCakes]

My husband's Scottish grandmothner used to say: "Hunger is the best sauce".

[Luvfriedokra]

Conch fritters!! Have had them many places, but Porky's in Marathon,FL makes them the best. Not greasy, just the right ratio of conch/fritter. Goes great with an ice cold beer.

[FriedClamFanatic]

Surprisingly, some of the best conch fritters I ever had was at the
Key West FL airport!

[bigdnotemeril]

Those are pretty good, forgot about them. How bout conch fritters cooked by the Bahamain Church women @ the Delray Affair in Delray Beach Fl. Those are in the top 3.
How bout what i call Texas Tornadoes? Split a beef hot dog half way thru stuff w/ queso fresco. wrap w/ parcooked bacon sprinkle w/ cayenne pepper then deep fry bout 4 min. Whats a fat man to do?

[danhole]

Where did you have a Texas Tornado? I never heard of that, but did have something similar in Chicago called a francheezie, but not sure it was deep fried.

[bigdnotemeril]

There not on any menu I know of, I dont think the American Medical Asn. would approve. My bud own's the Grumpy Grouper Grill in south Fl. and one rainy afternoon (alcohol was involved) for some reason the cook wasnt there. Well I wound up in the kitchen, and rest is history. Yes we did deep fry them but there great on the grill as well, even though this is A fry blog. Just cook them indirectly. Oh ya throw on some hoarseradish mixed w/ sourcream and mayo.

[danhole]

ROFL! I don't think the AMA would approve of anything on this thread! I believe the horseradish mixed w/ sour cream and mayo puts this over the top!

[im_nomad]

fish and chips in St. John's Newfoundland, made with fish straight off the dock, and thick cut fries.

I had the best calamari i've ever eaten in a little Italian place in PEI.

Jalapeno poppers with cream cheese...definite guilty pleasure.

sweet potato tempura, and I actually liked the deep fried tofu I recently had in a sushi joint.

deep fried pickles.

i'm not one for sweets, but I do like funnel cake. I also once ate a deep fried mars bar, and while it wasn't bad, I don't really need to have another.

EDIT: how'd I forget potato chips, doritos, fritos etc etc.

[chicaraleigh]

I can't believe no one mentioned this but a Monte Cristo is a mighty fine fried treat

[nkeane]

forgive me if someone has mentioned this, but this is a dirty secret I dont even tell the SO about:

fried PB&J. Make the sandwich so that there is a 1/2" bread only ring around the outside and crimp it together(btw, through many a trial and error, you should aim for a slightly higher than normal filling to bread ratio, and leaning towards the PeanutButter side....maybe 60-40) butter the outside of both slices of bread and stick as many tortilla chip crumbs that you can(try to find a lime flavored chip, it lends a nice Thai flavor to the sandwich) and either go full monty and deep fry it or pan fry it(youll need the oil to come atleast half way up the sandwich, or it wont quite crisp up enough).

[Sam Fujisaka]

nkeane, I'd eat one of those in a flash if you made it for me; but aren't you the one who would make an excuse and leave if served processed food? I don't use ikons, but if I did, imagine a friggin' sideways smile face here.

[kattyeyes]

nkeane, it's not enough you wanted to share your dirty little secret but "the full monty"...I can only think of the movie and imagine that you're fryin' up your PBJ commando! HA HA HA HA HA! Still laughing! HA HA HA HA HA!

[alkapal]

full monty frying? that could be dangerous! no, that IS dangerous.

[kattyeyes]

Yeah, remember Gordon Ramsey's, um, incident? BTW, I do NOT at all suggest that GR's thang is the best fried thang ever!
http://gossipgiants.com/2007/09/07/go...

I'll stick with deep fried Oreos and the rest of my previously stated list, thank you! ;)

[alkapal]

listen before it's gone: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qHX49...
;-). <a whole. new. meaning.....>

[kattyeyes]

LOLOLOLOL!

[galleygirl]

You are truly a sick person. and I like that!

[c oliver]

And *I* thought I was revealing a dirty secret just because I like to put potato chips on sandwiches. I'm clearly not in this league. Fried PBJ?!?!?!? With crushed tortilla chips? And, oh yeah, make sure you get your ratio correct! Laugh out loud. Thanks.

[Passadumkeg]

"Do we have monkeys in Scotland? Good God, no, but if we did, we'd deep fry them". Nicholas in The Last King of Scotland.

[buttertart]

Check out Scottish fried delights - cheeseburgers, pizza, sweets - on FXCuisine, a swell blog.

[im_nomad]

lol that's hilarious

[buttertart]

Fried camembert open-faced sandwich at the Danish Food Centre in Toronto (now defunct) years ago - 1/4 Danish camembert, floured/egged/crumbed, deep fried and served with thickly sliced toasted and buttered good white bread, berry preserves, cheese to be cut and bashed onto the buttered and jammed toast, and eaten as soon as possible scorching hot. A leaf of Boston lettuce on the side for the vitamins.

[goodhealthgourmet]

best fried calamari i've ever had was, surprisingly, at a little Italian restaurant in the Virginia Highlands neighborhood of Atlanta. the name of the place escapes me now - it was back in the early 90's. perfectly battered & fried every time, with a simple, chunky sauce of fresh tomatoes and herbs, and plenty of garlic. we used to go there just for the calamari.

