TECHNIQUE GUIDE

Cooking technique guide

Check the core principles of cooking techniques and how to handle ingredients step by step.

COOKING TECHNIQUE

Frying

Frying is a cooking method that immerses ingredients in hot oil for a short time to make the surface crispy. The high heat of the oil rapidly evaporates moisture from the surface, creating a browned flavor and a firm crust, while the interior can remain relatively moist. Success depends on the balance of oil temperature, the moisture of the ingredients, and the amount added at one time. If the temperature is maintained, the exterior gains color and texture, and the interior does not dry out too much; but when the oil cools, the batter and ingredient can absorb more oil, becoming soggy and heavy. Thin vegetables, seafood, potatoes, bite-sized pieces of meat, and ingredients coated with batter or breadcrumbs are especially suitable. On the other hand, very thick or highly hydrated ingredients may brown on the outside before the inside is fully cooked, so reducing the size or pre-cooking part of the interior and then frying is preferable.

Core principles

Hot oil transfers heat quickly by surrounding the ingredient, causing surface moisture to evaporate and a crispy structure to form. During frying, the foam is active and then gradually subsides, which can indicate that surface moisture has decreased to some extent, but color and ingredient thickness must be checked together.
The batter holds some moisture from the ingredient and forms a thin crust on the surface. A light batter yields a thin, delicate texture, while a breadcrumb coating gives a thicker, savory crisp, but if the oil temperature is low, it tends to become greasy.
If the ingredient is too crowded in the oil, the oil temperature drops rapidly. If after adding, there is little bubbling or hissing, reduce the quantity and wait for the oil to regain a stable heat before frying the next batch.

Well-matching ingredients

Starchy root vegetables like potatoes or sweet potatoes are good for creating browning and crisp edges on the outside. If you cut them into sticks or uniform pieces, the cooking rate for each piece is more even.
Shrimp, squid, and white-fleshed fish, which cook relatively quickly, are well fried briefly to achieve tender flesh and a crisp surface. However, defrosted or washed ingredients can cause oil to splatter, so be sure to dry them well before use.
Proteins like chicken or pork have firm muscle tissue and are suitable in bite-sized or relatively thin pieces. Large bone-in pieces can be difficult to cook through before the coating darkens, so a two-step approach of cooking slowly at a lower heat and finishing with a brief fry is often better.
Leafy greens and other very thin ingredients can darken quickly even in a short moment. While achieving crispness is easy, over-frying slightly can create bitterness or excessive browning, so do not treat them with the same time as thicker meats.

Heat and time management

Preheat the oil enough before frying, and drop a small amount of batter to see if it rises immediately and bubbles actively. If the batter sinks to the bottom and lingers, the oil may not be hot enough, so give it more preheating time.
After adding the ingredients, fry in batches so the oil’s reaction does not become too weak. After removing the first batch, do not immediately add the next; wait for the bubbling and sizzling to stabilize and for the oil surface not to be excessively calm again before the next batch.
Thicker ingredients can darken on the surface if fried at high heat for too long. A two-stage approach—cook through at a moderate heat to cook the interior, then finish with a higher heat for a short fry to crisp the surface—is advantageous.
After draining, let the fried items stand for a moment so the interior steam escapes and the surface stabilizes. However, if stored in an enclosed container, the steam can condense and reduce crispness, so keep items apart until ready to eat.

Success points

Right before frying, pat dry the surface of the ingredients with paper towels. Dryer surfaces reduce splatter and help the coating stick more evenly to the ingredient.
After coating, gently shake off any loose flour or batter. An uneven coating can lead to fast burning on thin parts and undercooking on thick parts.
During frying, avoid constantly stirring the ingredients; once the coating has set enough to float stably on the oil surface, flip only as needed. Frequent handling early on can cause the coating to break or stick to each other.
After draining, place on a fine mesh rack or a cooling rack so air can circulate to the bottom. If stacked on a plate, the bottom can become soggy, so from the next batch, spread them in a single layer to allow oil and steam to escape.

Common mistakes

If bubbles are weak and color forms slowly after adding to the oil, the oil temperature may be low or too much was added at once. Remove some ingredients or reduce the batch size, then fry when the oil bubbles vigorously again.
If the exterior is dark but the inside is undercooked, the ingredient may be too thick or the oil too hot. Cut pieces smaller and more uniform, or pre-cook the interior and finish with a brief fry.
If the coating peels or cracks, it may be from surface moisture on the ingredient, excess flour, or turning too early. Dry the ingredient better, brush off excess flour, and avoid handling until the coating sets in the early stage after putting in the oil.
If fried items become soggy when stacked, there wasn’t enough space for air and heat to escape. Use a wide rack to spread in a single layer and, when frying in multiple batches, do not pile the first batch on top of the later batches.