We’ve come to the time of year when the most commonplace euphemism about the weather is being tossed around—“it’s hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk.” On occasion, it actually is, and some literal person will often even demonstrate as much.
Well, knowing that the pavement on the patio is too hot to walk across barefoot is enough for me; I’d rather not think about whether it could literally cook breakfast.
There’s some wisdom in being partly literal with the expression, however: this is absolutely the right weather for frying. Yes, there is all that hot fat, and the overuse of frying by fast food joints has given this simple cooking method a bad rap it doesn’t deserve. But frying is actually quick, relatively economical in its use of heat and material, and when properly done, not at all heavy and greasy, but light, even delicate, and altogether appetite stimulating.
So long as we indulge in fried food as it was meant to be, as an occasional treat and not everyday (and sometimes twice a day) fare, frying can be a sensible and even healthful way of cooking in hot weather.
When done right, and enjoyed in moderation, fried food isn’t going to wreak havoc with either your health or waistline. I didn’t gain a single ounce while testing the recipes for my fried chicken book, and my friend John Martin Taylor actually lost weight while writing The Fearless Frying Cookbook.
The problem that most people have with fried food is not the concept, but faulty execution—and of course overindulgence. The frying and draining have been badly done, and the person groaning and popping antacids has eaten far too much of it at one sitting.
When the fat is hot enough, but not so hot that it begins to burn, it stays where it belongs: on the outside of the food, carrying moisture rapidly away from the surface and caramelizing that surface into the irresistible, light, golden crispness that is the signature of properly fried food.
Though the fat is in its liquid state and appears to be boiling like a kettle of water, this is actually a dry heat process, like roasting or grilling: the moisture on the surface is being immediately vaporized and drawn away from the food, sealing its outer surface and keeping its center moist and light.
Only when the fat is not hot enough or the cook has been careless about draining the food are the results greasy and unhealthy. When properly done, most of the cooking fat stays just where it belongs—in the pot.
For most of us, the main drawbacks to frying at home are the lingering smell in the house, irresistibly alluring when fresh in the air but less so two days later, and the oily condensation resulting from the steam that rises during the process. There are ways to minimize these drawbacks, but the best way to avoid them is to let the warm weather play to the cook’s advantage and fry outdoors, where it can be done with minimal discomfort and without worrying about the food cooling too much before it’s eaten.
This is a simple, elemental technique, but like most simple things it does require a certain amount of finesse. The fat must be clean, fresh and hot enough to quickly seal the surface without burning it so that the food spends very little time in the fat—just enough to caramelize the outside and cook the inside through.
The optimum frying temperature is between 350 and 375 degrees. Higher and the fat will burn and begin to change its structure; lower, and the surface moisture lingers, making the crust soggy and absorbent and turning the food into one big blotter that just drinks in large amounts of cooking fat. Fried chicken and pork chops, for example, or for the first frying of French-fried potatoes—cook mostly at temperatures as low as 325.
Never more than half-fill the pot with fat, and when it has reached the proper temperature, don’t drop food into it, but slip it in with tongs or lower it slowly with a frying basket or skimmer. And don’t add too much food at once. The excess moisture could cause the fat to boil over, and the overall temperature will be lowered too much.
Occasional stirring (or shaking the frying basket), especially at first, keeps the food from clumping and assures both an even heat in the pot and an even exposure to that heat. Too much stirring will knock off the breading or break up more delicate foods.
The nice thing is that fried food will obligingly let you know when it is done. It’s less the change in color than the amount of noise: the mad sizzle subsides as the surface moisture evaporates, indicating that the food is almost done. It will also begin to float because its inner structure has changed, making it lighter for its size than the fat.
While you want a rich, golden surface, it isn’t always the best indicator of doneness. Depth of color will depend on the amount of surface starch and sugar content. Obviously, the more starch and sugar that is there to caramelize, the deeper the color will be. A sweet or milk-based fritter batter or dry crumb breading will have a deeper color than water-based tempura batter or plain flour. Skin has more in it to caramelize than muscle, so skinned chicken won’t brown nearly as deeply as it would with the skin on.
The final test for doneness is to lift the food above the boiling fat with tongs, the frying basket, or a frying skimmer (sometimes called a spider). If what drains back into the pan sizzles as it hits the fat (especially if it’s chicken, bone-in pork, or whole fish), it’s not done; there’s still too much moisture and the inner flesh has not yet set. Put it back in the fat, give it a stir, and let it cook until the sizzle subsides again.
Once the food comes out of the fat, the frying isn’t finished until the excess fat is properly drained away. This is the most important step in the entire process: hold the food over the fat until it’s no longer dripping, using an open utensil that won’t trap the fat. A frying basket is ideal for the job, and most of them have a hook for setting it above the fat. Lift it out and set it on this hook, gently jiggling it until the food no longer drips.
If you aren’t using a basket, or the pot or fry pan won’t accommodate one, use tongs for large pieces of food like fish, chicken or pork chops, a frying skimmer for small things like fritters, fries, and shellfish. Don’t use a solid or even a slotted spoon, which doesn’t allow the fat to drain properly, and hold the tongs so that the flat sides are vertical, giving the fat plenty of room to drain away.
If you want added insurance, blot the food briefly on absorbent paper (brown butcher paper or bags or several layers of paper toweling), but “blot” and “briefly” are the operative words, here: don’t leave the food sitting on it or that paper will just do what it does best, absorb moisture and render the bottom of the food soggy.
The better technique is to quickly roll the food onto the paper and immediately transfer it to a wire cooling rack set over a rimmed cookie sheet. If you’re frying in batches and need to keep the first batch hot, keep the fully cooked food on this apparatus in a warm oven. That way the fat won’t pool underneath the food and the inner steam will fully escape, insuring that you wont’ have a soggy, greasy bottom crust.
Like the technique itself, the equipment for frying is not complicated. Aside from the right lifting and draining tool, you need the right kind of pot and a reliable cooking (candy/deep fry) thermometer.
The most convenient vessel is of course a deep fat fryer, such as the Waring Pro fryer that we carry in the store, but there are other pots that will do the job as well.
But first, the most important piece of equipment that you will need is the thermometer, even if you are using a deep fryer with a thermostat. Few thermostats are completely accurate, and over time they start to slip, so it’s a good idea to test the oil with a thermometer.
Make sure the thermometer is accurate by dipping it into boiling water. It should register around 212 degrees. If it doesn’t, it can usually be calibrated, but at the very least, you can take the difference into account when you’re gauging the temperature.
A quality thermometer should last for several years, but they don’t last forever, so when it’s no longer registering properly and won’t calibrate, it’s time to replace it.
The pot you want for frying on the stovetop or outside on a grill burner that’s meant for pots (not the open grill grate) is one that is deep, thick-walled, and heavy bottomed. Cast iron is perfect for frying because it is such a poor conductor that it holds the heat well and helps you maintain an even temperature.
My favorite pot for frying is a six-quart Le Creuset French oven, which has the advantage of the even-heating iron and a light enameled interior that makes it easier to see the food and gauge when the oil is getting too hot or too dirty from repeated use. It also makes the pot a breeze to clean.
No matter what kind of vessel you choose, never fill it more than halfway with fat and don’t dump too much food into the fat at once.
When you’re finished frying, turn off the heat and leave the pot where it is until it’s safe to move it, then set it on a rack or cold grate, cover, and let it completely cool before trying to pour off the fat and clean the pot.
Armed with those simple techniques and cautions, you will be frying like a champion, and will rediscover why frying at home can be deeply satisfying and, yes, even with all that boiling fat, a quick and relatively cool way to cook summer’s bounty.