[CDouglas]

I would have to go with the deep-fried, cheese-stuffed cheeseburger made from bacon:
http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2008/01/deep-fried-cheese-stuffed-cheeseburger-made-from-bacon.html

Absent that delicacy I would nominate the deep fried bacon, cheese and beer dog:
http://moralauthority.wordpress.com/2...

Eat these in close proximity to a hospital and you stand a chance of surviving.

[StriperGuy]

I will add one, my family used to have a donut recipe that my dad got from a youth hostel owner in Vermont, for plain donuts, deep fried in lard. The recipe was very simple, I guess I have to try to recreate it. I cooked these myself on 2-3 occasions as a 13 or 14 year old. Basic donut dough, a tough of nutmeg, nice fry job. They were amazing. Along with the lost hot and sour soup of my favorite Chinese restaurant of my youth one of the lost foods I long for.

[pikawicca]

This is a bit of an embarrassment, but I'd have to say the fried cheesecake with home made blueberry and hot fudge sauces that I had 2 summers ago in Maine.

[kattyeyes]

I'll share a piece of that shame. Sounds fantastic!

[roro1831]

My vote is for soft shell crab, onion rings, okra, the deep fried poboy sandwich appetizer at Jacque Imos, oreos, beignets, sweet potato fries, jalapeno poppers, hush puppies, boudin balls

[Passadumkeg]

How the hell did I forget soft shell crab! Ate a dozen in Oct.

[lcool]

how could you not include them in all things tempura,shame

[mrbigshotno.1]

How did I miss it? Soft shell crab sandwich on the south Jersey shore, It's been over 20 years, memories, memories.

[ceekskat]

I have to choose only one? That's like having to choose your favorite child.

Vadas
Dosas (not deep fried but does uses lots of ghee/oil)
Mini samosas
falafel
matchstick fries
zeppole (don't know how it compares to the "best" but the ones I had at Quarto in Chicago were pretty darn good)
spicy tuna on crispy rice (why oh why is this only available in L.A.??)
beignet
funnel cakes

Best unique dish goes to french toast at Em Le's in Carmel, CA. Swear they must be using funnel cake batter to deep fry the bread!!

http://www.em-les.com/index.htm

[mrbigshotno.1]

Whole belly clams
Real Spudnuts
sopapillas
The fries at Geno's in South Philly
Vikings (batter dipped and deep fried swedish meatballs)
Steak fingers and gizzards at Lucky Wishbone in Tucson, AZ
Lumpia
The fried apple pies at KFC, beleive it or not!

[kpaumer]

RELLENO DE PAPA - stuffed potato ball. You wrap mashed potatos (thickened with a little flour) around a seasoned spicy meatball and drop in hot oil until golden brown, you go from crunchy to soft to spicy meat.

[chicaraleigh]

stuffed potatos! yum yum yum

anytime I'm in Tampa I seek out the closest Cuban restaurant for one of these!

[Steve]

Polori (also spelled poloughrie) , Trini fritters made from chickpea flour and doused with pickled tamarind sauce.

Of course, you could stick your finger in the pickled tamarind sauce and it would taste good.

But I find these hard to make right.

[PattiCakes]

How could I have forgotten felafel!

[nkeane]

had a first the other night..........Kimchi Kare-age. Yes, thats battered and fried Kimchi. Yes its unforgettably delicious. cant stop thinking about it, 2 days later.

[Whippet]

This was the first thing that came to mind for me -- but only as a fantasy! How was it done? What was the batter made from? Cabbage kimchi? Oh. My. Goodness. I must have some.

[nkeane]

Yes it was cabbage, and thankfully they only used the crunchy ribs of the cabbage, held up well to the frying. The batter was like a lighter version that they would use on chicken, mainly if not fully rice flour with a really nice curry flavor in the batter. The Kimchi itself almost seems to get spicier this way......perfect!!

[kubasd]

I looove deep fried kim chee! I used to always eat it at my local korean restaurant. But deep fried broccoli and calamari (w/ a garlic aoli) are my favorite fried foods, ever

[umbushi plum]

fish and chips fresh from the docks in hobart melbourne or sydney is pretty sublime, the fish is so fresh and the thick chips are sprinkled with salt and vinegar or "chicken salt" mmm many a childhood memory at the local fish and chippie, also calamari with tartar sauce is the other fried food i can eat but again only from a fish shop on the docks it just adds to the whole expierience and thus for me makes it the best fried thang ever

[FriedClamFanatic]

In order, and with a bias:

1. Fried Clams with bellies
2. Clam Fritters
3. Conch Fritters
4. Hush puppies
5. (if you can afford it and dare to "waste" it this way): Lobster -especially tails - sliced and dipped in an oniony tempura batter.
6. Dim Sum
7. Pierogies.onion,garlic and potato. with or without cheese

[hangrygirl]

Beaver tails! (Or I guess they're called elephant ears some places?) SO yummy.

