If you don’t have a mesh splatter screen, a kitchen towel will save your walls. Drape a towel half over the pot, but never fully cover it. A covered pot traps steam, and steam is the enemy of crispiness. Also, covering a pot of hot oil is basically asking for a physics disaster.
You want to hear the sizzle, not see the pop. This is why I fry in my most forgiving apron. I look like a contestant on a cooking show who’s already given up on being neat.
Test Your Oil with a Bread Cube
This is the oldest trick in the book. Drop a small cube of bread into the oil. If it floats to the surface immediately with tiny bubbles and turns golden brown in about 60 seconds, your oil is ready. If it burns instantly into a black crisp, your oil is too hot. Cool it down by adding a splash of room-temperature oil or turning off the heat for a minute.
If the bread just sits there looking sad and soggy, your oil is too cold. Crank up the heat. This simple test has saved me from serving chicken that tastes like a gym sock.
