FOOD NEWS
The Best Oil For Frying Chicken, According To Thomas Keller
By Nick Johnson
There are many different types of cooking oil, each of which has a list of pros and cons pertaining to its viability when frying food. However, for celebrity chef Thomas Keller, only one oil suffices to make the most crave-able, crunchiest fried chicken.
Keller suggests using peanut oil as it has a higher smoke point (around 450 degrees) than its fellow cooking oils. An oil's smoke point is the temperature it can withstand before it breaks down and smoke, and using high-temperature oils when frying chicken allows its exterior to get nice and crunchy while keeping the oil from seeping into the meat.
Peanut oil has a mild flavor and doesn't take on the taste of the food it cooks, meaning you can cook your crispy chicken with other fried foods without experiencing flavor cross-contamination. Moreover, a single tablespoon of peanut oil contains 11% of your day's vitamin E — a powerful, immune-boosting antioxidant.