Stinky.

Greasy, oily, soggy...thats right this week was Deep frying. A subtle and delicate technique... NOT!

I'm going to admit it now, I didn't enjoy this week of college. Feeling a little delicate from trivia the previous night and to start with deep frying was not the greatest. Deep frying is meant to be a quick form of cookery where the food is submerged into hot fat for a short amount of time but it took FOREVER. There is only 2 deep fryers in the kitchen and about 12 of us to use them. It took (excuse my french) fucking for ever. 

We sinned and it wasn't my colourful language above. We deep fried fillets of pork. I was ashamed and felt we had betrayed the poor pigs by cooking such a good piece of meat in a terrible way. We also deep fried fish... that tasted horrible, calamari which was ok and banana which I'm going to confess was delicious. Normally when I'm delicate from having one too many the night before all I can think about is a greasy burger and chips smothered in tomato sauce and chicken salt. Not today, I wanted ice water and to be far far away from a deep fryer and anything that goes in a deep fryer as possible.

Although this lesson sounds hideous and I spent most of it feeling sorry for my self I did learn something. The batter for the banana had fresh yeast in it which I had never used before as it is so difficult to find- if anyone knows where to get it please let me know! The trick to getting it to rise when its not a hot summer day is place the bowl with the batter in another bowl of warm water and keep changing the water to make sure its always warm.

The deep fried bananas were yum and I think its because they were still hot when I ate them not like the rest of the food which was cold and had gone soggy by the time we were allowed to eat it. They tasted like a hot cinnamon donut but banana-ree. I love fresh donuts... my weakness!

Theory was terrible. We had a substitute who kept us there until dead on 5pm and the whole bus ride home all I could keep thinking was that I could smell something funny and a little off putting. I was about to blame the guy that was sitting next to me until when I got off the bus the smell stayed with me.... I smelt like a greasy fish and chip shop and had a deep fryer burn to match my smell. I felt sorry for the people around me ... I was the stinky person on the bus.

Banana Fritters

2 bananas

1/2 cup cinnamon sugar

1/2 lemon, juice

1 batch of yeast batter (recipe below)

1. Slice your bananas up into three of four pieces and cover them with lemon juice and a pinch of the cinnamon sugar.

2. Toss them in flour then dip them into the batter (see recipe above).

3. Deep fry bananas until golden then roll them in the cinnamon sugar.

4. Resist for a few min and wait until you wont blister your mouth but eat warm.

To make the yeast batter:

10g fresh yeast

5g sugar

250mL warm water

200g plain flour

2 eggs

pinch salt

1. Add the fresh yeast to the warm water and sugar and leave to prove for about 5 min.

2. In another bowl add all the flour and make a well in the middle. Add your eggs and gradually drag the eggs in the flour a little at a time using a wooden spoon. When it seems you can't mix anymore flour in add a little of the yeast water mixture until all the water is added and you have a lump free batter.

3. Let prove for about an hour by submerging the bowl in a larger bowl which is filled with warm water. Keep changing the water regularly so the yeast can do its job.

4. After the hour, mix the batter with a wooden spoon and your ready to dunk your banana.

Thanks for reading! Keep watching for an Italian favourite Osso Buco & the almighty French profiteroles next time. Hmmm another favourite week maybe?