Do’s & Dont’s of Oil Cooking

• Make sure the fryers are clean and dry before adding oil.
• Make sure thermostats are registering and functioning properly.
• Maintain the proper level of frying oil in the fryer by proper addition of fresh oil as the fryer “fries down”.
• Keep heating coils or tubes covered at all times when heat is on.
• Fry at temperatures in the range of 175 C to 190 C for oleo oils and 180c to 190 C for RiceBran Oil.
• Fry foods in amounts only up to a full fryer load.  A full load being the point where the temperature drop on placing basket or baskets in fryer is no more than 17C.
• Only fry foods to the proper degree of browness and crispness.
• Remove food basket from the fryer as soon as food is done, allowing food to drain over the fryer a minimum of 30 seconds.
• After proper draining, place food in serving plate and salt if salt is called for.
• Keep fryers as clean as possible at all times immediately removing any floating burned particles.
• Filter oil at least once daily.

• Don’t overfill fryer with oil.
• Don’t allow oil in the fryer to fry down to the point where there is insufficient oil in which to fry a full load.
• Don’t leave heat on coils or tubes when these are not comfortably covered with frying oil.
• Don’t allow unnecessary moisture or breading to get in to fryer.
• Don’t overload fryers with food to be fried.
• Don’t add foreign oil to fryer such as bacon, beef drippings, or waste fat.
• Don’t fry bacon in deep fryer.
• Don’t salt food over or near fryer.
• Don’t allow visible burned particles to remain floating in the fryer.
• Don’t allow exhaust stack accumulation to drip back in to the fryer.
• Don’t discard fat before it is ready to be discarded.

Fry at recommended temperatures. Thaw and drain food properly.

Replenish oil to replace contents about every 4-5 days.  Keep vats well skimmed. Strain off regularly. Use refined oil with high smoke point.

Fry at recommended temperatures. Thaw and drain food properly.

Replenish oil to replace contents about every 4-5 days.  Keep vats well skimmed. Strain off regularly. Use refined oil with high smoke point.

Fry at recommended temperatures. Thaw and drain food properly.

Replenish oil to replace contents about every 4-5 days.  Keep vats well skimmed. Strain off regularly. Use refined oil with high smoke point.

Fry at recommended temperatures. Thaw and drain food properly.

Replenish oil to replace contents about every 4-5 days.  Keep vats well skimmed. Strain off regularly. Use refined oil with high smoke point.

Open House, April 2003

Any one has ever suffered through a carton of soggy chips or calamari rings that tasted like crumbed rubber bands will realise that while it may not be rocket science – deep frying does require expertise and experience.

Open House offers the following advise to ensure a perfect result, every time.

The “Perfect” Frying Technique:

• The right coating is essential to a well-fried end product.  The aim of the coating is to produce a well coloured, crisp exterior that acts as a shield preserving moisture and flavour.  There are a variety of coating types to choose from including batters, crumbs and flour. 
• Foods high in natural starch, such as potatoes, do not require coating. 
• Ensure food is uniform in size and thickness so it cooks properly. The coating should be applied evenly.  As the food is added, temperature will drop. It is important that you allow it to return to the ideal temperature as quickly as possible, adjusting the temperature setting as necessary. A steady rate of cooking is very important. Turn food only once or twice when pan frying, removing items as they are cooked through. 
• Fats and oils ignite easily –ensure sensible fire safety precautions are taken in the kitchen. 
• Keep frozen foods dry as possible as fats and oils splutter and explode on contact with water.
• Oils can be reused but must be changed regularly. 
• Use skimmer to remove particles of food from the surface of the oil.  This not only prevents food from burning, but actually extends the life of the oil. 
• Look out for oil’s “danger signs” – excessive smoking, odours and bad colour. When any of these occur, it's time to change oil. 
• Fried foods, particularly deep-fried, are best served as soon as possible after cooking. 
• Frozen products should be kept completely frozen until they are ready for cooking. 
• As food absorbs frying oil, topping up the deep fryer needs to be done to ensure that correct frying oil level is maintained. 
• When the fryer is not in use, cover the vat with lid to prevent any contact with light and air. Both lead to oil rancidity, which causes off flavouring of fried foods. 
• Always use frying oil with high smoke point, high flash and low melting point. 
• Avoid setting the thermostat above the recommended frying temperatures.  High setting will increase deteriorating of frying oil and rapidly decrease the flash point of the frying oil, a cause of the majority of fires in deep fryers. 
• In case of fire, smother the flames with tightly fitting lid of the fryer or an approved fire blanket. Never agitate the oil or use water or attempt to move the frying vessel. Avoid sand or a foam extinguisher. Allow the oil temperature to drop over 20 minutes before handling deep fryer again. 
• Save on operation cost by switching on fryers no more than 20 minutes before actually frying. Fry at recommended frying temperatures then turn fryers off or down during off-peak periods. 
• Have the thermostat checked regularly to ensure temperatures are always maintained.

USING YOUR FRYER

The fryer is a integral part of any kitchen operations. Ensuring that you get the very best result from your machine requires an understanding and adherence to some basis do's and don’ts. Here’s some advice from Fagor Australasia Pty Ltd who have a range of top quality fryers, bratt pans, griddles and salamanders to suit any commercial kitchen.

The following applies to electric fryers.

• To operate the fryer, set temperature control thermostat to very low temperature and wait for the frying oil to become liquid. Once the majority oils is liquid, set the thermostat to required frying temperature.  The frying oil will not come up to temperature any quicker if the control is set at a higher temperature. If you set the thermostat too high you risk running the oil at a temperature which will cause it to deteriorate rapidly. 
• The thermostat should be set between 160 C to 189 C for frying most foods. During peak frying periods 190C is allowable but never set thermostat above 200C. 
• When frying crumbed or battered foods, use a skimmer constantly to prevent particles setting in the base of the fryer, this darkening and eventually adhering to other foods being fried. 
• Strain the frying oil daily otherwise the burning crumbs will cause rapid deterioration of the oil. When straining the oil, use fine cloth to trap the smallest particles. 
• Avoid heavy metals (mainly copper and brass) coming into contact with the frying oil. This will cause premature frothing. Don’t use copper scourers or copper skimmers. 
• Limit the use of soaps and detergents when washing out deep fryers. Any residue will effect he flavour of frying oils. Avoid food colours in batters, herbs and spices and excessive moisture on foods to be fried. 
• Fat to food ratio should be in the vicinity of 6 to 1. An increase food ration will cause an excessive drop in frying temperature, longer frying times and high oil absorption in food. This will result in greasy food being served.