June will be all about techniques and methods on Cooking. This first lesson will be on PAN FRYING.
One of the most basic cooking methods in a home is pan frying, don't get me wrong, because I can see some of you cringing saying, "Ron! That's not healthy!" Well, no fear, this isn't a lesson on what to fry, but how correct pan frying is done in your home. Everytime I watch a home cook that invited me over to eat, and I'm sitting at the counter watching them frying up a fish or chicken in the pan I just cringe, the pan is either too hot, or too cold, and they are using the wrong equipment.
First of all here is what you should really have in your kitchen if you will be doing some pan frying.
A 10 or 12 inch stainless steel frying pan.
These pans are great, its heavy duty, and if you buy the ones without the plastic or rubber handles you can put these guys in the oven to finish off a dish, such as some fried chicken parts, by slipping it in the oven you can create a nice golden crust which is pleasing to the eyes and can make whatever you're cooking taste better. Imagine a crunchy piece of fried chicken?
Some kitchen supply stores offer lids for pans, usually it is a basic cover, it is sold in the sizes of your pans, such as 8, 10, 12 inch covers. (Foil works well too)
Also you can use different braisers with covers to pan fry, or even saute pans with covers. But I like a stainless steel frying pan like the one pictured, I really don't have covers, I just put another pan of the same size over it and it works, I guess I'm still part caveman.
As far as oils to use, I use Canola oil for frying it works great, and it does have a high smoke point. When chefs refer to smoke points, it means at what temperature an oil will start to break down and smoke, or produce smoke as when you want to call the fire department. So Canola oils will start smoking anywhere from 375 dg to 450 dg F. So Canola is great for pan frying.
Also have on hand an instant read thermometer, I can't stress this fact more so now than ever as I try in teach the newbies in the kitchen. You see experienced cooks can tell when to put in a piece of protein to be fried, they can just look at the oil in the pan and know exactly when to add it in.
The right temperature to pan fry is around 360 to 375 dg. F. If you don't have a thermometer, just place a small cube of bread into the hot oil, and if it turns golden within a minute or so, that's good to go. Again, over time you'll get the techniques down.
Here's another tip. Keep the proteins that you are going to pan fry at room temperature when all possible, the food will not spoil unless it's been out for over a few hours. The thing you don't want to do is put in cold proteins into the hot oil, it can cause the oil to pop and burn you because of some of the moisture clinging to the proteins. Hot and cold do not mix, be careful. So by bringing the cold proteins temperature up from a cold temperature to about 75 dg. F. is good, and the hot oil will have a lesser time to recover its temperature. Everytime you put something in the hot oil, the oil cools down and takes some time to re-heat itself.
As you progress into a fine home chef, you will no doubt understand what I am talking about. For instance, as I am frying some chicken wings, and then remove them, the oil is at an all time high in temperature, perfect for my wings. But as soon as I enter new wings to the hot oil, I'll notice that the oil has cooled down a bit, so this is what I mean by recovery, the temperature needs to recover to its perfect frying temperature.
Instant Read Thermometer for Kitchen uses, make sure the temperature can register up to 550 dg. F.
The price for an instant read thermometer is fairly inexpensive, you can purchase some of these or different models online or at your local kitchen supply store. Some hardware stores may carry these because of backyard cooks and grilling, but like I said, these are not expensive at all. Prices may go up if you are purchasing some computerized model, but having the dial models will suffice.
If you are beginnng your pan frying life at home, there's only one way to get better and that is to continue to cook. Do not be afraid of failing, we all need to fail to learn and succeed in anything in life. Cooking is a hobby for many people, you'd be surprised who can really cook like a gourmet chef. So take your hobby of cooking seriously enough to cook great meals, but at the same time have some fun. Remember if you aren't having fun in what you do why do it? I would suggest you take some cooking classes at your local culinary school, usually it's at a junior college or a county sponsored event, just go and take it, some are free. Even church events has cooking, maybe not a class, but I bet you anything, there's bound to be some really experienced cooks there frying up all kinds of meals or desserts. Go out and venture my foodies, go out and learn. If Colonel Sanders perfected fried chicken, what's wrong with you perfecting anything out of your own kitchen?
WARNING: KEEP LITTLE CHILDREN AWAY FROM A HOT STOVE WITH HOT OIL ON THE BURNERS, THEY ARE AT TIMES TALL ENOUGH TO REACH OVER AND TOUCH A PAN WITH OIL, IF THAT OIL EVER FALLS ON THEM THEY WILL BE BURNED CONSIDERABLY, PLEASE BE CAUTIOUS AT ALL TIMES NO MATTER WHO IS IN THE HOUSE, LET PEOPLE IN THE HOUSE KNOW THAT THE KITCHEN IS HOT, AND NO ONE SHOULD BE PLAYING IN THERE.
