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Dear home cooks, avoid these common mistakes when deep frying
Here are the most common mistakes when it comes to deep frying that all home cooks should avoid.
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To avoid partially cooked food, do not cook too many pieces at once. (Shutterstock/Jack Jelly)
W
hen it comes to deep frying, temperature, quantity and time matter. In case you still cannot fry tasty food with the perfect golden crispy crust, then you are doing something wrong.
Times of India has compiled the most common mistakes when it comes to deep frying that all home cooks should avoid.
Frying at the wrong temperature
Finding the right temperature for frying your food might not be easy but is essential.
For a crispy dish, the temperature of the oil should ideally be between 163 and 199 degrees Celsius. Frying your food at too high a temperature will result in it being burned on the outside but under-cooked on the inside. However, too low a temperature makes your dish soggy.
To be sure, you should get a thermometer to avoid too high or low a temperature.
Using the wrong oil
After finding the perfect temperature to fry your food, the oil´s smoke point is next. For example, avocado and olive oil, which have a low smoke point, are ideal for pan frying and shallow frying. As for deep frying, oil with a high smoke point is needed.
Vegetable, peanut and canola oil work well since their neutral taste does not influence the flavor of the food.
Read also: Forget frying, here are healthy ways to enjoy sweet potatoes
Frying too much at the same time
To avoid partially cooked food, do not throw too many things in all at once. The temperature of the oil would drop and make your dish soggy. Everything you are frying has to move around in the oil in order to cook properly.
Even if it takes more time, frying in small batches leads to a better and tastier result.
Frying big pieces
As already mentioned – size matters. Big pieces waste a lot of time and oil. Also, it can happen that the innermost layer will still be raw. Smaller pieces get fried faster and crispier.
So yes, deep frying requires patience.
Wrong batter
Your batter needs to have the right ratio of ingredients, otherwise your food will go soggy instead of crispy like at your favorite restaurant. An appropriate ratio of batter ingredients and whisking properly is important. After that, let it rest before deep frying.
Also, do not forget about the oil temperature and tasty seasoning.
Using leftover oil
Using leftover oil does affect the food´s taste as well as your health. It can increase the risk of health issues and makes your food greasy and ruins the flavor.
Leftover oil should only be used for tempering and greasing, but it's better to throw it away instead. (sop/kes)
