Cooking Knacki Snacks at Home

Safety First

For those of you out there that have experience in the kitchen, can successfully fry fish, shrimp or chicken, you have nothing much to concern yourself when cooking Knacki Snacks. For everyone not fortunate enough to have a Mom (thanks Mom!) that made sure you knew your way around the kitchen, here is a list of suggested rules to follow for safely frying Knacki Snacks.

Rules for Safe Frying

  1. Use the right oil.
    2.

    Choose oils with a high smoke point (above 325°F/160°C) such as peanut, canola, avocado, sunflower, or grapeseed oil. Avoid low-smoke-point oils like unrefined olive oil or butter for deep frying, as they can burn easily and produce harmful compounds. From the "Taste" point of view, cooking oils impart subtle flavor into Knacki Snacks during frying. I like peanut oil. My girlfriend likes regular "vegetable" oil. Our friend Phillip can't tell the difference.

  2. Maintain the correct temperature.
    3.

    Keep oil temperature between 360°F and 380°F (182–193°C). If you don't, the Knacki Snacks will not fully expand and they will absorb excess oil. Cooking at above the recommended temperature can cause the Knacki Snacks to become overly "brown". The taste can also change somewhat. Extreme instances of attempting to cook Knacki Snacks way above the recommended temperature can be very dangerous. Use a deep-fry thermometer to monitor temperature.

  3. Avoid overcrowding.

    4. Cook Knacki Snacks in small batches so oil temperature stays stable and to reduce overcrowding. Knacki Snacks expand up to SEVEN TIMES their initial size. Because they cook so fast, trying to evenly cook too many at once can become problematic. More than on novice has panicked. If your basket get over full scoop out the excees snacks early, cook the backet and then drop the other back in and finish cooking. A Single serving of Knacki Snacks starts with roughly (1) ounce of uncooked product.

  4. Use the right cookware
    5.

    For deep frying, use a heavy-bottomed pot, cast iron skillet, wok, or countertop fryer with high sides (at least 3–4 inches above oil level) to contain splatter and prevent overflow. For shallow frying, use a sturdy skillet with even heat distribution. Knacki Snacks can be shallow fried. Some shapes work better than others for shallow frying. I have provided video showing Knacki Snacks being fried using a skillet, a steel sauce pan and a steel wok. I personally advise everyone not to use aluminum pots or pans. Many aluminum pots and pans have various kinds on non-stick surfaces. Some of these surfaces can be damaged over time if you use the utensil for frying at high temperature.

  5. Keep a lid nearby

    6. If a grease fire starts, turn off the heat, cover the pot with a lid, and do not use water. Water can cause oil to explode outward, spreading the fire.

  6. Stay alert and never leave oil unattended as it heats.
    7.

    Frying Knacki Snacks includes a certain amount of risk. Stay in the kitchen while frying, monitor oil temperature, and never leave oil unattended as it heats.

  7. Handle hot oil safely.
    8.

    Use heat-resistant gloves or oven mitts when handling the pot. Keep combustible materials (paper towels, wooden utensils) away from the stovetop.

  8. Clean up promptly
    9.

    Drain Knacki Snacks on paper towels or on a slotted tray to remove excess oil. Drain and clean the pot and area immediately to prevent grease buildup and reduce fire risk.

Cooking Knacki Snacks

Things you will need

  1. Knacki Snacks
  2. Something to fry in
  3. Cooking oil
  4. A strainer or slotted spoon for removing cooked Knacki Snacks
  5. Cookie sheet, tray or bowl with paper towels for catching excess oil
  6. Food Scale (optional)

Preparing Knacki Snacks

  1. Prepare your fryer (skillet, pan, wok, etc., etc.) by adding oil until it is at least 1/2" deep. Please note different Knacki Snack shapes need slightly more or less oil depth to efficiently cook. As a rule of thumb, any Knacki Snack will cook in 1" of oil.
  2. Place a cooking themometer into your fryer and affix it to be out of the way but readable. If possible the probe should not touch the bottom of the fryer.
  3. Begin to heat your oil to between 360°F and 380°F (182–193°C)
  4. While the oil is heating you need to prepare for a place to drain excess oil from Knacki Snacks. Place a double layer of paper towels on a cookie sheet, plate, or in a large bowl.
  5. Measure out a portion of Knacki Snacks you want to cook. This is where a scale can be helpful. On Average, I recommend you start by cooking 1 oz. of Knacki Snacks to see what the capacity will be of your fryer. After doing this a few times you will get a feel for what you can comfortably fry. At that point you may decide measure out Knacki Snacks by eye.
  6. Let the Knacki Snacks drain for about a minute before seasoning as you desire.

Below are a set of videos you can watch to get a feel for what it will be like to cook Knacki Snacks. Thes videos are at fairly high resolution,so feel free to set them to "full" screen using the fullscreen toggle widget embedded in each video fulscreen Toggle Widget to expand the image. Please note that I cooked 2 oz. of Knacki Snacks at a time when I originally made these videos. I crowded all three of my fryer examples. I recommend that you start by cooking smaller batches until you get the hang of turning the Knacki Snacks through the oil to completely cook them.

Cast Iron Skillet
Steel Sauce Pan
Steel Wok