[StriperGuy]

I live in Massachusetts myself and we have some pretty awesome fried clams around here... the season is almost upon us, YUM!

[dinaofdoom]

fried clams are totally awesome, and it makes me so sad that i just can't get them here (done well) in austin.
see also the thread on strips vs. bellies (i am def. a belly girl).

[StriperGuy]

Strips vs. bellies have oft been discussed on the Boston board. General consensus is that strips are not real fried clams but fried-clams-lite for the wimpy.

The bigger debate here is big bellies vs. small. I will confess to once or twice having bellies that were so big, and perhaps a bit undercooked, that even I got a little squeemed-out.

[dinaofdoom]

i like 'em all as long as they are cooked right!
god, i miss them...

[Passadumkeg]

I saw a man digging a clam flat 4 hrs ago on my drive home from school!
I dig them during the summer or buy them cheaply from my students.

[FriedClamFanatic]

sheesh.........Am I jealous? Damn straight!

[Passadumkeg]

But look on the bright side. You have cheese steaks, scrapple, soft pretzels, apple butter and shoo fly pie. Wicked good stuff, Cappy. :0)

ps Just to rub it in, I buy soft shell clams for a buck a pound.

"Where do all the hippest meet? South Street, South Street."
The Orlons
"I don't want no hamburger, I don't want no Spam.
I don't care if it's steamed or fried,
Just give me a BIG FRIGGIN' CLAM!"
The Wicked Good Band
http://www.exiles.com/Wicked_Good_Ban...

[PattiCakes]

I can tell that the school year is starting to wear on you, Pass. Your brain is exploding with way funny stuff!

[Passadumkeg]

On the Maine Exiles site above, check out the web cams if Acadia Nat'l Pk where we live and the lobster trap where we don't.

Deep fried Snickers.

[PattiCakes]

Not sure where I saw this -- might have been food channel or the travel channel -- but there is a place in NY that started out has a home away from home for Brits who wanted (fried) fish 'n chips. One thing led to another, and now they specialize in everyhthing fried. The whole segment was about the various things that they tried that worked, and are resto faves, and others that didn't because they just melted into a pile of fried goo. Among the menu items are fried Snickers (and other candy bars) , fried Twinkies, and the ever-popular fried Oreos. Wish I could remenber the name of the place.........

[Melanie]

I remember that! It was called the Park Slope Chip Shop, I believe: http://www.chipshopnyc.com/

[PattiCakes]

Thanks!!! I was waiting for them to deep fry cocktails.

[FriedClamFanatic]

Ah..........but the good news! No Snow, croci coming out, weird new spring birds at the feeder.......and lots of winter sticks to pick up! Thank Gawd i have a Barbados tan from several weeks visiting my son to help tide me over while I pick all those damn sticks up before the grass starts. Alas, still not a fried clam in sight! (But had some great codfish cakes in Barbados!.and the rum was almost as cheap as Coca-Cola!)

[StriperGuy]

I guess clams can even be dug in Mass. this time of year. I just associate fried clams with summer.

[kpaumer]

Yes, start up the deep fryer I will be out on Cape Cod this summer, fried cod, clams, calamari, popcorn oysters and cold beer, Life is good!

[mtngirlnv]

We were at a casual wedding last year just outside of Virginia Beach. The groom to be and his dad had caught a huge tuna that week, and part of the rehearsal dinner picnic was chunks of that tuna wrapped in bacon and deep fried. When boyfriend commented on how good it was, the best man, who was also the cook, drawled, "Well , you could take a turd, wrap it in bacon and deep fry it, it's gonna taste pretty good." Which is one of my all time favorite food commentaries.....

[Sam Fujisaka]

On the other hand, Will Rogers said, "Well, yuh cain't shine a turd!". But this applies to the Social dilemna" and "You can't be my friend" threads.

[Passadumkeg]

Didn't Will Rogers also say, "I never met a beer I didn't like?"
Keg

[mtngirlnv]

Yes to both, and because of (or in spite of??) the beer, we became best friends with everyone.

[lynnlato]

Besides the obvious (onion rings, fries, etc)...

-hushpuppies
-mushrooms
-cauliflower
-pickles

[galleygirl]

Oh gawd, deep-fried cauliflower, on a stick, at a Renaissance Festival in Kansas City, MO...Well, outside the city,Bonner Springs, but you get the idea....

[haggisdragon]

incidentally, deep fried pigeon is pretty good too!

[haggisdragon]

at the risk of being pigeon holed: battered deep fried haggis. Yum.

[PattiCakes]

Hard to stomach deep-fried haggis.

[Passadumkeg]

Good one. Are you on the lamb again?

[PattiCakes]

"No", she replied sheepishly.

Are you getting MORE snow this week? When will it ever end! How about a deep fried snow pie?

[Passadumkeg]

Get the flock out of here!
Yes, another 3" of snow tomorrow. Susan's Fish and chips has deep fried ice cream and if you bring in your own freshly caught fish will deep fry it for 5 bucks.

[c oliver]

Patti & Passa, you kids are the worst/best. Made me chuckle and I'm here by myself which normal humans might feel less normal about.

