The food lab better home cooking through science ( PDFDrive ) 1066

smallerbatches.
Dry=Good
As we’ve discussed, deep-frying is essentially a process of
dehydration.Thehotoilcauseswatertorapidlytransformto
steam, which escapes and allows the crust to form. So it
standstoreasonthatthedrieryourfoodistobeginwith,the
more effectively it’ll fry. Surface moisture can also cause
undue bubbling and more rapid breakdown of the oil. For
bestresults,allsolidfoodstobefriedshouldfirstbepatted
dry or coated with a batter or breading.And make sure to
allow excess batter to drip off foods before adding them to
theoil.
KeepItClean
Themoreyouuseabatchofoil,thelesseffectiveitsfrying
ability will become. The main factors that affect oil
breakdown are small particles of food and moisture. To
extend the life of your fry oil, you should constantly clean
it.WheneverIfry,Ikeepawire-meshspidernearbytofish
outanybreadcrumbs,bitsoftempurabatter,orotherfood
particlesbetween(orevenduring!)batches.Toremovethis
debris, I start by swirling the oil in a clockwise direction
withthespider,thenflipthespideraroundandgiveitapass
inthecounterclockwisedirection:theflowoftheoilshould
forcethemajorityoffoodparticlesintoitsmesh.Depositthe
debris in a metal bowl kept handy (do NOT throw into a
garbagecanwithaplasticliner!),andrepeatuntiltheoilis
clean.Aftereachfryingsession,pourtheoilthroughafinemeshstrainerlinedwithpapertowelsorcheeseclothsetover


abowltogetridofanyleftoverdetritus.
KeepItMoving

Ever notice how when you’re in a cool swimming pool, if
you stand still, you’ll feel a little warmer until someone
swims by and creates a current around you that cools you
down again? Well, the opposite thing happens with cold
foodinhotoil.Ifyouallowittositstill,apocketofcooler
oil will develop around pieces of food, reducing the
effectivenessofthefry.Byconstantlyagitatingthefoodand
moving it around, you’re continuously exposing it to fresh
hot oil. Your food will fry more evenly, and come out
crisper than the simpler dunk-and-sit method.A wire-mesh
spider or a pair of long chopsticks is the best tool for this
job.
ChooseYourOilWisely
Thebestoilsfordeep-fryingarerelativelycheap,flavorless
oilswithhighsmokepoints.Flavorfuloilslikesesameoilor
extra-virginoliveoilcontaincompoundsthatcausethemto
smokeatfarbelowtheeffectivefryingtemperatureformost
foods. Other oils have their adherents, but peanut oil or
peanutoilcutwithabitoflard,baconfat,andshorteningis
my frying medium of choice. See “All About Oil,” below
formoredetails.
DrainQuickly,andUsePaperTowels!
While it may seem logical to drain fried foods on a metal
rack, it’s actually far more effective to drain them on a
paper-towel-lined plate or bowl. When they are set on a