At the State Fair of Texas, They're Going to Deep Fry Everything, Including Salads

State fairs take pride in their fried foods, and every summer try to out-do each other in terms of the outlandish things they can throw into a vat of hot oil. Deep fried cheese on a stick? Sure. You know what would make that fried donut even better? A cheeseburger. Fried candy bars? Fried butter? Fried soda? Done, done, and done. And, according to the State Fair of Texas, total amateur hour.

This year, the State Fair of Texas is just saying screw it and throwing your whole meal in the fryer. Yes, including your salad (a Fried Club Salad, specifically a 12” spinach wrap with ham, chicken, shredded iceberg, carrot, cherry tomatoes, sharp cheddar, and bacon that's deep fried and served with fried croutons on a bed of romaine lettuce).

Also, your beer (in the form of a deep-fried beer-filled pretzel pocket). Deep-fried Frozen Margarita? Yep. And fried lemonade? Yes, that too. And how about a white chocolate and cherry stuffed brownie fried in chocolate cake batter for dessert? The annual submissions for the Sixth Annual Big Tex Choice Awards have really, truly outdone themselves this year. The full list, plus descriptions of each dish, below.

· Deep Fried S'mores Pop-Tart
· Fried Chocolate
· Deep Fried Frozen Margarita
· Fried Lemonade
· Fernie's Fried Club Salad
· Texas Fried Caviar
· Fried Beer Texas
· Fried Frito Pie

BIG TEX CHOICE AWARDS FINALISTS

Deep Fried S’mores Pop•Tart® – Pop•Tart® with a sensational chocolate, peanut butter, s’mores flavor is lightly battered & deep fried. Hot out of the fryer the sinfully diet-busting treat is drizzled with chocolate syrup and topped with whipped cream.

Deep Fried Frozen Margarita - Sweet & creamy funnel cake batter is deliciously coupled with margarita ingredients. Fried, dusted with a tangy lemon/lime mixture and lightly spritzed with south of the border flavor, it’s served in a salt rimmed glass. 21 and over, ID required.
Photo, taken 2007-05-04 23:46:57

Fernie’s Fried Club Salad – Super colossal 12” spinach wrap surrounds generous layers of juicy diced ham & chicken, shredded iceberg, crunchy carrot strips, ripe cherry tomatoes, shredded sharp cheddar and hickory smoked bacon. Deep fried until lightly crispy; topped with deep-fried sour dough croutons on a stick & served on a bed of shredded romaine lettuce. Choice of creamy Ranch, Thousand Island or Caesar dressing.

Fried Beer™ - Beer-filled pretzel pocket is deep-fried to a golden brown. One bite and the escaping beer serves as a dipping sauce. 21 and over, ID required.

Fried Chocolate – A white chocolate mini candy bar + a cherry are stuffed into a mouth-watering brownie, dipped into delicious chocolate cake batter & deep fried to perfection. The finished product has a warm just-out-of-the-oven taste! Topped with powdered sugar and a rich cherry sauce and served with chocolate flavored whip cream.

Fried Lemonade – Lemon flavored pastry is made from Country Time® lemonade. First baked, then fried, this taste tempting treat is glazed with a mix of lemonade, powdered sugar, and lemon zest.

Texas Fried Caviar – Texas version of a southern good luck staple. Black-eyed peas are fried and laced with special spices blended with Old Bay® Seasoning and are available in regular or spicy. Find them in Cotton Bowl Plaza (next to Cotton Bowl steps), inside the Auto Building, near Big Tex & on the Thrillway.

Texas Fried Frito Pie – A generous portion of savory Texas born chili accented with a hint of sharp cheddar encased in everybody’s favorite corn chip. Lightly battered and fried to a golden brown perfection. With its smooth medley of hot, meaty, crunchy, salty, cheesy, oozing goodness; “Texas Fried Frito Pie” transports you back to the golden age of Fair Food.

· State Fair of Texas Announces 2010 Sixth Annual Big Tex Choice Awards [PegNews Wire via @jralat]
· All State Fair coverage on Eater [-E-]