Deep-fried food is best eaten right out of the fryer, which is why you should generally eat tempura or fries at a restaurant or at home—getting deep-fried items to go or delivered usually means you'll be eating soggy fries, mushy tempura, and fried chicken that's had its once-crispy coating steamed to a gummy mess.
But deep-frying at home can be a hassle. I've long found the biggest barrier to be using a liter or more of oil for one specific purpose, and coming to terms with the dreaded task of carefully straining it into an adequately large container. But after reading about how easy it is to clean cooking oil with gelatin, I've become less hesitant to fill up my wok (yes, it's an ideal vessel for deep-frying) and whip up some karaage.
Choosing the Best Pot for Deep-Frying
If you want the best results from deep-frying, there are several rules to keep in mind. Using the right pot or a wok is rule number one—look for a pot that holds at least twice the volume of the oil you'll be using. Heating the oil to an appropriately high temperature is also crucially important, as is refraining from crowding your oil (which brings down its overall temperature) and allowing a pause between batches, so that the oil can come back up to temperature.
But if you're frying up something with a batter, here's a little tip from Kenji for getting your food as crispy as possible: Add a little vodka to the batter or the marinade.
Vodka helps fried foods become crispy in a couple of different ways. The first has to do with its volatility, particularly when compared to water or other liquids commonly used to make batters or marinades. During deep-frying, liquid in the batter vaporizes, which both dehydrates the batter and creates bubbles that give it more surface area. The dehydrated batter then begins browning, which ultimately leads to that essential crisp crust. Because vodka is more volatile than water, it evaporates more quickly, which dries out the batter faster and more violently. That creates larger bubbles and even more surface area, in turn resulting in a much crispier crust.
But vodka does more than add volatility to the mix: It actively inhibits the production of gluten, the network of proteins that forms when flour and water combine. By limiting gluten development, vodka yields a batter that can be mixed, and subsequently used, for far longer than a traditional batter, which will become doughier and heavier the longer it sits. It also allows you to thin out the batter, for a shatteringly delicate crust that remains crisp for much longer than a typical flour-and-water mixture.
Not using a wet batter at all? You can still use vodka to enhance your crust by simply adding it to your marinade. An ounce of vodka (two tablespoons) for every cup of liquid in your marinade, followed by a dredge in your dry ingredient of choice, will go a long way toward enhancing crispness. So long, chewy, leathery crusts!
An ounce of vodka (two tablespoons) for every cup of liquid in your marinade, followed by a dredge in your dry ingredient of choice, will go a long way toward enhancing crispness. So long, chewy, leathery crusts!
Monitor Oil Temperature: Maintaining a consistent temperature when deep-frying is key to achieving a perfect crunch. Drain and Cool Properly: After frying, be sure to place your food on a wire rack or paper towel-lined baking sheet. This will help remove excess oil and keep them crisp for longer.
Vodka is more volatile than water, so evaporates quicker, drying out the batter faster and more violently. That creates larger bubbles, even more surface area, resulting in a much crispier crust. Vodka also inhibits the production of gluten. This creates a batter that can.
Why It Works. Adding vodka to the batter limits the rate of gluten formation so that the batter can sit a bit longer before it goes bad. Using club soda in place of traditional ice water also extends the life of the batter.
Michael says that cornstarch or rice flour in combo with flour will give you the crunchiest batter. Even cake four will cook up crunchier than all-purpose flour because it doesn't have a high gluten level.
Unlike water, alcohol does not contribute to the formation of gluten, the network of proteins that can cause a crust to turn leathery. Because the alcohol burns off quickly in the oven, drying out the crust, we could add enough vodka to keep the dough wet and extremely supple.
The secret of the lightness of the tempura is all in the thermal shock: the batter must be worked (a little) in a metal bowl placed in a larger bowl full of ice. A similar rule must be also applied to the vegetables or fish you want to fry: better keep them in the refrigerator until the moment before cooking.
Because vodka is more volatile than water, it evaporates more quickly, which dries out the batter faster and more violently. That creates larger bubbles and even more surface area, in turn resulting in a much crispier crust.
If the oil gets too cold, anything below 355°, then the food ends up absorbing all of the oil resulting in a greasy, soggy mess. If the oil gets too hot, anything above 400°, then the outside will brown too quickly before the inside can properly cook.
Coating your food in bread crumbs is also a classic technique. In addition to crispiness and locking in moisture, batters and breading are also great ways to add additional flavors to your deep-fried foods.
The best way to keep fried foods crispy? Just place them on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet. If you're frying multiple batches, throw the whole setup into a low oven to keep everything warm as you keep frying and adding to the rack.
Is baking soda or powder best for frying? A pinch of baking soda can help produce crispy fried foods. It reacts with the acid in the batter to create carbon dioxide bubbles. These lead to an airy batter and a crisper, fluffier result.
Some cooks, including Fran McCullough, author of The Good Fat Cookbook, swear by deep frying with animal fats like lard (374°F smoke point) and beef tallow (400°F). Fans say this natural, saturated fat imparts great flavor and makes the ingredients crispier.
Both flour and cornstarch are used to coat chicken, fish, and vegetables before deep-frying. Cornstarch typically makes for a crispier finish than flour. Cornstarch absorbs moisture from the food and expands, giving deep-fried foods a crispy coating.
Introduction: My name is Pres. Lawanda Wiegand, I am a inquisitive, helpful, glamorous, cheerful, open, clever, innocent person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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