Frying

Frying as a distinction from sautéing, produced a food with a richly textured crust and a moist, flavorful interior.  Fried items are almost always coated with flour, a batter, or a breading.  Pan-fried or shallow-fried foods are fried in just enough oil to cover the item by one-half to two-thirds.  Deep-fried foods are completely submerged.

Pan-Frying

Pan-fried foods are usually portion-sized or smaller pieces of food with a crisp, golden-brown crust that helps to retain moisture and flavor.  Food that are suitable for frying are small, thin pieces of lean and tender meats, fish or poultry.  Certain vegetables like eggplant, and firm green tomatoes are also well suited for pan-frying.

Pan-Frying Procedure

  • Use a pan with straight sides, commonly know as a sauté pan, skillet or a sautoir in French.
  • Use a pan of the appropriate size that allows ingredients to be distributed in a single layer without crowding and large enough to hold a sufficient quantity of oil that will maintain a constant temperature.
  • Add enough oil to to come up 1/2 to 2/3’rds the sides of the item.
  • Preheat the oven if the fried items will be finished in the oven.
  • Heat the oil to 325˚F to 375˚F, depending on the items being fried and the quantity of those items.
  • Cut the food into small or bite-sized pieces, all roughly the same size.
  • Prepare a standard breading or batter as needed.
  • Have all mise en place ready before starting the sauté.
  • Food should be dry and not too cold or frozen.
  • Apply any breadings as close to cooking as possible.
  • Add the item to the pan, presentation side down first, in a single layer. Don’t crowd ingredients.
  • Pan fry until golden brown.
  • Turn the food once and cook to desired doneness.
  • Remove food and finish cooking in the oven.
  • Drain the food on a rack set on paper towels.
  • Season and serve immediately.

Deep Frying

 

Foods that are deep-fried are similar to foods that are shallow fried except they are completely submerged in the cooking oil.  Deep frying foods cook quicker than pan frying.  There are three methods of submerging foods in a deep fryer:

  1. Basket Method–foods are simply placed in a frying basket and submerged in the hot oil until cooked.
  2. Double Basket Method –foods that float can be held submerged by placing a second basket on top of the food in the first basket.
  3. SwimmingMethod – is usually used for battered items to keep them from sticking to the basket.  Food is set in the fryer to “swim” without a basket.

Double Fry Method for French Fries

In the first frying, 1/4″ or thicker-cut French fries are deep-fried at a relatively low temperature, 250˚F to 300˚F until they are just cooked through with no color.  In the second fry, the potatoes are cooked at a higher temperature between 350˚F and 375˚F to achieve a crisp, golden brown exterior.

 

Commercial deep fryers are distinguished from home type fryers in their recovery time, the time it takes the oil to reheat to its cooking temperature after the food has been added.  Commercial fryers carry a large quantity of oil and sufficient heat to recover quickly in restaurant service.  Restaurants will also often have multiple fryers to avoid flavor transfer and to isolate common allergens like shellfish or gluten.

Deep-Frying Procedure

  • Heat the fat to the proper temperature, typically 325˚F to 375˚K.
  • Add the item, usually breaded or battered to the hot fat with the basket or swimming method.
  • Turn the food if necessary.
  • Remove the food and finish in the oven if necessary.
  • Drain the food on a rack set on a paper towel.
  • Season and serve immediately.