[galleygirl]

Fried yucca, particularly that from Rincon Limeno in Boston..
Pasteis de Bacalhao, can't remember the shop near a train station in Lisbon, Portugal.
Fried clams, anyplace!

[chef chicklet]

lumpia
vietnamese spring rolls
butterlied shrimp-tempura , tempura period!
fried chicken
potaotes

[Melanie]

Piroshki, specifically from the now defunct 'House of Piroshki' in San Francisco.

[Passadumkeg]

Ochen horroshow! Very good. Was just thinking about making some this past weknd.

[adamshoe]

Are piroshki always deep fried? I thought they were a steamed or baked thing. Is a pierogie the same thing as a piroshki? confused.... adam

[PattiCakes]

no, not usually deep fried. They are not unlike ravioli, so are usually boiled, then sauted in lots of butter with onions. You see them deep fried at state fairs, local ball parks & such -- probably have made their way into bars as well. They are a lot easier to eat as finger food when they are fried.

[Melanie]

Actually, I'm speaking of the Russian Piroshki, not pierogi, which is often fried:

Here are a few pictures

http://www.russianfamily.net/images/rf_FriedPiroshki.jpg
http://www.arpcache.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/picture-059.jpg
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_KkprCJsQ7eE...

Now I'm hungry!

[PattiCakes]

Thanks!!! Gotta love that good ol' Slavic food!

[Boccone Dolce]

Melanie I am reporting this post as TOTALLY UNFAIR and MEAN! YOU ARE A BIG MEANIE!!! ;op
oh dear sweet baby jesus I LOVE those things. My very sweet Ukrainian girlfriend (the same one that made me pielmeni) would bring these in for me and they are just so amazing. I'm not mad at you, but you totally hurt my feelings...........

[Melanie]

Baccone Dolce! I'm so sorry! I am mean and I am clearly a masochist as well. I think I drooled all over my computer when I was searching for those pictures. Good piroshkis really are amazing aren't they??

[Passadumkeg]

You can get a pielmieni press on line. makes it a lot faster. grew up on them. Ate them in USSR and Helsinkin too. Russian fried ravioli!

[bayoucook]

Fried chicken
Fried okra
Fried oysters and shrimp
Fried green tomatoes

[Clarkafella]

My own fried eggplant- nothing else comes close! But if I had to choose something it would be cracklins that were just out of the fryer at some old grocery store in south Louisiana somewhere. There is a reason that they are called CRACKlins...

[swamp]

Cajun Pistols. I had them at the Crawfish Festival in Breaux Bridge Louisiana and they were great. Basically a stuffed crawfish beignet.

[JungMann]

If there can only be one best fried thang evar, my vote would go to lechon kawali, a.k.a. deep-fried pork belly. The crunchy skins and exterior gives way to a layer of creamy fat and beneath that, tender meat.
http://www.marketmanila.com/archives/...

[FriedClamFanatic]

that looks heavenly!

[kpaumer]

Now I know what FOOD PORN looks like!, I'm drooling ala Homer Simpson:-)

[danhole]

Fresh fried pork skin from a Berkshire pig . . . still warm when served
Cajun fried turkey
Beignet from Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans
Shrimp Tempura from defunct japanese restaurant in Houston

[PattiCakes]

Where are all of you Southerners? Nothin' better'n a Calabash Buffet. A yearly indulgence while on vacation in NC. Fried EVERYTHING: chicken, seafood, but best of all fried okra and hush puppies. All washed down with sweet tea. Can you spell "clogged arteries"??

[danhole]

"Can you spell "clogged arteries"??"

Yes, Patti, I can, which is why my list is short and everything on it are not on my regular diet! I love all the things you mention, but refrain! Hard, but must do it!

[invinotheresverde]

2nd the okra. It's the perfect hangover food!

[lcool]

Vietnamese spring rolls made by my neighbors mother;sweet potatoe chips;sweet potatoe tempura;the coconut shrimp and doughnut hole fritters made by a catering friend

[alkapal]

the *best* fried thing i ever ate was a deep fried fresh florida lobster caught and cooked by my nephew.

[c oliver]

Oh, gawd, that sounds soooo good.

[bigdnotemeril]

I do fried fl. lobster quite a bit, coconut batter then dip in plum sauce OMG. Also beer batter w/cajun seasonigs.
Oysters wraped in parcooked bacon, hold in place w/ a toothpick, sprinkle w/ Redneck Pepper (they have a website) then deepfry. Off the chain!
Another fav. Low and Slow B.B.Q. in Cocoa Beach slices jalapenos in rings, batters them and fries them, served w/ hoarsy ranch dip, wow!

[alkapal]

coconut batter? please 'splain, big d!

[FriedClamFanatic]

oh thoise sound heavenly! Yeah, we need the recipe!

[bigdnotemeril]

Ok here 'tis heat peanut oil to 350 d. wisk 1cup ea. of beer and bisquick till smooth. Cut lobster tail into pieces ('bout 2 bites ea.) Dip into batter and shake off excess. Dredge into 1 cup of fresh grated coconut, or store bought flaked if un avail. drop in oil for about 60 to 90 sec. Drain, salt if desired. Serve w / Plum sauce. Which is found in oreintal section of most markets. I like to saute a little minced jalapeno, then add the plum sauce and 3 or 4 tbs orange marmalade and serve warm.

