When hunger is the best cook,enthusiasm and inspiration in the kitchen can be at a low ebb, thus,nothing would sound better than the luscious crisps of golden French Fries! They are so versatile to the extent that one could include them in a myriad of easy,laid back recipes. However,before thinking about those recipes,it is vital to learn how to master the art of frying potatoes.Although the fact that,these days,health consciousness has reached a high point where deep frying tends to be avoided,moderation remains the only key that will help you squeeze the most out of life!
*Cooking oil
Choose your cooking oil carefully Oils with high 'smoke points',in other words those,which do not break down at deep-frying temperatures,are best. Peanut oil,Safflower oil,Sunflower oil,and Canola oil are some good choices.
**What about olive oil?
The lower quality olive oils,such as virgin and fine olive oils,have low smoke temperature,so they start smoking at a low temperature and smell bad.Therefore,they are not ideal for frying. However,the new “light” olive oil,due to an extremely fine filtration process is lighter in both color and fragrance,and has little of the classic olive-oil flavor,giving it a higher smoke point than regular olive oil,and can be used for deep-frying.
** Is coconut oil a good alternative?
Experts are extremely excited nowadays,about the hidden health benefits of coconut oil such as,hair care,skin care,stress relief,digestion,etc.In fact,its high content of medium chain triglycerides,that could be easily converted into energy,don’t lead to accumulation of fat in the heart,and arteries.Coconut oil can be used for deep-frying and upon heating,it doesn’t lose its health benefits.
*Temperature
The best temperature is 350 to 375 °F. If you don't have a thermometer,test the temperature when the oil is heated by dropping a potato stick into the pan;there should be sizzling around the edges,but if it’s too violent,then turn down the heat and wait a minute before trying again.
~Cut the potatoes lengthwise into sticks
The thicker the stick is,the less oil it absorbs. Soak them in cold water for at least 30 minutes to remove the starch,which gives you crispier potatoes,and to avoid browning or discoloration.
~Dry potatoes thoroughly before Frying
The potatoes must be dry when they are fried,or the starch will absorb the water on the surface and won't seal the potatoes so they will absorb grease.
*For the frying fears
If you don’t have a deep fat fryer,it might not be entirely necessary to fill pans to swimming pools levels with hot oil but instead to fry smaller batches at a time,in more shallow depths. According to a study,when prepared in different skillets such as Aluminium, Iron and stainless steel,the best results in doneness,texture and appearance appeared in potatoes fried in the tough-coat skillet and the Hindalium (cast Aluminium).
~Home made is healthier
Home made French fries are healthier than restaurants.Since most of the time,they deep fry their potatoes in shortening because it’s cheaper than vegetable oil and gives this ecstatic crisp. But,damages human health due to it’s high content in trans fats.
*Potatoes are naturally fat and cholesterol free
A medium sized potato (140 g) is high in Vitamin C,Vitamin B6 and Potassium.In fact,it has more potassium than a banana. It is also a source of fiber,along with niacin,thiamine, magnesium and iron. Heat sensitive vitamins such as vitamin C are lost during the process of deep-frying.Also,when a potato is deep-fried,its water content is replaced by the fat;you want a potato that has more solids than liquids,so it absorbs less oil.
The improving understanding of French fries threats on human being’s health has enabled advances in technology:a revolutionary fryer in which you display 1 kg of freshly cut potatoes with just a tablespoon of oil and which yields French fries that are crispy on the outside,soft on the inside,with only 3% fat content.Isn’t that,too good to be true?Could that fryer win the everlasting battle of resisting deep-fried French fries?
by Dietitian Nicole Maftoum
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