A List of Foods That You Didn't Know Are Deep Fried

Bananas are one kind of fruit that can be deep fried.

Some people will try unusual deep fried foods for the novelty of it, and others actually enjoy the crunchy taste of an item that's been dipped into batter and cooked in grease. When it comes to finding food to deep fry, it appears the only limit is the imagination -- and how much of that fried ice cream or blood pudding you should eat.

Commercial Snacks

Nutritionists warn that commercial snacks should be eaten sparingly because of their high calorie and fat content, but this hasn't stopped people from frying them in oil. The world was shocked in 1995 when people in Scotland served fried Mars candy bars, but the idea has crossed the pond. At places like the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, you can try deep-fried Oreo cookies, Snickers bars, Ho Hos and Twinkies. (The Twinkies are kept in deep freeze before frying so they don't melt.)

Fruits

The saying of "An apple a day keeps the doctor away" does not apply when the apple in question is sliced and cooked in oil like French fries the way chef Jason Hill does. The Boston Burger Company in Boston, Mass., has fried banana slices on its menu. The aforementioned Iowa State Fair offers fried pineapple chunks on a stick, and deep fried peach fruit pies -- essentially turnovers stuffed with your preferred filling -- are a Southern favorite.

Fouls

Chicken isn't the only bird that gets the deep fried treatment in the United States. Jive Turkey in Brooklyn, N.Y., deep fries whole turkeys and ships them across the country, and it's become more common for people to fry their turkey for Thanksgiving dinner. Frying such foul as pheasant, geese, duck and quail -- either whole or in pieces -- is popular among game hunters. In fact, you can even deep fry ostrich fillets.

Sandwiches

Instead of frying some bacon to put on your sandwich, you can fry the whole sandwich instead. Elvis Presley allegedly inspired the fried peanut butter, jelly and banana sandwich. Cooking maven Paula Deen offers a recipe for fried bagel sandwiches that contain salmon, red onion and chive cream cheese, and the Monte Cristo sandwich -- traditionally made by layering turkey, ham and Swiss cheese between two slices of French toast -- can also submerged in the fryer.

References

• Food Network: Deep-Fried Bagel Sandwich; Paula Deen 2008
• CD Kitchen: Deep Fried Monte Cristo Sandwich Recipe
• Delish: Fried-Food Showcase: From the Wonderful to the Weird; Lauren Donaldson
• BBC News: Deep-fried Mars Myth Is Dispelled; 2004
• Slash Food: Deep-Fried Apple Sweetness - Foodie Flicks; Monika Bartyzel; 2009
• New York Times: As Easy as Pie, and It Sizzles; Melissa Clark; 2007

Resources

• The Outdoor Lodge: Deep Fat Fried Pheasant
• North American Hunting Club: Deep-Fried Goose
• Food Network: Greens and Fried Quail With Buttermilk Dressing; Emeril Lagasse; 2007
• 101 Cooking Recipes: Ostrich Recipes