[StriperGuy]

Any time you feel like frying up a batch of that lobster and need some help eating it you let us know.

Certainly sounds like a strong contender for "best fried thang."

The Cocoa beach slices don't sound bad either.

[FriedClamFanatic]

Sweet!.........Thanks!

[StriperGuy]

Sounds awesome, what's a cocoa beach slice?

[bigdnotemeril]

Sorry, Low and Slow B.B.Q in Cocoa Beach. Slices jalapeno into rings, and fries them in batter I think its just egg wash and seasoned flour. then fries them until golden, Served w/ that awesome hoarsy ranch dip!

[moh]

Where to begin? I so love fried foods.

Mum's Korean eggrolls
Southern fried chicken
tempura
Langos (Hungarian fried bread)
Portuguese fried dough
Polish donuts Packzi?
MIng's Fried banana in spicy sauce
Anything fried by MIng
Fritto Misto, and Roman fried artichokes
Fried ice cream
Yes yes yes to hushpuppies
Another resounding yes to zeppole di San Giuseppe
Shrimp Rissois
Fried hunks of bacon (we have a local butcher who does this on a regular basis)

[moh]

Oops, forgot Churros.... silly me.

[dinaofdoom]

is the bacon battered or dredged in something first?
intriguing!

[danhole]

I don't know about what moh is talking about, but my daughter recently had some chicken fried bacon! Yes, like a chicken fried steak, but it was bacon. Said it was good but she could only eat one piece.

[dinaofdoom]

we have that here in texas, and the media loves to do stories on it!
actually, we have chicken-fried everything here in texas, pretty much.
i am eating chicken-fried chicken as i type this (i kid you not).
i have also enjoyed a chicken-fried portobella.

[danhole]

Silly dina - where do you think we live? In Texas, of course!

[dinaofdoom]

oh, der, i should have known!
now pass the fried pickles, please...

[moh]

dinaofdoom, here is a link to my report on the deep-fried bacon, with a few pictures:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/565654

It is insanely good.

Oh dear, I can't believe I didn't include Uglesich's soft shell crab po-boy on my fried foods list! Fried oysters, fried clams, fried scallop, fish and chips... all so good.

[dmd_kc]

The "Quickie," a wheat-battered hot dog on a stick they used to serve in my mom's home town. Sadly no longer there.
Lumpia
Thai taro cakes
Vietnamese sweet potatoes and shrimp
My mom's fried chicken
Malaysian curry puffs
My best (Argentinian) friend's chicken empanadas
Perfect falafel (the equal of which I've still never found from a cart that used to be at the corner of 55th and 5th in NYC when I was in high school)

But No. 1, no question, is perfect french fries. My favorite taste ever.

[porker]

I'm not so much a sweet guy, so can't really appreciate a sweet thang, fried or otherwise.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, one of the tastiest things I've ever had (along the lines of Passadumkeg's chicharon) is Yucatec kastacan - fried pork belly.
To me, its simply one of the best thangs EVER, it just happens to be fried, falling under this category.

Mention kastacan to any ex-pat Yucateco and they get a far-away, dreamy look in their eye. I feel the same way............gotta get back.......soon......

[kirinraj]

plantains (tostones)
yuca
sardinhas fritas (fried in olive oil)
malasadas (portuguese-hawaiian donuts)

[TampaAurora]

Sesame Balls
Fried Mozzarella Sticks
Dill Pickles
Chicken or Veggie Tempura

[chicgail]

Does anyone eat (or make) fried dill pickles above the Mason-Dixon?

[dinaofdoom]

probably not, but it's a shame!
there are a few different styles: mainly, spear vs. chip (i prefer chip, because the spear gets too googly inside for my taste).
then, there is the dipping sauce, which is usually of the ranch persuasion.

[lynnlato]

I've only ever seen the chips. I had some a couple weeks ago served w/ a creamy horseradish dip.

But I never heard of them (or boiled peanuts) until moving to NC 12 yrs ago.

[TampaAurora]

I concur! The spears just get oddly textured. I don't tend towards the ranch dip - I just eat em plain and tasty.

Speaking of Southern Fried deliciousness - I can't get enough of corn fritters. Like a hushpuppy but better.

[lynnlato]

Ooooh, I love corn fritters too. Are they a Southern food? I always thought they were Pennsylvania Dutch for some reason. Hmpf.

[TampaAurora]

I was born and lived in Philly until a few days before my 7th Bday and don't remember having corn fritters until we moved to Florida at some fried fish dives. They were the highlight of any meal that had them!

[PattiCakes]

Different people make corn fritters differently. I think the southern version is more like a hush puppy: round globs of batter dropped into hot fat to deep fry. My mom used to make her version of corn fritters, which I think was more like the PA Dutch version. We used to have them for dinner. Hers were more like a pancake, using cornmeal as well as flour. She took fresh corn off the cob & put that in the batter. Before she took it off the cob, she ran her knife down each row of kernals to slice them open & release the juice into the batter. Also used bacon grease in the batter (those were the days when everyone had a cup on their counter where they saved their bacon drippings). They were pan fried, like pancakes, but used a little more grease in the pan to make them crispier than a regular pancake. Served with syrup & butter. Sometimes served with a side of home made hash or with scrapple. They were such a treat that I never realized until years later that they were one of her ways to fill our bellies when a the pantry was bare & money was scarce.

