All about frying - she at the table

Gras is life, but which one to use to fry?

For crisp and light fries, it is necessary to use a fat that does not burn and which resists high temperatures.The maximum temperature supported by an oil is called smoke point.Beyond this limit, oils produce smoke and release toxic compounds such as aldehydes or acroleins, irritating to mucous membranes.Prefer refined oils such as peanut or rapeseed oils which can reach 200 ° C without burning and are, moreover, quite neutral in taste.Good to know, the more refined an oil, the more it is stable when cooked.If you like olive oil fries, opt for a blank oil and reserve extra virgin olive oils for the seasoning.Finally, animal fats like the lard (pork fat), beef or duck fat also have high points of smoke.These fats were widely used in the past to obtain crisp and tasty fries.But because they are less neutral in taste and odor, we prefer oil today.

Oil

For a good frying, the ingredients must be completely immersed, because contact with the air transforms fried food into soft matter.The oil must therefore be in sufficient quantity: count a liter of oil for a kilo of food.The trick?Fry few foods at a time, especially if they are frozen foods.Thus, they will not stick to each other and leather will be more homogeneously.

The ideal temperature for a successful frying

It varies depending on the fat used, because not all of them have the same smoke.But it is at 180 ° C that this slight crust is formed on food which prevents fat from penetrating inside.Playing on "surprise": surprise is how we call the moment when the boiling liquid grabs the food and forms this slight crust which isolates it from the fat and allows to cook by concentrating the flavors.To obtain it, it is essential to dive food in a hot oil, because you never start a cold frying.You don't have a cooking thermometer?Throw a small piece of oil in the oil.If it fries, it means that it is at the right temperature.

Bank and frying

Perfect for vegetables or fish, the panel forms a kind of protective shell for these foods that fear direct contact with boiling oil.It remains to choose the type of panel...Entering the dough with herbs, spices, seeds or cereals, which are suitable for cooking over high heat because they quickly degrade to heat.

Classic panures

La panure à la française

We brush the ingredient of melted butter, then roll it in the breadcrumbs.Butter with a fairly low smoke point, this breading is rather recommended for cooking in the pan.

La panure à l’anglaise

We dip the ingredient in the flour, then in the beaten egg before rolling it in the breadcrumbs.We talk about brown breadcrumbs when we mixed the bread with the crust and the crumb, and white breadcrumbs when you have mixed only the crumb.

La panure à la milanaise

It is a panel whose breadcrumbs are mixed with parmesan.

Tips for ...

Make less fatty fries

Immerse the ingredients in a hot oil, they will get less with oil.Once fried, have them immediately on absorbent paper to retain excess fatty.The frying will be more digestible.

Reuse the oil

At the end of each frying, add an egg white in the lukewarm oil.By coagulating, the egg white will imprison all the impurities.It is then enough to filter the cooled oil to rid it of possible residues of burnt food and keep it in a cool place, in an opaque container until the next use.However, be sure to change the frying oil after maximum uses;and don't throw the used oil in the sink.Reverse it in a bottle that closes tightly and place it on household waste if you do not have a collection points nearby or if you cannot bring it to recycling center.

Limit odors

Dip a branch of parsley in the frying bath.

Avoid oil projections

Throw a pinch of coarse salt in frying oil before diving foods.

The importance of the container for a successful frying

Ideal, of course, is frying in a fryer, because it manages the temperature and the right amount of oil and limits bad odors.You don't have a fryer?Opt for a high and narrow pan so that all the ingredients are well submerged in the oil.Use a frying lid that lets air pass but not splashes and a kitchen thermometer to monitor the oil temperature.Another option, for small fries or small quantities, simply take a steel frying pan with high edges.On the other hand, avoid containers with a non-stick coating, as it does not resist high temperatures.

To read

"The frying, ten ways of preparing it", by Alessandra Pierini, ed.dear.