I have a friend who works in the kitchen of one of the restaurants in the Red Lobster seafood chain. He said they'd been experimenting with ways to improve the taste of the fried fish entrees. They'd found that if they mixed herbs and spices in with the shortening they use for frying, it made a wonderful difference. Of course, timing is still critical, and the frying process must be closely monitored so that the food isn't overcooked or undercooked. That would explain why when I called him at work the other day, he said he couldn't talk right then because

(deep breath)

he'd left his carp in saffron Crisco.