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The Many Ways to Fry

May 18, 2010 By The Recipe Mom 1 Comment
fryingpans

Oh those delicious pieces of fried chicken and those ever tasty crunch French fries. How do they get the food that crunchy and crispy? Is there more than one way to fry? Exactly how unhealthy are fried foods? There are so many questions when it comes to the many different fried foods. Let’s get going and figure out what to fry and what not to fry.

A crispy piece of chicken contains a whole lot of fatting ingredients. Mainly it’s the grease and oil they are cooked in that leads to these foods being unhealthy. There are different ways to fry foods so that the oil doesn’t saturate it but still gives you that crunchy outside. Here are some the options available when frying.

Pan Frying

When pan frying, a traditional skillet is used. One of the greatest things about pan frying is it allows you to use a very small amount of oil. This gives us that fried taste without all the fat. Using less oil means it does take a little longer to cook. It is also a lot harder to keep the oil at a steady temperature.

Shallow Frying

This is a happy medium when it comes to the amount of oil being used. Shallow frying means the food is partially submerged in the oil unlike regular frying where foods are submerged in oil. Using less oil does make the food somewhat healthier. Shallow frying is best when cooking battered foods.

Stir Frying

Stir frying requires the use of a wok or skillet. Pour your choice of oil, such as canola, olive, palm or peanut oils into the wok. Add whatever foods the recipe requires.  Toss and stir mixing all the juices and seasonings together and create a tasty meal. Remember the less oil used the healthier the dish.

Deep Frying

Ah the traditional deep frying, everybody should be familiar with this method. This is what we do when making those crispy pieces of chicken or French fries. It’s probably going to be the unhealthiest way to fry just because everything is submerged in the oil. One downfall of using too much oil is that it is flammable making it a risk. Deep frying is extremely fast. Foods can be deep fried in just a matter of minutes.

With all of these methods of frying you are bound to run into a cleanup situation. Oil sizzles, bubbles and is just generally messy so be prepared when you pull that fryer out.  Just remember that greasy clean up is well worth it when there’s a lip smacking meal awaiting those taste buds.

Frying isn’t as bad as it’s made out to be. It all just depends on how much and what type of oil is used. There are so many options when frying and there are so many choices of food. Just remember when frying, less is healthier.

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There’s More than One Way to Skin a Turkey

November 23, 2008 By The Recipe Mom 1 Comment
A well roasted Turducken looks just like a Turkey

Image via Wikipedia

The saying goes… “there’s more than one way to skin a cat.”, in our case we are talking turkey! This includes preparing the Thanksgiving turkey. We all know the familiar taste of a slow roasted turkey from the oven. Looking to change it up this year and deviate from the norm?  Then read on for some alternatives that while are not the norm for turkey day, will still delight your taste buds.

What about BBQ Turkey?  We put everything else on the grill, why not a turkey too? Grilling a turkey gives it a unique flavor and texture much like chicken that has been grilled to perfection for a family outing. The difference is that here we are grilling an entire turkey at once. Instead of putting the turkey on the grill slats, it is placed in a baking pan over the flames. This way, the turkey can be basted and seasoned prior to and during the cooking process. As the turkey nears doneness, add your favorite sauce to it for an extra kick.

Deep Fried Turkey – In recent years this has become a popular way to prepare the Thanksgiving turkey.   I don’t know who thought of it, but let me tell you I’m glad they did. A deep fried turkey is delicious.  Just remember to follow the fryer directions to avoid any serious injuries that will spoil your festivities.

Many people think there is not a pan big enough to fry an entire turkey and up until several years ago, they were right. Not that long ago we started to see turkey fryers everywhere. Using peanut oil in a large frying pot, once the oil reaches a certain temperature, a clean and dry turkey is slowly lowered into it. The turkey can be seasoned beforehand or injected with a marinade to seal in flavor. It takes at least an hour to cook a turkey thoroughly. Depending on your marinade on the outside, the skin will be crispy and dark, but don’t worry. That crunchy and tasty skin hides the most tender, perfectly cooked meat beneath.

Turducken – A tur-what-in?? It sounds like something that rises out of the graveyard on Halloween night. Actually it is a combination of various boneless fowl: turkey, duck, and chicken. They are all put together and layered with stuffing to create this newest addition to the Thanksgiving table. The turducken looks like a turkey on the outside, but all you have to do is cut into it to see that it is anything but. Those who have tried them, say that turduckens taste great.  Me…. I’m going to stick with my turkey.

Smoked Turkey – If you want a turkey fresh off the coals, try a smoker to cook your turkey this year. The bird is cleaned and seasoned. It can then be injected with a marinade if the cook so chooses. Once the coals have burned hot and come to a temperature that is not so hot it will burn the outside skin, place the turkey on the smoker. It will take several hours for this turkey to cook, but placing a pan of water on the smoker will help hold in moisture and create a juicy yet well smoked turkey for everyone to enjoy.

How will you prepare your Thanksgiving Day feast this year? Why not step out of your comfort zone, and try something new.  Go with one of the options above or better yet, create a combination of more than one or come up with an original idea of your own. You’re dinner guests are sure to be pleased with the results. You might even have more room in your oven for all the other dishes for a change.

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