【Camping Food】I tested deep-fried skewers with Cainz's "IH-Compatible Tempura Pot with a Lid that Becomes a Bat."

From Cainz's items, I focused on the "IH Compatible Tempura Pot with a Lid that Becomes a Bat." It was compact and came with a bat, so I purchased it. As part of my research on outdoor camp meals, I decided to try making串揚げ (kushiage).

I was attracted to the compactness and the included plate of the Cainz "IH Compatible Tempura Pot with a Lid that Becomes a Plate."

While browsing the Cainz store, I stumbled upon the item "IH Compatible Tempura Pot with a Lid that Becomes a Plate," which caught my attention as I was looking for a tempura pot to use at home. I decided to purchase it due to its compact size of 24.4x13.2x8.3cm and the inclusion of the plate. Despite the pot being thin, the bottom is thicker, making it surprisingly heavy (weighing 860g).

I tried making French fries with it, and was able to cook quickly with a small amount of oil; it was very convenient to use the plate as a serving dish as well. This compact size is just right for making fried food for one person.

There is enough width to accommodate a "strainer" used for frying, so scooping up ingredients and fried scraps is smooth. However, it seems that using a square-shaped strainer in the corners would work better. I would be quite happy if they included a fitting "square strainer" in the set.

To enjoy fun skewered fried foods while camping, I'm first going to test it out.

The ingredients for the skewered fried food are chosen to be easy to fry. In addition to lotus root, shishito peppers, and baby corn, the lineup includes chicken breast and swordfish. The author loves lotus root, which is in season in autumn, so there are high expectations for the taste of the skewered fry.

For the skewered fry, there is a "batter" made by mixing eggs, water, and flour, which makes it easy to coat with breadcrumbs. I used skewers that are 18 cm long, but the hard baby corn was difficult to skewer and didn't seem to fit in a 20 cm pot, so I switched to 15 cm skewers that would allow for a shorter final length even when inserted shallowly. Alternatively, it might be good to cut the skewers to adjust the size. The length is something you can't know until you try skewering, so it was a very good discovery.

I tried making skewered fry on a portable gas stove.

Assuming cooking at a campsite, I decided to cook outdoors using a portable gas stove. When doing it in the kitchen, I tend to think about the mess from splattering oil, but when outside, I don’t have to worry about that. I started frying the vegetables with a small amount of oil.

Thanks to the rectangular pot, I was able to immerse the entire skewer in the oil, which was very functional. I could cook about 2 to 3 skewers at the same time.

The oil temperature rises easily, and I felt the high thermal conductivity. In just a few minutes, they turned crispy and golden brown, and they looked quite delicious! The oil was drained on a rack, creating a very restaurant-like atmosphere.

Let's enjoy it soaked in Worcestershire sauce! The crunchy texture and light fluffy feel give a taste that evokes autumn. I am impressed that a tricky ingredient like lotus root can be easily and deliciously cooked. Since the oil is drained in the pan, it seems like it won't be hard on the stomach, and this combination of tempura pot and skewers seems quite promising.

Since the heat conduction is high, it might be better to use a bit more oil.

While frying additional ingredients, it seems that the oil temperature rose significantly, and the fried color of the chicken tenderloin and swordfish became somewhat darker in the latter half. Additionally, since bits of fried residue accumulated at the bottom of the pot, it seems that it would be better to keep the oil quantity ample while cooking to fry more skillfully. Since the heat conduction seems to be high, I don't think the temperature will drop much even if I adjust the burner and add oil halfway through.

For swordfish, I like to add tartar sauce in addition to the sauce. I often choose swordfish because I like this combination. Its muscular and firm texture makes it suitable for skewers, so it's a personally recommended ingredient.

The bottom surface is smooth, so it's better to have a camp stove that can be securely placed.

I felt a bit uneasy with the small pot stands on the camping burner, so this time I cooked using a gas stove. Its smooth and compact bottom makes it easy to move around on the pot stand, so let's ensure a stable setup when cooking outdoors.

Convenient to carry! It is sure to be a big hit for camping.

I think the rectangular and compact design is easy to store and perfect for camping. The bat comes as a set and is easy to use, which made meals enjoyable as well. Since the pot can also hold skewers and seasonings used for deep-frying, it might be a good idea to keep everything in one set. I have a feeling that the number of skewered fried dishes will increase during this fall's camping.

Interview/Text by Kazuma Tanaka

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