The Deep Dark Secrets Of Frying

Darcy Explains Deep Frying     

  I personally say Deep Frying gets a bad rap. 

  Too many people think fried food is greasy convenience foods like fast food.  Foods which are breaded and battered to cover up the bad quality underneath.  This is just not so.  I love fried food, it is a weakness I know.  But when done properly the product is tender and juicy on the inside and crunchy on the outside. The experience of the two textures together is quite amazing.

  I don’t think any other cooking method has quit the versatility that Deep Frying has. You can use with vegetables, fruit, meat and even ice cream.

  Deep frying is relatively simple, with the knowledge of a few things, type of equipment, type of oil and the type of frying method you want to use, you can fry to your heart’s content.

Equipment                                

  If you are planning on doing a lot of frying you may want to invest in a fryer.  You’ll want to look for one that has smooth sides and rounded corners for easy cleaning.  As with any appliance you will want to read the manual before use.     

  You will also want to make sure the fryer you choose has a quick recovery time.  Which means the oil will recover to desired temperature quickly.  If the fryer has a slow recovery time it will cause the oil temperature to be too low resulting in greasy foods.  

  

  You can also fry in a deep saucepan  if you so choose but YOU MUST be very careful, oil can splash and start fires it is also very difficult to control temperature. So if you are going to deep fry this way you need to take every precaution, buy a thermometer, and have grease fire extinguisher on hand.

Frying Liquids

Many types of fats can be used for deep frying, sometimes rendered animal fat is used for frying, aiding in flavor of the product being fried.  The most common type of fats used are Vegetable oils, such as soy bean oil, safflower oil and canola.  When choosing fats consider flavor, smoke point and chemical breakdown.

Methods of Frying                               

There are 2 methods to frying, the basket method and the swimming method, which one you use is dependent on the product that’s being fried.

1.     The Basket Method is frying with a fry basket, products that are usually breaded and will not stick together when placed in the hot fat.  You can also use the double basket method witch is a variation of the basket method but you place a second basket on top of the product to keep it from floating on the surface of the fat.

2.     The Swimming Method is used with products that are battered and would stick together when placed in a basket.  The product is placed directly into the fryer and flipped half way through the cooking process to ensure both side are cooked.  These products usually sink to the bottom of the fryer then rise to the top as they cook.

Breading Procedure                                  

Standard breading procedures have 3 steps and most items use this method.

1.     Pat food dry and dredge in seasoned flour, the flour helps protect the food and helps egg wash stick.

2.     Dip floured food in egg wash which consists of eggs and water.  For every egg used is whisked with 1 TBS water.  The egg wash will help the bread crumb to stick.

3.     Coat the food with seasoned bread crumb, cracker crumb or meal, shake off the excess crumbs and place breaded item in a clean pan.  Do   not stack food on top of each other, as it could  cause products to stick to one another.

Batter Procedures

Batters, like breading, coat food being cooked, keeping moisture in and preventing the food from being excessively greasy.  Batters consist of liquids, such as water, milk or beer and a starch, such as, flour or cornstarch.  Many contain a leavening agent such as baking powder or baking soda. The batters containing beer use the beer as a leavening agent as well as for flavor. Tempura is another type of batter commonly used.

1.     Pat dry food and season

2.     Dip into batter and directly into the fryer using tongs or spider (type of mesh spoon used for frying)

Recipes:   

Beer Battered Onion Rings     

                      

Total Time:         1 hr 20 min
Prep                     10 min
Cook                    10 min

Yield:
6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

4 cups canola oil or peanut oil
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 cup red bell peppers, roasted
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoons pepper, fresh cracked
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons white wine
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
2 yellow onions, sweeter the better, Vidalia or Texas sweets
2 cups buttermilk
2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 teaspoon garlic, granulated
12 ounces beer, medium body
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan

Directions

In a Dutch oven heat oil to 350 degrees F.

In a food processor combine sour cream, mayonnaise, sun-dried tomatoes, red bell peppers, lime juice, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, white wine and minced garlic, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Cut onions 1/2-inch thick, remove dark exterior of onions, separate into rings and soak in buttermilk for 1 hour.

Combine 1 cup of flour, remaining salt, pepper, and garlic, mix thoroughly. In a medium bowl combine beer and 1 cup of flour, mix thoroughly.

Remove onion rings from buttermilk, shake off excess, dredge in flour, shake off excess, then dip in beer batter. Drop some onion rings in oil and continue process, being sure not to crowd rings as they will stick together. When golden, remove and let drain on paper towels. 

