Deep fat frying while having a bad reputation, can produce
sublime food. Yes you can create grease soaked
monstrosities but that is a result of not following proper
deep frying procedures. This article aims to provide some
simple tips and explain how deep fat frying actually works
so it can take it's place in the repertoire of all cooks.
The first thing to ask is how does deep fat frying actually
work. The answer may come as some surprise. It is not
actually oil that cooks the food. The oil is actually there
to heat the water present inside the food to be cooked. The
desired result is that as the water in the food heats, it
steams the food from the inside out. So given that it is
the water inside the food that does the cooking, why is
deep fat frying considered so unhealthy? The reason for
this is that unless you deep fry properly, the oil
penetrates the food. However if you follow the proper
procedures this does not occur and you are left with
non-greasy, perfectly cooked food.
So what makes the oil penetrate the food? It all has to do
with the temperature of the oil. If the oil is at the
correct temperature, the water leaving the food as steam
will prevent the oil from entering. If the oil is too cool,
the water vapor being released will not be powerful enough
to keep the oil from penetrating the food.
The other thing that can lead to oil penetration is time.
If the food is overcooked, the food will be dry, no vapor
will be released and the oil will start to seep in.
Keeping the food in the oil for the right time and at the
right temperature is crucial to successful deep frying.
These are variables that will differ on the type of food
you are cooking but if you follow the recipe correctly you
should have good results.
So to summarize, is deep fat frying food as healthy as
eating a salad? No. Is it any unhealthier than wok cooking
or pan frying? Not if you are always aware of the points
discussed above. When deep frying is done correctly - think
lovely king prawn tempura, it is truly sublime and bears no
resemblance to the greasy nightmares you see in late night
cafes.
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Patrick Attlee is a food critic who loves a tasty bit of
tempura. You can learn more about deep fat frying at
http://www.deepfatfryerspro.com
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