The food lab better home cooking through science ( PDFDrive ) 1067

rack, very little oil actually drips out of the food—the oil’s
surfacetensionkeepsitinplace.Apapertowel,ontheother
hand, wicks oil away through capillary action, effectively
drawing more fat out of the food and helping it stay crisp
longer. In fact, in a side-by-side test, I found that paper
towelsdrewoutnearlyfourtimesasmuchoilfromthefood
as a simple rest on the rack. To get the least greasy food
possible, drop your food directly from the fryer onto a
paper-towel-lined plate, tray, or bowl, flip it to blot oil on
bothsides,andthenquicklytransferittoarack,toallowfor
circulation(steambuildingupunderthefoodcansoftenits
crust).

Restyourfriedfoodonpapertowelstowickawaygrease.
SeasonImmediately
Iworkedforachefwhowasfondofsaying,“Idon’tcareif


you’vejustfrieddogsh*t.Ifitcomesoutofthefryer,you
season it the second it does!”And he’s right. Salt sticks to
and dissolves more rapidly on hot surfaces, so the sooner
you season your fried food, the better it’ll taste down the
line.
ReuseYourOil
Tosaveyouroil,skimitandletitcoolinthewok,thenpour
it through a fine-mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth or a
paper towel. From there, pour it right back into its original
bottle (or an empty soda bottle) through a funnel. Seal the
cap, and store it in a cool, dark cabinet until the next time
youneedit.Ifitstartsgettingverydarkorproducesfoamy
bubblesonitssurfacewhenyoustartheatingit,it’spastits

primeandshouldbedisposedof.

ALLABOUTOIL
Q:What’sthebestoilfordeep-frying?
There’sabafflingarrayoffatsonsupermarketshelvesthese
days, from supposedly heart-healthy olive and canola oils
highinOmega-3fattyacidstoexpensivedesigneroils,like
avocadoorgrapeseed,tosolid-at-room-temperaturefatslike
vegetableshorteningandlard.Whichfatisbestforfrying?
Whichproducesthecrispestcrustandbestflavor?
I decided to find out the only way I know how: try ’em
all.
I fried a dozen batches of chicken using the following
fats: shortening, lard, canola oil, olive oil, peanut oil,
sunflower oil, corn oil, palm oil, avocado oil, generic