•Use only good quality cooking oil in the deep fryer. Using olive oil is not recommended because it has a lower smoking temperature.
•Do not use solid fat (shortening, butter, margarine or lard). Solid fat will not melt uniformly and will cause severe smoking. In addition, solid fat will
Storing and Reusing Oil
•After each use, strain oil through a filter or a double thickness of cheesecloth to remove the accumulated food residue.
•The number of times the cooking oil can be reused will depend on the type of food being fried. For example, the oil will need to be replaced more often if fish or food coated with bread or cracker crumbs is fried frequently.
•The longer the oil is heated, the more rapidly it deteriorates. Avoid preheating longer than necessary and turn off the fryer once the last batch of food has been removed.
•To prolong the useful life of oil, store it in an airtight container in a cool, dark area or in the refrigerator.
•It is time to replace the oil if:
–The oil is dark in color.
–The oil has an unpleasant odor.
–The oil smokes when it is heated.
–The oil foams excessively during frying.
Tips for Crispy, Evenly Cooked Foods
•Fry foods of equal size and thickness, as they will fry more evenly and be cooked in the same amount of time.
•Do not fill the basket more than 2/3 full. If too much food is put in the fryer at once, the food will not get crisp.
•For breading or coating foods, use commercial breading, finely ground bread or cracker crumbs, corn meal, a mixture of corn meal and flour, pancake mix or prepared bread mixes.
13
