Techniques for Successful Preparation of Fried Foods at
Homes
Often when someone mentions frying foods at home, they are greeted with a chorus
of negative comments ranging from messy, greasy, and dangerous to unhealthy.
Utilizing the proper equipment and learning the correct methods and procedures,
frying can overcome virtually all of these comments. No doubt, breading or battering
foods and frying “in oil,” does add caloric content to foods. But, a sensible respect for
portion sizes consumed and utilization of non-hydrogenated oil with zero trans fats
greatly reduces the concern of “unhealthy” often expressed. Education in the proper
procedures and techniques that should be employed when frying, greatly reduces
the amount of oil absorbed by fried foods.
Frying Techniques and Temperature Control of the Cooking Oil
All forms of frying involve the cooking of food in oils or fats. Frying techniques vary
depending on the frying vessel utilized (such as a wok utilized in stir-frying, a frying
pan, or a deep fat fryer); the amount of fats or oils required (from sautéing or stir fry-
ing to pan frying to deep fat frying); cooking temperature; and preparation methods
employed with foods for frying. For the purposes of this pamphlet, we’ll concentrate
on pan frying, deep fat frying, and mention a baking misnomer, oven frying, which is
actually a form of baking.
Frying is classified as a form of dry-heat cooking since water is not utilized to trans-
fer heat to the food being cooked. Instead, the heat in the oil is transferred to the
water in the food so that the moisture in the food turns to steam to cook the food
from the inside out. Whatever form of frying employed balances the realities of time,
temperature, and the surface area of food in contact with the oil, plus the food’s
structure and moisture. Often this means assuring that the food is fully cooked in the
interior before being burned on the exterior. As an example experts recommend pan-
frying nothing thicker than 1-inch as the exterior is likely to burn before the inside is
fully cooked.
Maintaining proper oil temperature is absolutely crucial to all forms of fried foods.
Recommended oil temperature ranges from 350˚F – 375˚F with a target tempera-
ture of 365˚F. And virtually all frying tips seek to assist you in maintaining correct
oil temperature. Hot oil causes the food’s internal moisture to turn into steam that
keeps the oil out while the hot oil also keeps the moisture in (especially when a bat-
ter or breading barrier is used around the surface area of the food forming a crunchy,
brown crust). If the oil is too hot, the steam reduces the moisture content and over-
cooks the food. On the other hand, if the oil temperature is too low, a lack of steam
allows the oil to penetrate deep into the crust producing oily, unappetizing fried food.
The oil must be hot enough to quickly seal the surface of the food, but not too hot to
burn the outside before the inside is completely cooked. Done correctly at a proper
temperature, only a minimal amount of oil is absorbed into the food.
Summary of Contents for Injector
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