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at relatively low temperature Bound water, on the other hand, requires significantly more energy and a higher temperature before it escapes Heat a potato slice up to 275°F, and despite the fact that the temperature is well above the boiling point of water, some of the bound water will remain inside until you get it even hotter So, the hotter you fry a food, the more water will escape, and the more room is left for oil to be absorbed This was all pretty shocking news to me, so I did what any good skeptic would do: I tested it I filled my wok with two quarts of oil and weighed it on a precise scale Next, I heated the oil to 275°F and maintained that temp while I fried chicken for a fixed period of time After removing the chicken, I weighed the oil remaining in the wok I then repeated the test, this time maintaining the oil at 325°F while cooking the chicken After repeating the test a few times, the results confirmed what I had read: the hotter the temperature the more oil the chicken absorbed There’s an explanation commonly given for why foods cooked at a higher temperature supposedly absorb less fat: the outward pressure of water vapor rapidly escaping from the food prevents the influx of oil This may be true while the food is actually in the hot oil, but as soon as it’s removed, its temperature drops rapidly What once was positive pressure being exerted from inside the food reverses itself and results in a partial vacuum within a matter of milliseconds Rather than pushing water vapor out, the food rapidly sucks the oil clinging to its surface into its interior Even the fastest fry cook in the world can’t drain his onion rings fast enough to stop this influx of oil Up to 70 percent of the oil absorbed by fried foods is absorbed within the first few seconds after it comes out of the fryer But despite having absorbed less oil, the chicken cooked at 275°F, which was limp and oily, tasted much greasier than the crisp chicken cooked at 325°F Turns out that what we describe as “greasy” actually has nothing to do with the total amount of grease in a food—it’s just an illusion Rather, it’s the combination of surface oil and a mushy, moist breading or batter in our mouths that gives us the sensation of greasiness or heaviness Crisp, well-fried batter, breading, or chicken skin may contain more fat, but it sure doesn’t taste that way Lesson learned: When frying, cooking at a higher temperature is absolutely essential if you want your food to be crisp and to not taste greasy, but don’t fool yourself into thinking there’s less fat in it! BATTERS AND BREADINGS Have you ever dropped a naked skinless chicken breast into the deep fryer? I strongly advise against it The moment it enters a vat full of 400°F oil, a couple of things start happening First, the water content will rapidly convert to steam, bubbling out like a geyser, and the chicken’s outer tissues become drier and drier At the same time, the soft network of folded proteins in its musculature will begin to denature and tighten, firming its flesh and squeezing out juices Pull it out a minute or two later, and you’ll discover that it’s become quite stiff, with a layer of desiccated meat a good ¼ inch thick surrounding it This is when you’ll quite ...70 percent of the oil absorbed by fried foods is absorbed within the first few seconds after it comes out of the fryer But despite having absorbed less oil, the chicken cooked at 275°F,... than the crisp chicken cooked at 325°F Turns out that what we describe as “greasy” actually has nothing to do with the total amount of grease in a food? ??it’s just an illusion Rather, it’s the combination... temperature is absolutely essential if you want your food to be crisp and to not taste greasy, but don’t fool yourself into thinking there’s less fat in it! BATTERS AND BREADINGS Have you ever dropped a naked skinless chicken breast into the
Ngày đăng: 25/10/2022, 23:14
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