Tag: fry

How to fry well to feel good – Italian Cuisine

Nobody can resist a good fry. To that crispy brown that encloses the aromas like a casket. But that hurts. Or better: it hurts if you eat too often. And if you don't follow some simple rules. Here they are

In front of a nice fried eyes light up, taste buds stir and stomach at any time and condition sends messages of wide availability. There is no doubt: frying on the table have something extra, which places them at the top of the preferences of children and adults. But they are not always light and digestible, to the point that the most intransigent nutritionists would want them completely banned from the menu. With some attention in the kitchen and a bit of moderation in consumption, it is not necessary to be so drastic.

But why are fried foods so good?

The secret is simple and it is all in the fact that, compared to cooking in water, frying takes place at much higher temperatures, above 160 ° C. High heat causes two important phenomena: it starts a series of chemical reactions that produce particularly tasty substances, and determines the formation of a superficial crust on the food that holds all the aromatic components inside, preventing it from escaping and dispersing.

Smoke point, red alarm!

Unfortunately, the fat used for cooking, which allows cooking at high temperature, determines the gastronomic merit of fried foods, is also the basis of their defects. First of all the oil residues absorbed by the food considerably increase the caloric intake: 1 gram of oil supplies 9 kcal. Secondly, the fats undergo profound changes with heating: at first, poorly digestible compounds (polymers) are formed which then, once the temperature at which the oil begins to smoke (the so-called "smoke point"), decompose in their fundamental constituents, developing an acrid and irritating substance (acrolein) which evaporates leaving in contact with food free fatty acids of which the potential harmfulness is ascertained.

The extra virgin olive oil beats everyone

Resistance to heat varies from one grease to another according to the chemical composition and the first thing to do to obtain a light fry is to focus on the fats that resist the most. Contrary to what many believe, the best choice is extra virgin olive oil: not only does it contain monounsaturated fats, more resistant, but it is also rich in antioxidant substances that protect the oil from the negative effects of heat. If the taste of extra virgin olive oil disturbs the palate, you can use the normal olive oil without any problems, possibly mixing it with peanut oil. Among all the seed oils, the peanut oil is the most similar in olive oil composition and the most resistant to heat. For some years now, some fats specially made for frying have been on the market. In reality, they are thought more with the mind of the gourmet than with a healthy attention: they allow to obtain crispy fried food but have a less healthy composition than olive oil.

Times and temperatures, a game of balance

The heat must never be such as to cause the fat to smoke: if a fried product is burned outside and raw inside, it means that the fat has been heated too much and this produces a violent dehydration of the food. Conversely, if the fried is not crunchy it means that the fat is too cold. Cooking times are also important and change for each food. Foods in their natural state must fry longer and at a temperature that is not very high to cook homogeneously. If instead they are previously breaded, the frying must be rapid and over high heat so that the breading can coagulate quickly without flaking.

Proteins and starches for guaranteed crispness

For a nice crust to form, we need the simultaneous presence of proteins and starches. For this reason in most cases the food must be prepared with a coating that contains starches (with particular exception for potatoes, which are naturally rich in starch). The coating can be a simple flouring (in the case of minnows, after having washed them in milk), while for vegetables and fruit you can resort to a kneading of eggs, flour and milk (or water), or you can make the typical breading (flour, then egg and breadcrumbs) for chops or larger fish. The coatings, however, must not be too abundant, they must adhere well to the food and the excess must be shaken away to prevent it from detaching and burning in the oil. But beware: even if prepared in the best way, a fried dish is still a fried dish: once a week it can enter the diet, but taking care not to take pictures Riccardo Lettieri. Illustration Karin Kellner / 2DM overdo the portions.

by Giorgio Donegani

Recipe Fry peel and biscuit breaded with centrifugal waste – Italian Cuisine

Ingredients

150 g kamut flour
150 g semolina plus a little
15 g mother yeast powder
4 pcs of celery sticks
5 pcs carrots
1 pc fennel
sugar
seeds
milk
peanut oil
extra virgin olive oil
salt

