Deep-frying cooks food fully surrounded by hot oil. Done right, the outside is crisp and the inside steams in its own moisture.
Key idea
Frying temperatures are usually about 325°F to 375°F, set by what you fry: lower for thick food that needs to cook through, higher for small or already-cooked food. Fry in small batches so the oil temperature doesn't crash, drain on a rack, and season while hot.
- Pat food dry; let excess batter drip off.
- Lower food in gently, away from you, with a basket or spider.
- Keep the oil at the right temperature with a thermometer; it drops when food goes in.
- Strain oil after use; replace it when it darkens, smells, foams or smokes at frying temperature.
Safety
- Never pour water on a grease fire: it can make burning oil spray and spread the fire. For a small pan fire, slide a lid over the pan, turn off the heat, and leave the pan where it is until it cools.
- If a fire is not small and contained, get everyone out and call 911.
- Commercial kitchens use Class K fire extinguishers for cooking oil fires, along with built-in hood suppression systems; only trained people should use extinguishers.
- Never put wet or icy food into hot oil, never fill a pot more than about half full of oil, and never leave hot oil alone.
- Let oil cool completely before moving or straining it; OSHA lists fryers as a leading cause of burns in restaurants.
Why it works
Too cool, and food soaks up oil and turns greasy. Too hot, and the outside browns before the inside cooks. Watching the thermometer and frying in batches fixes both.
Worked example: Batch size
Your fryer holds 3 quarts of oil at 350°F. Adding 2 pounds of cold potatoes drops it to 300°F. What should you do next time?
- A big drop means the batch was too large for the oil.
- Fry smaller batches and let the oil recover between them.
Answer: Fry smaller batches.
Common mistake
Frying straight from the freezer with ice crystals on the food. The water turns to steam instantly and the oil can spatter or foam over.
Practice at home
- Heat 2 inches of oil in a heavy pot, no more than half full, with a clip-on thermometer. Fry a few slices of potato at 325°F and at 375°F; compare. Keep a lid beside the pot the whole time.
In Meal Prep
- Cooking Fats Compared: how hot each fat can go