Deep Fat Frying Basics
Source of Recipe
Marla
List of Ingredients
Deep Fat Frying Basics
Recipe
Deep frying is one of surest ways of locking in flavor and developing
great texture (also known as "crunch") in cooking
The premise of deep-frying is simple. Food, usually battered (to keep
the food's surface moisture from coming into contact with the hot
oil, which would cause splattering), is added to a pot of hot fat.
The fat immediately surrounds the food and cooks it from all sides,
creating an exterior layer that seals in the food's flavors and
juices inside. The fat temperature determines how long the food will
take to cook through on the inside and become golden and crisp on the
outside. When prepared properly, deep-fried foods absorb much less
fat than you would expect.
First, be sure to read the recipe all the way through before
starting. Take the time to gather all the ingredients and cooking
equipment you'll need.
Be sure to choose a pan that's larger in circumference than the heat
source. Because oil catches fire easily you want to avoid spilling it
altogether. But mistakes do happen and working with a pan that's
larger than the burner you're working on will ensure if any oil
accidentally spills over there is less of a chance it will drip down
the sides and catch fire. Also by using a pan that's wider than it is
deep will ensure you can fry more than you can in a narrower but
deeper pan. Many experts feel a Dutch oven made of seasoned cast iron
is ideal.
Always use clean, fresh oil. Although chefs will debate the merits of
vegetable versus peanut oil (not to mention the more costly virgin or
pomace olive oils) one thing they all agree upon is that food fried
in old "stale" oil, especially oil in which a pungent food like fish
has been fried in, can never taste quite as good as fresh.
\Never fill your pot more than half full of oil. Remember you'll need
at least 3 inches between the surface of the oil and the top of the
pot to allow room for the oil to bubble up.
Constantly monitor the temperature. Although you can buy fancy (and
sometimes expensive) electric fryers which come complete with a built
in thermometer, they are not necessary. With a large, heavy pot (such
the Dutch oven cast iron pot mentioned above) and a quality candy or
deep-frying thermometer --you're in business. Look for a thermometer
with a clamp on it so you can attach it to the side of the pot. Most
deep-frying is done at 365*F (185*C). If you don't have a
thermometer, a you can drop a cube of white bread into the hot oil.
At 350*F (175*C) the bread fries to a golden brown in about 1 minute;
at 375*F (190*C) it takes about 40 seconds.
Don't crowd your pot. Add only as much food to the pan as it can hold
without the food touching while it fries. The oil should move around
and bubble up freely around each piece, keeping the temperature
steady for even cooking.
Use the right tools. To remove fried foods from hot oil opt for an
Asian wire mesh skimmer, a slotted spoon or a pair of spring loaded
tongs. And don't forget a paper towel covered plate or baking sheet
to drain fried foods on. Placing a clean brown paper bag beneath the
paper toweling will give you even more absorbency.
Remove foods in the same order in which they were added to the pan to
insure they have all been evenly cooked.
Make sure the oil has completely cooled before moving the pot of or
disposing of the oil for safety's sake.
|
|
member logon
