Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Food, Cooking, and Game Preparation Fish frying

Do you all fry fish in a aluminum or stainless pot with a basket or a cast iron pot? I am planning to do some fish frying for the guys at camp this year. I’m not interested in a stand alone unit or an electric fryer just a pot on my gas burner stove. In the past I used a cast iron dutch or high skillet with a big spider or strainer spool. Interested if there is any real advantage to using the pot with a basket over my cast iron. I have a 10 qtr dutch at camp already. Cooking usually for 5-12 guys.

I use a cast iron dutch oven and a spider because that's what I have.

I know a few guys with the aluminum pots and baskets that work fine too, the disadvantage with those though is the heat dropping pretty bad when the fish go in. The cast iron definitely holds the heat better.

I'd use what I had and not worry about it.

Elec skillet

A basket will help if your oil pot is prone to stick. Other than picking one that won't stick a heavier one may be more consistent with temp.

Basket is also good for letting some oil drain off back into the pot.

I gather you deep frying. I used to fry fish on canoe trips, I had an aluminum Dutch oven(old Griswold) one of the basket strainers with a bamboo handle.from the Chinese market worked great. I cut fillets into 3" chunks before breading, easier to handle in the small pot.

I fry a lot of fish. Every Friday we do one at work for 10-15 people. My kids like them, so I do some at home. My borther's and my sister's kids like them, so I do them whenever they come to visit. I do several each fall at my cabin for 10-20 people. Frying isn't even my favorite way to make fish for myself, but other folks seem to love it.

I've fried fish about any way it can be done. My favorite for 5 or so people would be a cast iron kettle/high sided pan on a stand alone induction top. The temp can be set digitally, so no concerns about overheating the oil. The induction heats so fast that temp loss in the oil is less than other methods. I have an electric "fry daddy" type with a basket unit that works well, too.

For large groups I either do a large, rectanglar cast-iron pan that spans 2 stove burners, or a stainless kettle and basket on one large propane burner. They work equally well so long as a close eye is kept on the temp.

Just a quick word on frying fish - it's really all in the temp: Too cool and it gets soggy; too hot and an off flavor develops.

Just looked several induction units up.

What is the temperature range on yours?

We usually shallow fry our fish in a skillet, but if we deep-fry fish, a deep Dutch oven with a spider. Nothing fancy, using equipment you already have at camp.

Sounds like I will continue on with my current setup of a 10 qt cast iron and spider. I see a lot of people using the stainless or aluminum setups and wondered if it was a better system and why. It doesn't appear it is. Thanks.

At camp, use an aluminum set up, maybe a bayou classic? Usually do crappie, wild turkey nuggets, onion rings (sometimes) and hush puppies. Varies, but 8-12 guys usually. Its always a giant feast. Now use the same set up at home because it is so efficient.

This always happens in the shop at camp.

Cast iron pot / kettle. Prolly way older than i am.

No basket - i need to check the Lodge store next trip to the smokeys , see if they have one that fits.

I use the cheap vegetable oil. I do not reuse it….

No reason to risk bad fish fry for $10 of oil… 😁

I have used a AL pot. Cast iron is easier to regulate the temp…

The fish store in the area used to sell fried fish. The people from the black community would NOT buy the fish if the oil was new. They wanted it to be aged/flavored a little.

I tend to agree. The first batch of anything from fresh oil seems a bit blah to me.

Timber , what makes your set up so efficient? Sort of the info I am looking for.

I started with aluminum pan with basket, switched to cast iron with basket. After using those for 40 + years I found this. Heating element is off the bottom so never burns anything. When done flip the switch and it filters the oil when it cools down, return later to put the container in the fridge to use again. Wish I had found this 40 years ago.

Haven't done much lately myself.
My burner needs a new hose and regulator.
I have the big aluminum pans and baskets
that came with the burners, but I always
used a dedicated iron pot and a brass
basket scooper from the viet grocery like
was already posted.

The fishing trips to s. La I always saw some
really great fryers of every description.
Some shop built one-offs and other commercial
offerings.
When I subscribed to Louisiana Sportsman
there was always some really nice fryers
of every description and price range advertised
throughout the magazine

I have one.
Very handy.

*if* you a feeding the multitudes, the Cajun Fryer ( or various knocksoffs) is the way to go.

Ive got a 2 basket ( 4 qt) model that hardly gets used, but works great.

Zero recovery time between batches.

They don't like getting a beer better all over my hands or wherever I use those bamboo skewers .... They make the little flimsy ones then they make ones that are little beefier/ duty one ....I can pick a piece of fish stick it in the beer batter lower it into the oil.... No oil splashing no plastic gloves melted to you 🥶 got to have a fairly deep pot to use a basket a couple of times it's the fish ain't set up and it sticks to the grate and Cooks to the basket.... That gets me fired up pain in the ass...