A friend was shocked when she came for dinner one evening and I was frying fish. She couldn’t believe I even owned a Fry Daddy. But the truth is that when food is properly fried, it can still be part of a healthy diet.

Tips for healthy frying include:
• Use a heart-healthy oil with a high smoke point like peanut oil
• Use a batter with leavening agents like buttermilk and baking soda, and use cornmeal instead of flour for less oil absorption
• Heat the oil to and maintain a proper frying temperature
• After frying, drain food on a wire rack so excess oil drains off
• Most importantly, eat fried foods in moderation

Frying Batter
2 c. buttermilk
3 c. cornmeal
2 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. baking soda

I fried about 4 cups of chopped okra and an onion bloom. (To create an onion bloom, slice the top off a large onion and create petals by cutting 5-6 cross sections while leaving the bottom intact. Spread the petals to create a larger surface area for the batter.) Soak the items in buttermilk for at least 30 minutes while mixing up the dry ingredients.

Bring oil to 365 degrees. When frying a large amount, I use a fryer with a temperature control, but a pot on the stove with about 2 inches of oil works too.

Add the buttermilk-soaked items in groups to the dry ingredients and toss.

When the mixture gets too wet, add more cornmeal. The items should be individually coated and not clumped together. When the oil is at 365 degrees, drop the coated items into the oil. Use a metal spoon to gently nudge the items so they don’t stick together.
When the outside is golden brown, remove and drain on a wire rack. Use paper towel or newspaper on a sheet pan under the rack to catch excess oil. During frying, the oil’s temperature will drop slightly. Wait until it comes back up to 365 degrees before adding the next batch.

I made a few corn fritters with the remaining batter by adding a beaten egg, 1/2 chopped onion, 1/2 c. corn and chopped parsley. Then I dropped the mixture by spoonfuls (about 1/2 Tbsp.) into the hot oil. They were an experiment and came out pretty well.
We snacked on the onion bloom dipped in ranch dressing while I baked tilapia – the healthier side of dinner.

Baked Tilapia
1/2 onion, sliced
2 lemons, thinly sliced
4 tilapia filets
1 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 Tbsp. capers
olive oil for drizzling

Line a sheet pan with foil. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil over the bottom. Layer onions, fish filets and lemon slices. Top with salt, pepper and capers. Lightly drizzle more olive oil on top. Cover with more foil and crimp the edges closed. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 25 minutes.