[StriperGuy]

May have been modest fair, but sounds delicious. Think I might have to try to improvise your moms recipe this summer when corn is in season.

[lynnlato]

Well done, Patticakes... you described my mom's corn fritters perfectly. Yum, corn milk! I've lived in NC for the past 12 years and haven't seen corn fritters anywhere here. 'Course I never saw them in restos in PA either. But ours were definitely more like pancakes and we ate them for dinner.

BTW, thanks to CH, I keep my bacon fat in a jar and use it often! :)

[PattiCakes]

Thanks, Lynn! I think they are not resto food because they are basically a very humble thing. A fill-your-belly-when-times-are-lean food. And you need fresh corn. Tomato gravy (the cream kind, not my South Philly Italian friends' gravy) over toast and potato pancakes are in that same catagory. I thought they were great treats when I was a kid -- it never occured to me that it was an eat-on-the-cheap dinner. And I am now salivating uncontrolably.

[FriedClamFanatic]

I still use a Joy of Cooking recipe.

Corn, sliced from the cob and then the back of the knife used to get out the kernel milk (1-2 ears)

one egg, divided...whites whipped
salt (usually Season Salt)

mix the yolk with the corn, blend in the really whipped whites, fry in oil or bacon grease.

If I'm forced, I might add a tsp or 2 of flour, but try and leave it out

made like a pancake, soft, light. Not like hush puppies, apple fritters clam/conch fritters,etc at all.

served with syrup at breakfast, salt and butter at other times

[StriperGuy]

No flour, would not have thought... must be very light and fluffy.

[PattiCakes]

Intersting. Sounds yummy. My mom's were more like corn pancakes, probably because she really wanted to fill us up. Used both white flour & a touch of corn meal to give a a bit of a grainy mouth feel.

[StriperGuy]

That was what I assumed and had more in mind. I actually make a cornmeal pancake for breakfast and am imagining a version of that with fresh corn and corn milk added.

[Passadumkeg]

Some pubs in Maine do. The Thirsty Whale fur sure.
Does anyone below the Mason-Dixon make make or eat molasas brown bread aka Indian pudding?

[dinaofdoom]

as a bostonian in austin, i sure haven't seen it.

[Passadumkeg]

But you have the tortilleria at Fiesta Supermarket. I just lugged back hundreds of tortillas back from LV 10 days ago.
We may visit our daughter in Austin spring break.
Its been another rough winter here.

[dinaofdoom]

i guess that is the trade off-- indian pudding/brown bread --> tortillas.

speaking of pudding: i think fried corn pudding would be amazing!

[StriperGuy]

Very good locally made tortillas can be had in Boston. Russos sells them, but you can even go by them from the factories, Lowell, Lawrence, Worcester, I think there use to be one in JP.

[porker]

Anchor Food products, owned by Heinz and/or McCain has a mess of fried products available, including pickle spears.
http://www.mccainusa.com/McCainFoodSe...
Not a true 'homemade' item (prebattered, parfried), but any restaurant in US or Canada has access to them.
Underappreciated the more north you go, I think.

[tatamagouche]

Yeah, in Boston they were a rarity but now that I'm living in the Southwest again I see them far more often. They're on the Hooters menu, for one thing, as I know only because I was obliged to go for my first and last time recently with a friend—a gay male, which was the sweet part—who won a wings party.

[roro1831]

There's a restaurant in Jersey with a southern theme that serves the fried pickle chips, sadly it is the best thing on the menu.

[Morganna]

Yes, there's a local restaurant here in central Vermont that has them on the menu. River Run in Plainfield, VT. :)

[lcool]

YES ; and my 3 grain coating comes from a stone mill in Tennessee

[KTinNYC]

I've had fried pickles in Michigan.

[kubasd]

they had them at the big e this year, right with the veggie tempura.... yummm

[kattyeyes]

LOVE The Big E--though my big thing there (besides riding the giant slide--WHOOOOOOOOOOOOO!) is the apple flappen, speaking of deliciously fried thangs! Gotta go next year. I missed the past couple of years.

P.S. The Big E (for everyone else) is a multistate fair for New England states.

[im_nomad]

I had them in a pub in Saint John, New Brunswick a couple of summers ago, spears, not chips.

[abduction51]

I love fried dill pickles! Spears of course...easier to dip in my opinion. I have yet to find a quality place in the Chicago area but always on the look out.

[JanPrimus]

I just had some last night in Detroit.

