Cajun Injector Injector Owner's Manual - Homes

Techniques for Successful Preparation of Fried Foods at 

Homes

Often when someone mentions frying foods at home, they are greeted with a chorus 

of negative comments ranging from messy, greasy, and dangerous to unhealthy. 

Utilizing the proper equipment and learning the correct methods and procedures, 

frying can overcome virtually all of these comments. No doubt, breading or battering 

foods and frying “in oil,” does add caloric content to foods. But, a sensible respect for 

portion sizes consumed and utilization of non-hydrogenated oil with zero trans fats 

greatly reduces the concern of  “unhealthy” often expressed. Education in the proper 

procedures and techniques that should be employed when frying, greatly reduces 

the amount of oil absorbed by fried foods. 

Frying Techniques and Temperature Control of the Cooking Oil

All forms of frying involve the cooking of food in oils or fats. Frying techniques vary 

depending on the frying vessel utilized (such as a wok utilized in stir-frying, a frying 

pan, or a deep fat fryer); the amount of fats or oils required (from sautéing or stir fry-

ing to pan frying to deep fat frying); cooking temperature; and preparation methods 

employed with  foods for frying. For the purposes of this pamphlet, we’ll concentrate 

on pan frying, deep fat frying, and mention a baking misnomer, oven frying, which is 

actually a form of  baking.

Frying is classified as a form of dry-heat cooking since water is not utilized to trans-

fer heat to the food being cooked. Instead, the heat in the oil is transferred to the 

water in the food so that the moisture in the food turns to steam to cook the food 

from the inside out. Whatever form of frying employed balances the realities of time, 

temperature, and the surface area of food in contact with the oil, plus the food’s 

structure and moisture. Often this means assuring that the food is fully cooked in the 

interior before being burned on the exterior. As an example experts recommend pan-

frying nothing thicker than 1-inch as the exterior is likely to burn before the inside is 

fully cooked.

Maintaining proper oil temperature is absolutely crucial to all forms of fried foods.  

Recommended oil temperature ranges from 350˚F – 375˚F with a target tempera-

ture of 365˚F. And virtually all frying tips seek to assist you in maintaining correct 

oil temperature.  Hot oil causes the food’s internal moisture to turn into steam that 

keeps the oil out while the hot oil also keeps the moisture in (especially when a bat-

ter or breading barrier is used around the surface area of the food forming a crunchy, 

brown crust). If the oil is too hot, the steam reduces the moisture content and over-

cooks the food. On the other hand, if the oil temperature is too low, a lack of steam 

allows the oil to penetrate deep into the crust producing oily, unappetizing fried food. 

The oil must be hot enough to quickly seal the surface of the food, but not too hot to 

burn the outside before the inside is completely cooked. Done correctly at a proper 

temperature, only a minimal amount of oil is absorbed into the food.