Photo: Jessica S. Ralat.

Deep frying improves all. But at the State Fair of Texas in Dallas, fried really hurts. On Opening Day, Slashfood set out to eat all eight of the Big Tex Choice Awards finalists, including the nationally heralded, light and not greasy Deep Fried Butter by Abel Gonzales Jr. (voted Most Creative) and Fernie's Deep Fried Peaches & Cream by Christi Erpillo (voted Best Tasting).

Both fried-food creators have State Fair pedigrees. For several years, each has placed as a finalist or won top prizes. These include Fernie's All-American Fried Grilled Cheese Sandwich in 2008 and Gonzalez's Fried Coke in 2006.

"I go on these kicks where I have to eat the same food, prepared in the same way for weeks," Gonzalez said. "Toast was one of them. I thought, 'What's so great about toast? Not the bread; it's the butter.' "

See the butter after the jump!

From there, it was a matter of experimentation, until he discovered that biscuit dough was the perfect vessel for a pat of butter. The dish can be ordered with cherry or grape sauce, garlic butter or original.

"The point is to create something not so outrageous that the average cook couldn't make it," Erpillo said. "We use tempura batter and panko breadcrumbs, items easily purchased at a local supermarket; for the peaches, drizzling it with raspberry sauce and a garnish of vanilla-butter cream sauce."

Scattered across 277-square acres, the other finalists' offerings weren't as pleasurable. There were Green Goblins and Sweet Jalapeno Corn Dog Shrimp, which were both surprisingly mild -- especially the former, which included cherry peppers. The Twisted Yam on a Stick was regrettable; the Texas Fried Pecan Pie and Fried Peanut Butter Cup Macaroons unremarkable; and Country Fried Pork Chips, supposed to be made with pork, were nothing more than fried-batter gut bombs.

But the winners -- oh, the winners! This blogger would gladly risk life and limb for more fried butter and peaches and cream.