[Sam Fujisaka]

Whole sparrow in Burma

The frame from the steamed grouper that we just finished - Singapore, Hong Kong, elsewhere

Adult beetles from the white grubs in SE Asia that mature and swarm every or every two years

[kattyeyes]

Sam, the cat pictured in my avatar would like to know how to get to Colombia. You spoke directly to her heart with your fried whole sparrow suggestion. ;)

A few of my fave fried thangs:
arancine (me, too!)
calzone (local place that did this no longer does--what a shame!)
beer-battered Oreos
tempura-battered bananas
mozz
pizza fritte

[Sam Fujisaka]

eyes, I rarely eat deep fried so I remember the good ones. You, your cat (and what an honor), and I have to return to the remote parts of Burma. The kids were waving the goods on a stick (clamped, not skewered), my Burmese colleagues (best in the world) didn't want to stop or thought I wouldn't like them. Really delicious!!!

[c oliver]

Me too, me too. And my cat too. Well, maybe she's too old but I'll eat her portion of sparrow. (Why do some people have problems with some birds but suck down turkey and chicken with abandon?) katty, please tell me that we're NOT going to have to eat beer-batter Oreos when we come see you this summer! I don't like sweets :)

[kattyeyes]

<<(Why do some people have problems with some birds but suck down turkey and chicken with abandon?)>>
Must be they don't all "taste like chicken!" ;)

We don't make the Oreos at home--I had them at a brewing company in Amherst, MA about 10 years ago...but, as you can see, they are deeply ingrained in my memory.

[c oliver]

Ho ho.

Thank heavens you don't MAKE those Oreos. The thought of an Oreo in its original state sets my teeth on edge so fried? No.

[kattyeyes]

You can have a pass since you don't like sweets. But fried Oreos end up tasting like a warm brownie when done just right...the cookie melts within the crispy batter coating and tastes oh so good over ice cream. MOOOOOO!

[tatamagouche]

Sounds awesomely repulsive to me, like the butter on doughnuts in that other thread. I'd try 'em!

[FoodChic]

No, repulsive is a fried twinkie...

[c oliver]

DO NOT give kattyeyes ANY ideas! Please!

[kattyeyes]

Thanks, tatamagouche. Where is bigfellow when I need him? He gets it, too:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/590760

[bigfellow]

As on Kattyeyes post: Deep Fried Mars Bars!!!! Any chippy in Scotland and here at selects eateries in the New World!

[alkapal]

foodchic, would you try a fried twinkie? i've never tried one, as i'm really not crazy about twinkies. but it might be *better* fried. ;-).

i've never tried a fried mars bar, either.

[FoodChic]

Living in Texas we get exposed to all sorts of "treats." The Texas State Fair has fried Twinkies, Oreos, Chicken Fried Bacon, Fried Banana Split, Fried Grilled Cheese, and...well here see for yourself:
http://www.bigtex.com/foodlocator/

As you see the list goes on and on to neverending fried crap.

Anyway, there is a local arts festival in April that I love to attend downtown Fort Worth, but unfortunately the vendors bring in a lot of this stuff they pick up from the state fair. I've never been to the Texas State Fair, so long story short, yes, I've tried a fried twinkie. It was about 4 yrs ago at this arts festival and it was just plain gross.

[alkapal]

i do admit to once making a twinkie-misu, though! http://www.grouprecipes.com/12947/twi...

[danhole]

The Rodeo is in Houston right now and they are deep frying everything that doesn't move! Every year it gets more outrageous than the year before. One place has even deep fried watermelon.

[Paula76]

Churros filled with dulce de leche!
On the savoury front, calamari, potato croquettes, moquecas de camarao, Mexican tostadas

[goodhealthgourmet]

Paula, i'm with you on the churros...but i like mine plain, no filling.

[kubasd]

Yummmmm Churros, def w/ dulce de leche, like from the cart in san jose, costa rica.... just about the best thing ever

[mrsbuffer]

Lumpia. My sister in law is from the Phillipines and I was introduced to it at her house. Love it.

Also love hush puppies, zeppolis (New York style not that lump of dough you get in Boston), fried scallops, arancini as long as there are no peas in it and mozzarella sticks.

[Passadumkeg]

Cremator hot dog at Rut's Hut, Clifton, NJ
Chicharon, New Mex and Bolivia
Soppapillas, New Mexico treat, Rocky Mountain oysters too
Cod tongues and cheeks, Norway
Clams, fish, and scallops in Maine
Liha Pirraka at the train station in Helsinki
Fish or crab cakes
Chorizo
Pork and lamb chops

[StriperGuy]

What is Liha Pirraka?

And to the poster below, though I live in Beantown I far prefer NY style zeppoli, unless we are referring to Zeppoli di san giuseppe at Modern Pastry in the North End which is an amazing confection that I have posted about several times.

[Passadumkeg]

A lijha pirraka is kind of like a cruller dough filled w/ ground beef, rice & spice (allspice?) and deep fry it. Then cut open one end, it is the sze of an oblong Whopper, through in a couple of nakki (hot dogs) and your favorite condiments. Great after a night of Korskonkorva Vodka.
Hyvaa Ilta (good evening)

[Jeri L]

Now I REALLY want to go to Helsinki...

[cayjohan]

Passa, you're hurting me! ;-) Ah, the kioski in the rail station and the wonders of liha piiraka! Plus, the magnificent Finnish mustard to cut the grease. Suberb!

Terve!

