WELL OILED

Many unlikely foods are getting the deep fat fryer treatment — all the better, says Joanna Taylor

If you’re reading this, it’s too late: you’re about to cast aside the prospect of living a healthier lifestyle in favour of fried food. And, honestly? You won’t be sorry once you’ve bitten into one of these unusual, crispy creations fresh from the deep fat fryer.

At a handful of eateries championing British cuisine, it’s all about reinventing old classics. Cafe Cecilia’s

deep fried bread and butter pudding, sprinkled with sugar and served with cold custard, is Instagram famous for a reason, while at Mount Street Restaurant

there’s crisped-up bubble and squeak with HP sauce hollandaise, and St John Marylebone is plating up a sizzling version of its gooey, classic Welsh rarebit.

Elsewhere, restaurants are focusing on corrupting an array of humble veg. Chinese-inspired crunchy spinach leaves are topped with yoghurt, pomegranate, date and tamarind sauce at Indo-Chinese Fatt Pundit, while Fat Hippo and Dai Chi both offer variations of the fried pickle, and at Club Mexicana, chefs are rehydrating super spicy morita peppers before giving them the dunk.

Keep an eye on the specials board at Rochelle Canteen, which has been offering golden bites of sliced potato with haddock alongside grebiche (a tangy, chopped egg sauce), and the menu up at Four Legs for fried pollock with a horseradish and beetroot condiment. And last but not least, for ultimate indulgence try Gloria’s deep-fried calzones, Norma’s

spaghettini (a slightly thinner spaghetti) fritters with parmesan dip, and Tayēr & Elementary’s (Number 2 in the World’s 50 Best Bars list, FYI) version of the corn dog, containing a cocktail sausage, chorizo and comté cheese. What are you waiting for? It’s crunch time.