Deep fried foods often scare people who are conscious about their health and weight. While doctors are against deep frying every meal an occasional treat with French fries or country fried chicken would do no harm.
Deep frying is a cooking food without the use of water. Generally, it involves cooking by immersing food in hot oil or fat but there is a technique to it if you do not want to make food excessively greasy.
− The theory behind deep frying is that the moisture in the food repels the oil. The hot oil heats the water within the food and the inside- out steaming pushes water vapors to the surface. The hot oil is unable to go against the direction of this flow, which limits oil penetration to the outer surface. However, there is a caveat to this that food should not be left immersed in oil for too long. If it remains there for too long, all the moisture in the food will be lost and oil will penetrate the food.
− It is important to use the right oil for deep frying. Choose oils that have a high smoke point such as canola, safflower, peanut and sunflower oil. It is best to use a heavy and deep pan if you do not have a fryer.
− Make sure that you do not fill the pan to the top because the oil will bubble up when you put in food. Moreover, never add wet foods to hot oil because water and oil do not mix and may cause a minor explosion.
− You need to heat the oil to the right temperature, which is about 365 degree Fahrenheit. A deep frying thermometer is ideal but if you do not have one, simply drop a small a small bread cube in it to check. If it browns within a minute, it is time to start frying.
− Never overcrowd the frying pan and keep watching closely while the food is being fried. When the food is golden brown it is time to remove it. Use a slotted spoon and place it on a piece of paper so that it absorbs the excess oil. If you are cooking in batches, place the cooked food in an oven heated up to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
− Do not overuse the frying oil because oil tends to deteriorate. Overheating causes the oil to break down leading to formation of rancid-tasting products.
Deep frying is easy and there are thousands of mouth watering recipes. From sweet potato fries to fried chicken to catfish bites, fried foods are popular all over the world.
Some foods such as potatoes and skin-on poultry have a natural coating and do not require breading or battering before frying but it may be necessary for many other foods. This is done to brown the outside of the food and make it crispy while the inside gets steamed and becomes moist and tender. While fried foods are naturally tasty due to the involvement of fats you can make a difference to the taste by adding spices to the batter. You can try various combinations of spices or choose readymade seasonings.
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