Deep frying is one of the most common cooking methods done in households and restaurants. This method adds a crispy texture to deep-fried food such as chicken, doughnuts, and bagels, which creates a delicious-sounding crunch in the mouth.
Most of the time, people often avoid deep frying as their go to method for cooking food. They think it's difficult and can be dangerous. Another reason why people avoid deep-frying is because of the excess oil. If done properly, deep-frying can actually be a healthy meal. Here are some more tips to help you deep-fry food.
Kitchen Equipment
There are different fascinating kitchen tools and equipment that are available in kitchenware stores. Tools such a deep fryer, kitchen thermometer, tongs, and a slotted spoon can help you achieve that perfect crisp you're looking for.
A Deep Fryer
Commonly, the family prepares deep-fried foods when hosting family gatherings, special holidays, and casual days. Thus, a deep fryer is a great addition to the kitchen. An ideal deep fryer must maintain the oil's temperature in the pan to achieve a crispy texture.
Make sure you're using a piece of cloth when holding metallic handles on your deep-fryers or pans. There are newer types of pans and deep-fryers that have their handles coated with special material so you can safely handle them with your bare hands.
Kitchen Thermometer
The temperature of the oil is another key in achieving that crispy texture. Using a kitchen thermometer that measures up to 400 F and a clip attached in the pot's rim allows you to keep an eye on the rising and falling of the temperature.
Deep-frying requires a specific temperature to achieve a crispy texture. The temperature should range from 160C for low, 180C for moderate, and 190C for a higher temperature. While hotter temperatures can quickly cook your food, you could also end up overcooking or burning it. Too little heat and you can also end up with a raw, soggy piece of food. These are the reasons why you need to carefully monitor temperatures using a kitchen thermometer.
Tongs and Slotted Spoon
Removing food from boiling hot oil without the proper tools could be dangerous. If you're not careful, oil could splatter everywhere and cause terrible burns. Using tongs allows you to have more control making it safer to remove food from hot oil.
Another tool that will help you to transfer deep-fried food is a slotted spoon. It has holes in it that drips excess oil. If you don't have an available slotted spoon in your kitchen, a kitchen spider will do. Kitchen spiders or skimmers are valuable utensils in lifting food from hot oil or water.
Give Space
Deep-frying is an easy and quick way of cooking food. But if you think that splurging all the pieces at once will cook the food fast, it'll actually make it longer. Overcrowding the deep fryer with pieces of food lowers the oil's temperature, making the food soggy. For better results, try to cook your food in small, manageable portions. By cooking this way, you cook food faster and better.
Food You Can Deep Fry
It is pretty much possible nowadays to deep-fry everything, even deep-frying ice cream and fruits. Here's a list of some food you can try deep-frying.
1. Deep-Fried Chicken
Fried chicken is a popular classic dish for all ages that will never be out of taste. Deep-frying chicken creates a crispy-skin texture that locks all the sumptuous juices inside, which oozes savoury flavours when bitten.
2. Deep-Fried Ice Cream
Who would've thought that you can enjoy eating ice cream even if it is fried? Eating this food creates a party inside the mouth because of its luscious taste created by the marriage of hot crispy coating, and the creamy ice cream. This food is perfect for children's parties as it appeals to the young-and young at hearts.
3. Tempura
Did you know that you can bring the taste of Japan to your table? This deep-fried dish is one of the national dishes of Japan and uses seasonal produce like seafood and vegetables. They usually use shrimps or prawns, and vegetables such as sweet potatoes and mushrooms. A batter made of eggs, flour, and water, coats the ingredients and creates crispy texture when fried.
5. Watermelon
Believe it or not, you can actually deep fry watermelon. Deep-fried watermelon recipes call for the watermelon to be dipped in thick batter before cooking it in the hot oil. As the batter thickens, it prevents the water from the fruit from mixing into the cooking oil. The result is a crispy bite, full of that sweet, watermelon flavor.
6. Cookie Dough
Cookie dough by itself, tastes awesome. Bake it into bite-size cookies, then you have your treat. Did you know that you can enjoy cookie dough in another way? Yes, you can actually deep-fry cookie dough. The result you get is a flavorful munchkin full of that cookie goodness.
Takeaway
One of the best ways to experience food is through deep-frying. Although many people believe deep-frying is difficult, there are some benefits to it. The tips above will help you be better at deep-frying. You should also try deep-frying food the food items mentioned above.
* This is a contributed article and this content does not necessarily represent the views of foodworldnews.com