 

Deep Fried Cod                                  

Total Time:           40 min
Prep                       30 min
Cook                     10 min

Yield:
4 servings

Ingredients
Vegetable oil, for frying
1 pound Cod fillets
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup corn flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten with 2 tablespoons milk
2 lemons, halved
Tartar Sauce, recipe follows
Fresh parsley, for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oil in a large cast iron or heavy bottomed pot, over medium heat. Cut the fillets, horizontally into strips, 1/2-inch thick. Season the fish with salt and pepper. Combine the flours and season with salt and pepper. Dredge each piece of fish in the flour, coating completely. Dip each piece in the egg wash, letting the excess drip off. Dredge the fish for a second time in the flour, coating completely. Fry the fish in batches until crispy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the fish with lemon halves and tartar sauce and garnish with parsley.

Tartar Sauce:
1 cup mayonnaise, preferably homemade
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 scallions, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 tablespoon capers, drained and finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped cornichons or dill pickle
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh tarragon or pinch dried tarragon
Few drops lemon juice
Salt

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine. Add lemon juice and salt, to taste. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

Yield: about 1 1/2 cups

Tempura Vegetables                                 

Total Time:           10 min
Prep                       5 min
Cook                      5 min

Yield: 1 serving

Tempura batter Ingredients

1 cup of flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/2 cups of seltzer water
Salt

Ingredients

Vegetable oil
Zucchini, sliced into 1/2-inch slices
Broccoli florets
Flour
Carrots, 1/4-inch dice
Cauliflower florets
Tempura batter

Directions

Heat oil to 375 degrees in electric fryer or in a large, deep heavy pan on stove top. Roll vegetables in flour and shake off excess. Dip vegetables into batter and carefully place in oil to fry. Remove from oil when golden brown. Place on paper towels to drain. Serve with dipping sauce.

DIPPING SAUCE FOR VEGGIES
2 scallions, sliced
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon ginger, grated

Combine all ingredients in bowl. Stir to combine. Serve with deep-fried vegetables.

Enjoy,
Darcy

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Poultry Lesson 7

Poultry

  

  Poultry is a collective term for domesticated birds bred for eating.  They include, Chickens, Ducks, Geese, Guineas, Pigeons, and Turkey.  


  Poultry is generally the least expensive and most versatile of all proteins.  It can be cooked by almost any method, and its mild flavor goes well with a wide assortment of sauces. 

  The USDA recognizes Six categories or kinds of poultry, Chickens, Ducks, Geese, Guineas, Pigeons, and Turkey.  Each kind of poultry is divided into classes based on the birds age and tenderness.  The charts below will explain each categories class .

Chicken

Chicken is the most popular of the Poultry.  It is widely used around the world.  It contains both light and dark meat and is relatively low in fat.

Class	Description	Age	Weight	Cooking Method
Game Hen	Young immature Chicken    That’s meat is very flavorful.	5-6 Weeks	2 LBS   Or less	Split and Broil, Grill           or Roast
Broiler/Fryer	Young with soft, smooth textured skin, relatively lean	13 Weeks	3 LBS 8 oz Or Less	Any cooking method
Roaster	Young with tender meat and smooth textured skin	3-5 Month	3 LBS 8 oz – 5 LBS	Any cooking method
Capon	Surgically castrated male, tender meat with soft smooth textured skin. Great Flavor	Under 8 Weeks	6-10 LBS	Roasting
Hen	Mature Female , flavorful but less tender	Over 10 Month	2.8 LBS- 8 LBS	Stew or Braise

Chicken Con Broccoli

Makes: 1 Serving

Ingredients:

1 lb chicken breasts

2 tsp olive oil

4 oz dry orecchiette pasta

1 c heavy whipping cream

2 Tbsp butter

2 tsp minced garlic

2 tsp cornstarch

1 c broccoli florets

salt and ground black pepper to taste

SPICE MIXTURE

2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

2 tsp dried basil

2 tsp dried parsley

2 tsp dried rosemary

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

salt and pepper to taste

Directions: preparation

Combine ingredients from Spice Mixture. Rub onto the chicken breasts. Cook chicken in the olive oil until done and browned. Set aside.

Cook orecchiette in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and return pasta to pot.

Stir butter and garlic into saute pan. Cook until garlic caramelizes, then add the cream and the cornstarch. Cook over medium heat until sauce thickens. Add to pasta.

Stir chicken and broccoli into the pasta. Simmer until everything is heated through. Remove from heat and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

Duck

Duck is used most often in commercial businesses. It contains only dark meat and large amounts of fat.  In order to make the fatty skin palatable, it is important to render as much fat as possible.  Duck has a high bone and fat to meat ratio, for example, a 4 LBS duck will feed 2 adults whereas a  4 LBS chicken will feed 4 adults.