One of the most basic cooking methods in a home is pan frying, don't get me wrong, because I can see some of you cringing saying, "Ron! That's not healthy!" Well, no fear, this isn't a lesson on what to fry, but how correct pan frying is done in your home. Everytime I watch a home cook that invited me over to eat, and I'm sitting at the counter watching them frying up a fish or chicken in the pan I just cringe, the pan is either too hot, or too cold, and they are using the wrong equipment.
First of all here is what you should really have in your kitchen if you will be doing some pan frying.
A 10 or 12 inch stainless steel frying pan.
These pans are great, its heavy duty, and if you buy the ones without the plastic or rubber handles you can put these guys in the oven to finish off a dish, such as some fried chicken parts, by slipping it in the oven you can create a nice golden crust which is pleasing to the eyes and can make whatever you're cooking taste better. Imagine a crunchy piece of fried chicken?
Some kitchen supply stores offer lids for pans, usually it is a basic cover, it is sold in the sizes of your pans, such as 8, 10, 12 inch covers. (Foil works well too)
Also you can use different braisers with covers to pan fry, or even saute pans with covers. But I like a stainless steel frying pan like the one pictured, I really don't have covers, I just put another pan of the same size over it and it works, I guess I'm still part caveman.
As far as oils to use, I use Canola oil for frying it works great, and it does have a high smoke point. When chefs refer to smoke points, it means at what temperature an oil will start to break down and smoke, or produce smoke as when you want to call the fire department. So Canola oils will start smoking anywhere from 375 dg to 450 dg F. So Canola is great for pan frying.
Also have on hand an instant read thermometer, I can't stress this fact more so now than ever as I try in teach the newbies in the kitchen. You see experienced cooks can tell when to put in a piece of protein to be fried, they can just look at the oil in the pan and know exactly when to add it in.
The right temperature to pan fry is around 360 to 375 dg. F. If you don't have a thermometer, just place a small cube of bread into the hot oil, and if it turns golden within a minute or so, that's good to go. Again, over time you'll get the techniques down.
Here's another tip. Keep the proteins that you are going to pan fry at room temperature when all possible, the food will not spoil unless it's been out for over a few hours. The thing you don't want to do is put in cold proteins into the hot oil, it can cause the oil to pop and burn you because of some of the moisture clinging to the proteins. Hot and cold do not mix, be careful. So by bringing the cold proteins temperature up from a cold temperature to about 75 dg. F. is good, and the hot oil will have a lesser time to recover its temperature. Everytime you put something in the hot oil, the oil cools down and takes some time to re-heat itself.
As you progress into a fine home chef, you will no doubt understand what I am talking about. For instance, as I am frying some chicken wings, and then remove them, the oil is at an all time high in temperature, perfect for my wings. But as soon as I enter new wings to the hot oil, I'll notice that the oil has cooled down a bit, so this is what I mean by recovery, the temperature needs to recover to its perfect frying temperature.
Instant Read Thermometer for Kitchen uses, make sure the temperature can register up to 550 dg. F.
The price for an instant read thermometer is fairly inexpensive, you can purchase some of these or different models online or at your local kitchen supply store. Some hardware stores may carry these because of backyard cooks and grilling, but like I said, these are not expensive at all. Prices may go up if you are purchasing some computerized model, but having the dial models will suffice.
If you are beginnng your pan frying life at home, there's only one way to get better and that is to continue to cook. Do not be afraid of failing, we all need to fail to learn and succeed in anything in life. Cooking is a hobby for many people, you'd be surprised who can really cook like a gourmet chef. So take your hobby of cooking seriously enough to cook great meals, but at the same time have some fun. Remember if you aren't having fun in what you do why do it? I would suggest you take some cooking classes at your local culinary school, usually it's at a junior college or a county sponsored event, just go and take it, some are free. Even church events has cooking, maybe not a class, but I bet you anything, there's bound to be some really experienced cooks there frying up all kinds of meals or desserts. Go out and venture my foodies, go out and learn. If Colonel Sanders perfected fried chicken, what's wrong with you perfecting anything out of your own kitchen?
WARNING: KEEP LITTLE CHILDREN AWAY FROM A HOT STOVE WITH HOT OIL ON THE BURNERS, THEY ARE AT TIMES TALL ENOUGH TO REACH OVER AND TOUCH A PAN WITH OIL, IF THAT OIL EVER FALLS ON THEM THEY WILL BE BURNED CONSIDERABLY, PLEASE BE CAUTIOUS AT ALL TIMES NO MATTER WHO IS IN THE HOUSE, LET PEOPLE IN THE HOUSE KNOW THAT THE KITCHEN IS HOT, AND NO ONE SHOULD BE PLAYING IN THERE.
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