The fat used for cooking may be olive oil, beef drippings lard, or a mixture of several fats.

The food must be covered with crumbs and egg, or a batter, to keep it from absorbing fat.

Place the articles to be cooked in a bath of the fat, deep enough to float them. The kettle should be of iron; a frying basket may be used.

Foods already cooked, or needing little cooking, require a higher temperature than batters. The temperature of the fat for oysters, croquettes, fish balls, etc., may be tested by browning a cube of bread while counting forty. Counting sixty while the bread browns gives the right temperature for all batters.

All the articles cooked must be drained on un-glazed brown paper.

When one quantity of food has been taken from the fat, it must be reheated and tested before adding a second set.

In the absence of a frying basket, a wire spoon may be used to remove the food from the fat.

Fat which has been used for frying, should be cooled and clarified by cooking a few slices of raw potato in it for 10 minutes; strain through muslin and, when cold, cover. Fat may be used several times for frying and then may be made into soap.