Fried foods, for me, come in two varieties. There's deep fried, and then there's pan fried.
Deep fried isn't as nasty as some people make it out to be. The key is that the oil has to be sufficiently hot, at about 375 degrees, so that the outside of the food being fried gets nice and crispy, while the steam escaping from the food keeps the oil out of the food itself.
That's why french fries are so tasty. They shouldn't be oily at all, but crisp on the outside, and tender on the inside. The same is true with fried chicken (and I agree, Popeye's is great, but somehow it tasted better on the left coast than on the right, I don't know why...yet).
Let's try a couple of other fried foods, things people may not think of. I love a good Fondue Bourguignonne, tender pieces of beef and shrimp fried by der Brucer and myself at the table in our electric Fondue pot. (I'm really keen on the electric pot, because it has a good temperature control, and the cord is held to the pot magnetically, preventing any disasters if something should pull on the cord). A neat variation on this is Tempura, great with shrimp and all sorts of veggies.
And, another deep fried food that some people forget is fried, is Sweet and Sour Pork. Or Chicken. Or Shrimp. Yep, the meat is coated in a batter, deep fried, and then sauced with that Sweet and Sour stuff. Yummers.
Pan frying is another beastie altogether. I love a nice pan-fried pork cutlet. All it takes is a little oil in the pan, maybe with some garlic for flavor, and add the meat. I love a good stir-fry, too, but have to confess that I don't do it often enough.
I'm hoping someone out there has some fried desserts they want to talk about.