Duration: 5 h

Level: Middle

Dose: 4 people

For the recipe of frying peels and biscuits with centrifugal waste, wash the whole vegetable well. Peel the carrots with a potato peeler; cut the skins into strips. Remove the first sheath of fennel, remove the ends with the barbine and cut the white part into thin sticks (if you also have leek scraps, cut a sheath into strips). Peel the outer celery stalks (usually eliminated because they are fibrous) and also cut into sticks. Put all the chopped vegetables in the microwave: leek for 2 minutes, carrot skins for 2 and a half minutes, celery and fennel for 4 minutes. Then dip them all together in a container with cold milk. This procedure is used to standardize the consistencies and to favor the formation of a crunchy crust. Drain the vegetables, pass them in 4-5 tablespoons of semolina and fry them
in abundant hot peanut oil. Drain on kitchen paper, add salt and serve immediately.
For the sandwiches: Centrifuge the peeled carrots, the fennel that you had cleaned and 2 more celery sticks. Use the juice to make drinks or cocktails, then retrieve the waste. Mix the kamut flour with the yeast, 5 g of sugar and 150 g of water. Let this dough rise for 2 hours at 25 ° C: close it in the oven off, with a pan of boiling water, covered with a sheet of perforated film.
Take back the leavened dough, add 150 g of semolina, 12 g of oil and 7 g of salt. Also add the scraps of the centrifuge, chopped with the knife, and knead everything; collect the dough and put it to rise covered in the oven for about 1 hour. Finally form some morsels, brush them with oil, sprinkle them with the seeds of your choice and bake them at 250 ° C for 10-12 minutes, then lower the oven to 160 ° C and cook for another 10-12 minutes.

How to fry perfectly: 5 basic rules – Italian Cuisine

Cross and table delight, the frying It is one of the most delicious cooking methods to use in the kitchen. Every dish prepared with this technique, including vegetables, is charged with a large caloric intake. Made by immersing the food in a boiling fat, the pieces of food are cooked quickly, conquering a golden and crispy crust. Here are the basic rules for a perfect fried.

The 5 basic rules for a perfect fried

You're worried about not being able to do one perfect fried? No fear! With some simple precautions, even those who have little experience in the kitchen can bring to the table fragrant and light morsels without any effort.

There first rule is to choose theright oil. The most suitable is extra virgin olive oil because it has a high smoke point (ie the temperature that an oil must never exceed, otherwise it burns). For some, its intense flavor can interfere with the taste of frying. For this reason, peanut oil is chosen because it has a more delicate flavor.

There second rule it concerns the amount of oil to use: if the food is dipped in oil, the food will be lighter.

There third rule it concerns the oil temperature. To know if the vegetable fat is ready to give us its magic, throw in the pan a crouton or a piece of carrot: if it surfaces on the surface sizzling and forms many bubbles all around, the oil is ready to start frying.

There fourth rule it concerns the quantity. Fry a few pieces at a time, because many together would lower the temperature of the oil, with the result that the fried would be less crispy and more greasy. Immediately after dipping the food, raise the flame and keep it high until the fry begins to sizzle.

There fifth rule it concerns the storage. As you fry, keep the pieces ready in the hot oven but off and with the door open. Do not cover them, to prevent the steam from making them soggy.

What you can fry

There are those who really fry everything, including dishes and cutlery. In fact, frying is able to improve the taste of many foods. This cooking technique is also able to give a unique flavor to foods treated with other methods.

Among the best fried recipes stand out those of fish, like the fried calamari in corn crust, or le vegetables, like the traditional ones battered and fried pumpkin flowers. Even the meat appropriates new flavors through frying, as happens with the ginger chicken strips.

With the hot oil you can prepare the tasty pasta frittatina, fried pizza, i panzerotti, lo fried dumplings. Passing into the realm of dessert, why not experiment with the good ones fried sweet ravioli, i fried triangles covered with apples, bomboloncini is fried ricotta sheets.

How it is better to fry

For a impeccable frying you need to equip yourself with the right tools. Let's start with delle kitchen tongs, which will allow you to fish the individual pieces of food from boiling oil, avoiding splashes and risks of burns to the hands.

