Deep frying
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Image:A171.gif Image:Deepfried.jpg
Deep frying is a cooking method whereby food is submerged in hot oil or fat. Because of the high temperature involved and the high heat conduction of oil, the cooking process is extremely fast. Because no water is used, deep frying is best classified as a dry cooking method.
If performed properly, deep frying does not make food excessively greasy because the moisture in the food repels the oil[citation needed]. The hot oil heats the water within the food, steaming it from the inside out. As long as the oil is hot enough and the food is not immersed in the oil for too long, oil penetration will be confined to the outer surface. However, if the food is cooked in the oil for too long, too much of the water will be lost and the oil will begin to penetrate the food. The correct frying temperature depends on the thickness and type of food, but in most cases it lies between 175 and 190°C (345–375°F)
Some fried foods are given a coating of batter or breading prior to frying. The effect of these is that the outside of the food becomes crispy and browned while the inside becomes tender, moist, and steamed. Some foods, such as potatoes or whole, skin-on poultry, produce a natural skin and do not require breading.
In Japanese cuisine, deep frying is considered one of the four essential cooking techniques (along with grilling, steaming, and simmering).
Although correctly produced fried foods are perfectly wholesome, correct management of the oil is essential. Abusing the frying oil by overheating, excessive use or undue exposure to air while hot leads to formation of oxidation products, polymers and other deleterious or even toxic compounds such as acrylamide (in starchy foods). Researchers in many countries have found that of the three major market sectors, the most abused frying oils were (in order from the worst) those in the catering, domestic and industrial sectors.
Some useful tests and indicators of excessive oil deterioration are the following: Sensory: Darkening, smoke, foaming, thickening. Laboratory: Acidity (FFA), anisidine value, viscosity, total polar compounds, polymeric triglycerides. Note that there are now on the market simple, reasonably priced instruments reading the total polar compounds (the best single test), with sufficient accuracy for restaurant and industry use.
[edit] See also
[edit] Examples of deep fried food
- Bananas or plantains - popular in Southeast Asia and the Caribbean
- Black Pudding - (AKA Blood Pudding) is delicacy popular in Scotland. Individual small puddings are battered and deep fried, mostly served with chips and sold in fish and chip shops as a take-away.
- canapés - Deep frying is also a technique used to prepare bread pieces for these.
- Cheese curds - a breaded or battered deep-fried cheddar cheese curd, similar to Mozzarella sticks. They are found mainly in Wisconsin.
- Chicken fried steak
- Chicken wings
- Corn dogs
- Doughnut - a deep-fried piece of dough or batter.
- Fish and chips
- Chips (called "french fries" in North American English, and pommes frites in French) - deep fried potato strips.
- French Toast- usually served in Hong Kong style cafes.
- Fried calamari - Fried Calamari is made from Squid
- Fried chicken
- Fried shellfish - shrimp, clams, scallops, and oysters are either battered or breaded then deep fried. Usually served with cocktail sauce and a lemon wedge, tartar sauce, and sometimes clarified butter.
- General Tso's chicken
- Hot Dog - called a "Ripper" it's a New Jersey regional specialty.
- Mars bars - a delicacy of the North of England and Scotland. These are a popular candy (US) bar that has been dipped in batter first.
- Ice Cream
- Mozzarella sticks - a breaded or battered deep-fried mozzarella.
- Oreo
- Panelle e crocchè are a Sicilian typical dish, made by boiling vegetables then deep frying them.
- Pakora - various vegetables dipped in a batter of chick peas before frying.
- Potato chips (crisps in British English) - thin slices of potato.
- Red pudding - a delicacy especially in Fife, Scotland. Individual puddings are battered and deep-fried, mostly served with chips and sold in fish and chip shops as a take-away.
- Scotch eggs
- Tempura - a Japanese technique consisting of a special batter and oil
- Turkey, deep fried whole in large vats of oil.
- Twinkie
- White pudding - a delicacy popular in Scotland and Ireland. Individual puddings are battered and deep-fried, mostly served with chips and sold in fish and chip shops as a take-away.