Class	Description	Age	Weight	Cooking Method
Broiler/ Fryer	Young bird with tender meat	8 Weeks	3 LBS 8oz -4 LBS	Roasting at high Temperature
Roaster	Young bird with tender meat and rich flavor	16 weeks or less	4 -  6 LBS	Roasting
Mature	Old bird with tough flesh	6 months or older	4 – 6 LBS	Braise

Goose

 A Goose contains only dark meat and has very fatty skin.  It is usually roasted at high temperatures to render the fat.  Roasted Goose is a popular bird most often served on holidays with an acidic fruit based sauce to offset the fattiness

Class	Description	Age	Weight	Cooking Method
Young	Rich tender dark meat with large amounts of fat	6 Months or  less	6 – 12 LBS	Roast at high heat  serve with acidic sauce
Mature	Tough Flesh	Over 6 months	10 – 16 LBS	Braise or Stew

Guinea

  A Guinea or Guinea Fowl, is the domesticated descendant of a game bird.  It has both light and dark meat and similar flavor to a Pheasant.  Guinea is tender enough to Sauté. Because it has so little fat is is usually *Barded, prior to cooking.  It is relatively expensive and is not as popular a poultry in the United States as it is in Europe. 

Class	Description	Age	Weight	Cooking Method
Young	Tender Meat	3 Months	12 oz – 1LB	Bard and Roasted
Mature	Tough Flesh	Over 3 Months	1 – 2 LBS	Braised or Stewed

*Bareding; Tying thin slices of fat, such as Bacon or Pork fat over the meat or poultry that have very little fat, covering in order to protect and moisten during cooking.

Pigeon

  The pigeon that is used in Commercial food service is referred to as Squab.  Its meat is dark and tender and well suited for broiling, sautéing or roasting.  Squab has very little fat and benefits from *Barding.

Class	Description	Age	Weight	Cooking Method
Squab	Immature Pigeon, very tender dark meat	4 Weeks	12 oz – 1 LB	Broil, Roast or Sauté
Pigeon	Mature Pigeon, coarse skin and tough meat	Over 4 Weeks	1 – 2 LBS	Braise or Stew

*Bareding; Tying thin slices of fat, such as Bacon or Pork fat over the meat or poultry that have very little fat, covering in order to protect and moisten during cooking.

Turkey

Turkey is the second most popular poultry in the United States.  It has both light and dark meat and a relatively small amount of fat.

Class	Description	Age	Weight	Cooking Method
Fryer/Roaster	Immature bird of either sex. Tender meat with smooth skin	16 Weeks	4 – 9 LBS	Roasting, or cutting into scallops and pan sautéing
Young	Tender meat, smooth skin	8 month or less	8 – 22 LBS	Roast or Stew
Yearling	Fully matured bird, reasonably tender meat and slightly coarse skin	15 months or less	10 – 30 LBS	Roast or Stew
Mature	Older bird with coarse skin and tough meat	15 months or older	10 – 30 LBS	Stew, Ground, or processed

Pan Roasted Squab with a Fig and Red Wine

Reduction Sauce

Prep Time: 25 M | Cook Time: 1 H 5 M | Makes: 4

servings | Difficulty: Intermediate

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup dried figs, stems removed and diced
3 cups fruity red wine
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
2 cups dark chicken stock
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
4 squab
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Directions:

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the shallots to the pan and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the figs, wine, and thyme, and cook, stirring, to de-glaze the pan. Cook at a brisk simmer until wine has reduced enough to coat the back of a spoon and the figs are tender, 25 minutes. Add the chicken stock and cook again until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat, add the butter and stir until the butter is melted and the sauce is thickened. Adjust the seasoning, to taste and set aside, covered, to keep warm. Do not allow the sauce to boil or it will separate.
Cut the backbone out of the squab and gently flatten with the palm of your hand. Lightly season the squab on both sides with salt and ground black pepper.Heat the remaining oil in a large saute pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the squab, skin-side down, and cook for 3 minutes. Turn and place in the oven. Roast until the birds are cooked through and tender, about 7 minutes. Remove from the oven, transfer to a platter, and set aside to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Drain the remaining fat from the skillet and add the sauce to the skillet to rewarm, scraping to dislodge any browned particles clinging to the bottom of the pan.
Serve the squab with the sauce ladled over all.
Wine Recommendation: Napa Valley Syrah

See you next time.

Darcy