5 Tips For Cooking Deep Fried Foods

Deep frying can be intimidating. Splattering, over-cooked foods, oil flareups, soggy foods, are all a challenge. But there are a few simple things you can do that will help ensure perfect results and make for a happier experience.

Dry foods before frying No matter what foods you are going to cook, make sure they are dry. Pat with paper towels, and then some foods may be dipped in flour or bread crumbs. If you don't do this, when water meets with hot oil it can cause bubbling and splattering that sometimes causes a fire. Always keep water away from hot oil, and never try to put out a fire with it.

Choose oil with a high burning point Oils with low burning points will start to smoke and will burn the food if not taken off the heat immediately. Peanut oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, and canola oil are some good choices. Never use butter or olive oil, as they have a low burning point and will burn quickly.

Choose the right pan. Choose a deep, very heavy skillet or pot to fry with. Add oil to the cold pan, leaving at least two inches at the top. You might like to leave more space to be sure the oil doesn't bubble over when food is added. Use tongs to carefully place food in pan – never let it drop into the hot oil.

Keep even temperature. Heat the oil from 350 to 375 degrees F, and keep it there during the time of cooking. The easiest way is to use a deep fat frying thermometer, or drop a 1" cube of white bread into the oil. If it browns in 60 seconds it is an indication that the oil temperature is about 365 degrees F.

Don't overcrowd the pan. Carefully add the food, leaving lots of space around each piece so the food will cook evenly. The food must be surrounded by bubbling oil. If there is too much food the temperature of the fat will suddenly get colder and the food will get greasy and soggy.

If you follow these easy steps you'll make delicious and safe deep fried foods.