You might be able to replace your burner with a cast iron one, which generally put out more BTUs.
Yes, peanut oil takes a while to heat up. When I fry, I take my temps up to 425 before adding fish and for 8 quarts, I don't put more than 4-5 pieces of fish in at a time. The temp will drop to about the perfect temp to fry 365-380ish.
Keep your burner at full bore the whole time. I keep all my fish nearby and when the last batch comes out, I let the oil come back up to temp and then pop the earlier fish back in for a couple of minutes to raise the temp back to a nice hot.
Its important to keep your fish cool before frying, but its ok to let it come close to room temperature just prior to cooking, As long as its been stored properly. Taking it straight from the frige and popping it into the oil is a good way to ensure it will take longer to cook than it should, especially if you like a nice deep golden color on your fish.
One other thing, and don't tell a soul I told you, as its a trade secret... If you have a small dutch oven, made of cast iron, sink this in the cold oil before you start heating. This will help moderate the temp of the oil. Those dinky thin aluminum pots sold with the fish fryers are a joke. Replace it with a nice cast iron one, or hit up your local restaurant supply for a heavy aluminum one. Short of that, use the dutch oven trick and Happy Frying!
Last edited by Fishtaco; 07-05-2009 at 09:39 PM.
Quit complaining about the color, just pull up your skirt and fish! -- snagged