Cay

[Passadumkeg]

When were you in Helsinke? For how long? We were there from '81-'86

Koff

[cayjohan]

1981 to 1982, a little over a year, then again for awhile in 1987.

The fried makkara and pineapple sandwiches were heaven as well. Two a.m. on the Esplanadi, scarfing down fried sausage sandwiches by the harbor? Such a delicious food memory.

And grueling, since I would love the taste again!

Cay

[Passadumkeg]

Gee, maybe we were standing in line together. I belonged to Suomen Sauna Seura (The Finnish Sauna Society) Loved grilli makkara after sauna and dip in the frozen Baltic. I lived in Munkeniemi. What area did you?

[kattyeyes]

I have share this link with you guys. It's the Helsinki Complaints Choir. Food-related part of this video: "Why is the 'Meter Pizza' only half a metre long?"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATXV3D...
Enjoy!

[Passadumkeg]

Yes, I've seen it, but thanks. The beginning and the end are the Helsinki Train Station, with I think, the Lija pirrakka kiosk in the background. A Metre Pizza is a a large pizza, theoretically a meter across, but in reality, only half a meter. The TV license lyric is about the yearly license, about a hundred bucks, that one paid to have ad-free TV. They knocked on the door in the evening to check if you had one, if not, took the TV.
Kiitos,
Marrku

[cayjohan]

Kattyeyes, loved it! Thanks for sharing! Straight to the facebook. And the music is just grand. That's why the downtrodden need lovely fried kiosk food!

Grins,
Cay

[cayjohan]

Passa, lived in Herttoniemi. And the market by the roundabout there had most spectacular tippaleivat (sort of like funnel cakes, but waaaay lighter and yeasty) for May Day. (Aaahh, with a glass of simaa!) Yet another great fried food from a country not especially tilted toward the vats of oil.

I love your posts on Finnish foods. Keep them coming! Although it makes me feel oddly "home"sick.

Moido,

Cay

[Passadumkeg]

I used to go to a large cavernous pub near Herrtoniemi; it was just behind the East German (!?) information office. Were you studying?

The fried dough were "birds nests" I've forgotten the Finnish name, but light and airy.
nakkamien

[cayjohan]

The word we used was "tippaleipa" and is was served especially at May Day.

Yep, I was studying. Pity that my greatest memories were of the food! Then again, maybe not.

Terve,
Cay

Do you want the recipe I have?

[Passadumkeg]

got, it, have 3 Finnish cook books, but very rarely deep fry. What I do want to know is where a Finnish restaurant is w/in the US besides the UP. There used to be one in Thomaston, Me were a lot of Fins settled for quarrying.

[TheDescendedLefticleOfAramis]

Those zeppoli di san giuseppe are cream-filled as opposed to "sfingi" which are ricotta based, right?.
Fried? hmmm ... I'll go with "atherina" (whitebait), squeeze of lemon, shake of salt on any hot summer day.

[adamshoe]

I nominate "suppli di riso" (also known as "arancini"). Cooked arborio rice rolled in a ball, stuffed w/ dolcelatte gorgonzola & fontina cheeses, rolled in breadcrumbs and fried. Served w/ a simple tomato sauce. Mmmm.... fried rice balls.... adam

[StriperGuy]

I am a big fan of arancini.

Other fried items I adore: clams, onion rings, donuts, zepolli di San Giuseppe, oysters, tostones, Brazilian salgadinhos, various Chines foods, fish sandwich... and more.

[Morganna]

Ooh yes arancini. I made those for our holiday dinner this year. Loved it! :)

[tatamagouche]

Well, they can be stuffed with various things—sometimes a little ragu, mozz—in fact I've never had them with gorgonzola. Best I ever had were in 1998 in a train station in Palermo on my birthday, which happens to be August 15, i.e. a holiday in Italy, ferie d'agosto, when everything else in the city was closed. I'd been feeling very sorry for myself all day—until that first bite. Then everything was golden and new.

[FoodChic]

I'm right there with you on the aranchini! I love them and will hunt them down when I travel.

But, this past week in NOLA I ate more fried oysters than I've had in years, and I'm still craving them! I simply adore them.

[GodfatherofLunch]

Just to clear up a few misconceptions. Arancini are a speciality of Sicilian cuisine. They are fried rice balls,filled with ragù (meat sauce), mozzarella, peas, On the outside they are simply coated with bread crumbs and fried.
In Northern Italian cuisine, supplì di riso are similar, but typically are larger, have fewer vegetables, use gravy, and the rice used is generally leftover risotto rather than specially made.
Neither would authentically use dolcelatte gorgonzola & fontina cheeses. In fact docelatte is a separate type of cheese it is in fact a milder smelling and tasting alternative. Fontina is very similar to Gruyere.
In short Arancini and Suppli di Riso are two different things. A variant that uses gorgonzola and or fontina is not at all authentic, although I am pleased that you enjoyed it all the same.

GFL

[Morganna]

So no one in Italy would ever use gorgonzola or fontina in any arancini ever. Got it. Thanks for clearing that up.

Good thing something not being authentic doesn't keep me from enjoying a really wonderful combination of flavours. :)

[GodfatherofLunch]

I agree with you. If it tastes good, it tastes good- period