Food & Fun > Tastes

The best and tastiest fried food? Homemade

An oil expert and a chef debate about a cooking technique as much beloved as dreaded. Actually, fried food is not unhealthy: it is only necessary to observe the good rules, and choose the right oil

by Carlotta Baltini Roversi

The chance to talk about fried food is represented by the publication in Italy of the book Friggere bene (Frying well), by the editor Tecniche Nuove. The authors are the oil expert Luigi Caricato and the chef Giuseppe Capano. The book, rich in useful suggestions and practical advices, consists in five chapters, and clarifies all the prejudices about fried food.

After a short review of the history of fried food, the discussion points straight to the focus of the most debated issues, addressing them in light of scientific evidences. All questions are answered, none is eluded, from those relevant to the most suitable oil to the ones inherent to a comparison between extra virgin olive oils and seed oils. Finally, it is clearly explained how to define and interpret the “point of smoke”, and if it still makes sense use this parameter to assess the duration and modalities of frying. The basic rules to frying well, without worrying for the health, are presented, too. With good measure, a good fried food is certainly not unhealthy.

An in-depth reading of the books clearly shows that the best fried food is homemade, provided to perfectly observe all the necessary steps in any operative phase; industrial frying is ranked second, even though their main limit is the quality of the oils, mostly seed oils, therefore less suited for high temperatures; third come the fried food of restaurants, where it is obviously possible to have good fried food, but where the opposite case is not infrequent.

“It would be useful – as the oil expert Luigi Caricato concludes – to push chefs to attend food technology classes, to avoid mistakes in the choice of frying liquids to use”. Mistakes due to negligence and little knowledge or made on purpose? This is the big dilemma, since the NAS (Nuclei Anti Sofisticazione, a department of Italian Carabinieri in charge also of discovering food frauds) have recently fined several restaurants (one out of five in Central and Southern Italy) for the use of altered oils, not complying with the laws. “It would be opportune – says Caricato – that restaurants would finally get rid of the old bad habit of utilizing the same oils over and over, which is a practice that is adopted even when the oil should be considered exhausted”.

Therefore, the best fried food is still homemade, reason why thus useful book should always be kept at hand, with its recommendations based on the theory elaborated by the oil expert Luigi Caricato and on the practical part with the recipes of the chef Giuseppe Capano. “Frying well is healthy – concludes Caricato -. This may cause a raise in costs, because of the choice of the most suitable oil, but health is an important investment on the future, not to be overlooked”.




EIGHT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A STATE-OF-THE-ART FRYING

1. Use only oils or food fats suited for frying because more heat-resistant, such as extra virgin olive oils, olive oils, husk olive oils and, among seed oils, peanut oils.

2. Prepare the food to fry, avoiding the presence of water and the addition of salt and spices that accelerate the degradation of oils and fats. Salt and spices should be added to the food after frying.

3. Absolutely avoid oil temperatures higher than 180°C (356 F), that accelerates the alteration of oils and fat. Use a thermostat.

4. After frying, eliminate oils in excess by dripping

5. Frequently substitute oils and fats. Check the quality of the oil while frying, being aware that an overused oil is recognizable by the darker color, the viscosity, and the tendency to release smoke.

6. Filter the used oil, if still suitable for frying. Carbonated crusts accelerate the deterioration of the oil.

7. Avoid adding fresh oil to used oils. Fresh oil is altered way faster when in contact to used oils.

8. Protect oils and fats from light.



FOOD AND TEMPERATURES

- Average temperature, 130-145°C: food rich in water, groceries, potatoes, fruits

- High temperature, 155-170°C: battered, covered with flour or breaded food, crunchy fried food.

- Very high temperature, 175-190°C: small food, quick frying.



THE BOOK
Giuseppe Capano, Luigi Caricato, Friggere bene, Tecniche Nuove, pp. 144, euro 8,90: link esterno

by Carlotta Baltini Roversi
07 September 2009 Teatro Naturale International n. 8 Year 1

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