Deep-fried pizza

Deep-fried pizza is a dish consisting of a pizza that instead of being baked in an oven is deep-fried, resulting in a different flavor and nutritional profile. This technique is known in both Scotland and Italy, but there are numerous differences between the Scottish and Italian variants, which likely developed independently.

Scotland

Deep-fried pizza is available in many chip shops in Scotland. The basis is an inexpensive fresh or frozen oven-ready pizza consisting of a thick par-baked base with toppings already applied. This is then fried until crisp. The dish can be served as a "pizza supper" (with chips) or single (without chips), in whole and half pizza portions. The dish may be served with salt and vinegar, or with "salt and sauce" (brown sauce) in Edinburgh and the surrounding area per local chip shop custom. Often the chips will be poured onto one side of the pizza, and the pizza then closed around them.

This pizza is deep fried without batter, although another variation known as a "Pizza Crunch" consists of a large, battered pizza/half-pizza deep fried, usually served with chips.

Deep frying

Deep frying (also referred to as deep fat frying) is a cooking method in which food is submerged in hot fat, most commonly oil. Normally, a deep fryer or chip pan is used for this; industrially, a pressure fryer or vacuum fryer may be used. Deep frying may also be performed using oil that is heated in a pot. Deep frying is classified as a dry heat cooking method because no water is used. Typically, deep frying cooks foods quickly: all sides of a food are cooked simultaneously as oil has a high rate of heat conduction.

The word "deep frying" and many modern deep-fried foods were not invented until the 19th century, but the practice has been around for millennia. Early records and cookbooks suggest that the practice began in a few European and Arabian countries before other countries adopted the practice.

Deep frying is popular worldwide, with deep-fried foods accounting for a large portion of global caloric consumption. Many foods are deep-fried and cultures surrounding deep frying have developed, most notably in the Southern United States, where many events dedicated to deep frying food and non-edible items are held.