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Posts Tagged ‘Deep Frying’

Some food just have to be fried.  That is all there is too it.   I have tried putting my French Fries in the oven, but I get a soggy mess every time.  I tried different types of potatoes, cooking temps, cooking times, oiled first, unoiled…soggy every time.  So, yes I fry.   Just not every day.

This weekend is Labor Day, and the family will be here.  So it is hamburgers, hot dogs, some chicken or maybe I will do a brisket, the whole menu hasn’t been decided quite yet.   But one item that the whole family has agreed on is Onion Rings.

When you start to make onion rings remember to get large onions.  Preferably Vidalia or a sweet onion.   One that does not have strong flavors, but sweet.  It makes a huge difference in not only the taste of the onion, but for those at your party who don’t like onions, they will continue to look the eater of the onion in the face when talking to them.

I found this recipe about three years ago in a Rachel Ray cookbook (yes, I do look at other cooks other than Paula) and it was an instant hit with the family.

THICK-CUT O-RINGS AND SPICY DIPPING SAUCE

Vegetable or canola oil, for frying

2 large sweet Vidalia onions

2 cans (5 oz each) evaporated milk

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

Coarse salt, to taste

Dipping Sauce

1 cup reduced fat sour cream

1/4 cup chili sauce

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Heat 1 inch of vegetable or canola oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.

Slice onions across into 1-inch rings and separate, discarding the outer layer of skin.

Pour evaporated milk into a small, deep bowl.  Mix flour with seasonings in a pie plate or shallow dish.  Dip individual rings in milk, then coat in flour.  Fry in a single layer in hot oil until golden brown.  Remove to brown paper bag or page towel-lined surface to drain.   Salt while hot, to taste.

For dipping sauce combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir.

Have a safe and fun Labor Day weekend.

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Fats for deep fat frying should be capable of being heated to a high temperature without smoking or burning.  Smoking impairs the flavor, the digestibility and the durability of the fat.  Once upon a time fat was used over and over for frying.  Over time the smoke became more so unless the cook cleaned the fat between frying.  We now know that this reuse of fat for frying can be dangerous to your health, so it is no longer recommended that you do it.

Vegetable fats and oils are used most often for frying.  They both have high smoking temperatures. They absorb practically no odor from the foods fried and are not likely to burn.  They are the best all around items to use for frying.

Olive oil can also be used for frying, although most cooks use it rarely, especially deep-frying, as the cost is high.  Olive oil has a low smoking temperature as it produces smoke slowly and the smoke is non-irritating.  It also adds flavor to the foods you are frying.

My mother used to use Crisco (in lard form) for frying and it had a very low temperature for smoking!  Very often it would fill the house with smoke as she was frying.  The smoke was very irritating and when she used it more than once it would pick up the flavors and odors from the food, transferring it to the new food.  So I would not recommend this for frying.

The best one I have found for frying is vegetable oil or canola oil, they both have high smoking temperatures and they do not absorb odor from other foods.

Remember although our mothers and grandmothers did it, never reuse the oil for your next round of frying, it is not healthy for you or your family.

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