Buzz
Fried food is a form of artistry, perfected by fish shacks, fried chicken spots, and gas stations in the South. The process of transforming a raw, pale piece of chicken into a crispy, golden masterpiece is rewarding. However, it comes with its challenges: the mess, the smell, and the danger of hot oil, which can cause serious burns if you're not careful.
While I can't eliminate the lingering smell or mess from the cooking oil, I can guide you on how to fry with confidence, easing your anxiety around the risks and making your cooking experience more enjoyable and less stressful.
Approach the hot oil with care and confidence, keeping a safe distance while ensuring proper technique.
To achieve perfectly fried food, you need to get your oil heated to the right temperature, which is between 350 and 375℉. This ensures the food becomes crispy on the outside and is thoroughly cooked on the inside. If the oil is too cool, the food will absorb too much oil and become soggy; too hot, and you'll have food that's burnt on the outside but raw inside.
It may seem risky to put parts of your body close to hot oil, but if you drop food from too high, the oil will splatter, and that can cause painful, potentially severe burns. Get your food close to the oil before gently releasing it to reduce splashing. Don’t hesitate to use tongs—they’re designed for your safety, after all.
Equip yourself with the right tools for safe frying:
A large enameled dutch oven
Tongs, to keep your hands safe
A digital thermometer to monitor the oil's temperature
Ensure the food falls away from you when placing it into the hot oil to avoid burns.
When frying longer foods, like fish fillets, chicken tenders, or tempura-battered asparagus, one end typically hits the oil before the other. The part you hold with your fingers or tongs is often the last to touch the oil, which can cause a small splash. To avoid getting burned, ensure the food falls away from your body as it hits the oil, and try to get as close as safely possible to the oil before gently releasing your food.
Keep an eye out for excess moisture in your food.
Water and hot oil don't get along, and things can get even more chaotic when the oil is sizzling hot. Water reacts explosively with fry oil, causing hissing and steaming bubbles, which is why you hear all the commotion when adding chicken to the pan. Once the moisture escapes the batter, things quiet down.
While you can’t dry out your batter or chicken before frying, you can use paper towels to pat down un-battered meats and vegetables to absorb extra moisture and reduce the sizzling chaos.
Avoid overcrowding the pot while frying.
A bucket of fried chicken is a treat, but overfilling the pot while frying can quickly lead to trouble. One of the most dangerous mistakes you can make is filling the pot with too much oil (or food), as it leaves no room for the bubbling action. If you overfill it, the oil can spill over, potentially burning you or causing a fire if it reaches your gas burner (since oil is highly flammable).
To avoid this, use a large, nonreactive cooking pot with high sides, such as an enamel-coated Dutch oven or a large stainless steel pot. Never fill the pot more than two-thirds full with oil to allow for displacement when the food is added, and to accommodate the bubbling that occurs when water meets hot oil. Your goal is to keep the bubbling to a minimum.
