Deep frying oil

[Robert45]

Give Grape-seed a try. Takes high temps. Has a clean taste, what little there is.

[ouch]

Yummy. How did you make the sauce?

[Drybonz]

Yummy. How did you make the sauce?

Ouch, I just leave the vegetable broth in which the bok choy simmers (also has some garlic-ginger paste and onion in it) in the wok, then add soy sauce and dash of sesame oil, let that heat a sec... then add a small amount of a thick corn starch and water mixture and stir for a sec until it thickens up. If you haven't used too much of any of the liquids, it will thicken in no time.

[mretzloff]

For those of you who deep fry with lard, do you not find the smell off-putting? I find it smells up the entire house, while making everything taste like lard.

[Drybonz]

For those of you who deep fry with lard, do you not find the smell off-putting? I find it smells up the entire house, while making everything taste like lard.

I started with vegetable oil tonight, because it was cheap... but I find that it actually leaves a bit of an oily taste and has an odor to it... I'm going to try some of the other oils people have suggested.

[turtle]

Ouch, I just leave the vegetable broth in which the bok choy simmers (also has some garlic-ginger paste and onion in it) in the wok, then add soy sauce and dash of sesame oil, let that heat a sec... then add a small amount of a thick corn starch and water mixture and stir for a sec until it thickens up. If you haven't used too much of any of the liquids, it will thicken in no time.

I have a deep fat fryer but I find I use my wok to deep fry with more often as it is much faster to set up, uses a lot less oil, and keeps the temp (does not drop as much or as fast when food is added). I am a big wok cooking fan and have several of them so it is no big to deep fry in one, stir fry in another, and make a soup in a 3rd, all for one meal

I have a 1/2 ring that goes around the top to drain the cooked "bits" and basket skimmer to turn/push/remove the "bits"

I strain my oil, first by skimming the large "chunks" then pouring it through an old melita filter holder (with filter). Used oil does not store for a long time so once I "commit" to deep frying it has to become a regular event until the oil gets to the point that it can't be salvaged.

Give peanut oil a shot. I think you will be more satisfied using that. It is more expensive but if you strain, filter, and store it well you can use the same oil for a while by just topping up what is lost in the cooking process.

I've had most of my woks for 30+ years and they are well seasoned old friends. All are Atlas metal spinning woks (San Francisco). If you find an Atlas at a thrift store pick it up. They are great woks but have not been made in quite a while.

[Indigo3]

What ever you choose avoid veg oils that are hydrogenated to improve longevity.

[Drybonz]

I have a deep fat fryer but I find I use my wok to deep fry with more often as it is much faster to set up, uses a lot less oil, and keeps the temp (does not drop as much or as fast when food is added). I am a big wok cooking fan and have several of them so it is no big to deep fry in one, stir fry in another, and make a soup in a 3rd, all for one meal

Good comments... thank you. I have a couple woks that are probably my most used cookware. I have fried tofu in them for years, but the problems are inherent to cooking the tofu. I didn't go into detail because I know most people don't like to eat, or don't want to try tofu. Cooking it in a pan takes forever and it never really turns out with the crispy outside and soft inside, like I like it. In my stainless wok it sticks to the pan while frying and makes a terrible mess to clean up. It also tends to crumble in the pan (even if you use a firmer tofu) if you stir it. If you deep fry it, you can get the consistency right, and then even add it to a pan and stir it up and it won't fall apart, etc, etc...

Anyway, after years of cooking in the pan I decided to break down and get a little fryer, which I had always avoided because I generally don't eat deep fried foods. I generally use coconut oil to pan fry, or clarified butter, depending on what I am making... but I was unfamiliar with what oils are best to use in a deep fryer.

I definitely am going to try peanut oil. I think grapeseed oil (a couple people mentioned) is way to expensive to use large amounts in this fryer, although I have pan fried with it and it is a great oil.

On a side note, I just ordered this little guy http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ls_o00_s00_i00 for storage. I'm wondering about eventual disposal though. I don't want to put this much oil down the sink drain.

[ouch]

Ouch, I just leave the vegetable broth in which the bok choy simmers (also has some garlic-ginger paste and onion in it) in the wok, then add soy sauce and dash of sesame oil, let that heat a sec... then add a small amount of a thick corn starch and water mixture and stir for a sec until it thickens up. If you haven't used too much of any of the liquids, it will thicken in no time.

That's pretty much your basic brown sauce. Some sliced scallion and chopped cilantro at the end adds a kick, and you should experiment with different soy sauces- dark soy is less salty and gives a beautiful color. Then there's always my secret ingredient.............

[Drybonz]

That's pretty much your basic brown sauce.

Yes, that's right. The soy I am using right now is not the basic salty kind. I got it at the Asian market, but I forget what kind it is. I would love to try more kinds though. I just got back from the grocery store and forgot to get scallions for the oil.

[turtle]

On a side note, I just ordered this little guy http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ls_o00_s00_i00 for storage. I'm wondering about eventual disposal though. I don't want to put this much oil down the sink drain.

You don't want to put any oil down the drain, even small amounts if you can avoid it.

I filter the oil into a gallon bottle (an empty gallon peanut oil bottle) and pour the oil through a coffee filter. The filter does not remove the darker color that the oil turns after time but it gets the "bits" out so that it lasts longer. it is the "burned bits" that discolor and "sour" the oil so use a skimmer to remove them before they burn as you cook.

I buy peanut oil in bulk 1 or 5 gallon bottles (depending on the price). I use it for all of my cooking that requires high heat. For other things that are not cooked at high heat I use olive oil or olive oil and butter.

[Drybonz]

I took it for a second run tonight... perfect tofu!

[Joe_Karp]

We use rice bran oil for veggies and tofu. Takes high heat and burns clean without an aftertaste. Peanut oil is good but this is better.

[malocchio]

best and healthiest oil for frying is rice bran oil...heats to very high temps without smoking ,will not produce trans-fats ,has been scientifically proven to actually reduce cholesterol ,also great for baking....

[Drybonz]

We use rice bran oil

rice bran oil

Cool... thanks guys. I will see if I can get it around here.

[galopede]

Disposal of used frying oil. I strain it well and bung it in the car! I run a diesel and it goes fine with a bit of old cooking oil in the mix! After all, the very first diesel engine ran on peanut oil...

Gareth

[turtle]

We use rice bran oil for veggies and tofu. Takes high heat and burns clean without an aftertaste. Peanut oil is good but this is better.

I'll give this a try next time I am out buying oil for the cooker. Thanks for the heads up!

[La Mosca]

I use good old old Mazola corn oil.

[Alacrity59]

Ok . . . I'll ask.


What is the secret ingredient?

That's pretty much your basic brown sauce. Some sliced scallion and chopped cilantro at the end adds a kick, and you should experiment with different soy sauces- dark soy is less salty and gives a beautiful color. Then there's always my secret ingredient.............

[ouch]

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