The ultimate guide to your next fry-up
Frying might be one of the oldest cooking methods in the book, but there are so many different ways to fry. From shallow frying burger patties and triple cooking your chips, to deep frying crispy Southern style chicken – discover which frying techniques go best with your dishes thanks to this trusty guide below.
Shallow Frying
Typically used to prepare fish, vegies, eggs and small portions of meat, like prime cuts of steak, burger patties or chicken breasts, shallow frying is probably the most common frying method, however it does require a fair amount of skill to get the job done right. Shallow frying over a high heat using a small amount of oil should result in your food becoming crispy and brown, adding loads of extra flavour. But like most things when it comes to cooking, it’s all about the timing. Make sure the pan is hot before adding your food, and watch closely. When it appears to be slightly moist, flip it over. Place your food on paper toweling to absorb some of the excess oil, before serving. We recommend using macadamia oil for shallow frying as it has a high smoke point of between 210C and 234° degrees, but olive oil is also a great all-rounder.
Deep Frying
Deep frying shouldn’t be feared, it should be celebrated! While commercially, deep frying occurs in a pressure fryer or vacuum fryer, you can achieve a similar result at home using a fry pan or large pot. Deep frying allows food to be cooked fast and evenly – forget the slow submerge technique here; It’s gotta be in and out! You want it crispy golden on the outside and grease free on the inside. The best way to achieve this is by ensuring the temperature remains high. Vegetable oil or sunflower oil are great for deep frying as they have a relatively high smoke point. Investing in a thermometer is the best way to do this, or you can test the heat of your oil by dropping a cube of bread in – the bread will turn golden brown in 20 seconds at 170°C. Deep frying is great for making your own potato chips or perfecting your Southern fried chicken – you can even deep fry a mars bar… Okay each to their own, but I’m sure we can agree deep frying is pretty delicious method from time to time, right? You can pick up a thermometer from Essential Ingredient
Triple Cook Frying
If you’ve ever had a triple cooked chip, you know why this method is one of the best. Most commonly used for cooking chips, and made famous by culinary great, Heston Blumenthal, there is no doubt this technique is popular for a reason. But, many people don’t realise that in this case triple cooking doesn’t mean triple frying; it actually means one round of steaming and two rounds of frying (with a fair amount of refrigeration time in between). It may not be the healthiest method of enjoying a fried chip, but it’s arguably one of the tastiest! Heston’s recommended oil for triple cooked chips: peanut or grapeseed oil. Check out how to make Heston’s prestigious chips here
Stir-Frying
Everyone loves a good old-fashioned stir-fry. Quick, easy and delicious, stir-frying is a Chinese cooking technique that basically involves throwing in a heap of ingredients together in a wok and frying them in very hot oil, while stirring constantly. Only a small amount of oil is required for a stir-fry, which makes it a healthier frying option – and more often than not, the dish contains a stack of vegies alongside yummy noodles too! Peanut oil is great for stir-frying because of its high smoke point at about 230° degrees. Stir-frying is also an extremely fast way to make a meal and the perfect way to get rid of a few leftovers. Check out Essential Ingredient’s range of woks.
Sautéing
Sautéing is a basic cooking method that forms the basis for many dishes (often soups and stews) by browning and enhancing the flavour of ingredients. The technique relies on the heat of the pan to cook ingredients both concurrently and very quickly. It’s all about keeping the ingredients moving around in the pan, either by using a wooden spoon or by moving the pan back and forth – the former is much easier! While onion and garlic are often go-to ingredients for sautéing, you can also use the same method for fish, beef and even tender vegetables, like mushrooms and capsicum. Coconut oil or a high quality extra virgin olive oil is versatile.
Visit Essential Ingredient for their huge range of frying pans and oils!
Image credits:
Arnold Gatilao