Use the straw paper to absorb excess oil: it will also allow you to make a good impression when serving fried food on the table.

At a previous stage, especially if you're preparing some vegetables in batter, use the kitchen whisks to add air to the mixture with which you will cover the pieces of vegetable. The result will give you reason.

The digital thermometer kitchenware you need to set the perfect time to dip food in a pan. The ideal temperature for a good frying of small and medium size is 176 ° C. Measure it with this tool, it will prevent to carbonize the test ingredient in the oil, contaminating the taste.

Finally, for a frying without odors, perfect and uniform, you can equip yourself with one Fryer.

What to use for frying

Before determining what is the best choice, it must be said that there are many in the kitchen fat which can be used for frying. Let's start with saturated fats, also called "bad" fats. The one with a higher percentage of this type of fat is the lard, followed by lard, butter is Palm oil.

Among the monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, or better i "good" fats there are sunflower oil, corn oil, extra virgin olive oil, soy and finally peanut oil.

How much oil to use for frying

For a perfect frying the food to be fried must be covered with oil. Basically the amount of oil will have to be for 10 times higher than that of food: to cook a kilo of potatoes, one liter of oil will be used, completing the fry in 10 shifts, cooking 100 grams of food at a time.

Use a little oil in frying will result in a greasy and uneven color.

What is the optimal temperature and how to measure it

There ideal temperature for a good frying small and medium size is 176 ° C. You can measure it with a kitchen thermometer.

How to fry without odors

The dilemma of those who are preparing to fry is naturally the smell. But sometimes the desire to fry is so strong that you sacrifice the wholesomeness of the air at home willingly. However there are different ways to fry without odors. If you have a balcony or garden you can start frying outside with one electric fryer.

If you can not do this operation outdoors, operate the extractor hood to the maximum and cover your hair with one plastic cap or with a headscarf.

You can prevent the spread of the smell by boiling a mix of water and vinegar in a saucepan near the frying pan where you're frying: a real killer for the smell of fried! Another equally effective mixture is that based on water and cloves (for those who can not stand vinegar).

An ancient but effective remedy is to put some apple slices in oil for frying. You will thus be able to limit the unpleasantness of the smell. When they start to brown, you will understand that the oil is ready for frying.

The tricks to avoid splashes

It seems an impossible mission, but it is not so. For avoid oil splashes, before pouring it into the pan, heat it and sprinkle a pinch of salt.

Another trick is to cover the pot with an overturned metal or silicone colander: the steam will come out the same, but the oil will not splash anywhere.

How it is possible to fry without oil

A bit 'for the smell, a little' to protect the coronary cholesterol, there are those who ask: is it possible to fry without oil? The answer is yes and there is no single method.

The first is to get one air fryer. This device is a kind of stove that is flooded with hot air in profusion, like in a mini fan oven. There are models with a mixer – which prevents the dishes from sticking – and without a mixer – that forces who is cooking to extract the food and shake the container.

But what is revolutionary is the fact that, if you want to fry frozen fries, you can not even use a drop of oil because, through the air recirculation, you will use the fat already contained in the crisps.

Another method for frying without oil is the absolute cooking. In this case the oil is replaced with simple sugar, glucose. We know that for a perfect frying it is necessary to reach a temperature of 140 ° C, above which the Maillard reaction is triggered (the same one that triggers in the grilled meat), a series of chemical phenomena that produce a scented crust.

Glucose melts at a temperature between 150 ° C and 160 ° C, it does not caramelise up to 190 ° C. Using a food thermometer, melt the sugar in a saucepan or a pan with high sides: as in traditional frying, the food must be completely immersed in sugar.

Mix for a long time: once the temperature is between 150 ° C and 160 ° C, you will see that the glucose will become transparent. At the appearance of the first bubbles, you can fry sweet or savory foods. In the first case, such as cooking donuts, just dip a few pieces at a time until you reach the browning.

In the second case you have to wrap meat or fish (cut into small pieces) in a leaf of salad, leek or similar vegetables, so that the food is not contaminated by sugar. Glucose is viscous and does not penetrate into the roulade which, when reached 50 ° C, will be cooked – or better fried – to perfection.