I don’t quite know why, but there are some unsayable words in the realm of cookery. Words that are never used on menus, unless phrased in a particular way, words that no one uses whilst talking about their favourite foods or signature dishes.
One of such words is ‘boil’: will you pick ‘boiled vegetables’ for your side? I thought not. Boiled pork, anyone? I don’t expect ovation. Kettle is the only exception: we don’t object to boiling a kettle, albeit that obviously has a different meaning.
Another such word is ‘frying’, and I specifically refer to shallow frying. For some strange reason deep frying has a markedly higher ranking, with ‘fried chicken’ topmost. Fish and chips doesn’t have ‘fried’ to its name but we all know how that haddock or cod is cooked. And still it’s the nation’s darling.
So it isn’t just the health aspect: deep frying is far more unhealthy and calorie-laden, the myth that oil if sufficiently hot doesn’t get absorbed into food disappointingly busted.
So it really beats me why frying is such a shameful cooking method. It is replaced with a plethora of euphemisms and modifiers, like flash-frying, searing, browning, grilling (when it’s not), stir-frying (which is apparently fine) and the most idiotic: pan-roasting and pan-frying. The latter presumably as opposed to kettle-frying or colander-frying?
Might it be that shallow frying is tricky? A fine line between raw and burnt, both a health hazard, because we’re talking here mainly about frying meat or fish (fried egg tends to be treated more benignly and vegetables are less commonly fried).
In that case I hasten to oblige.
Whether your frying pan is non-stick or not, the key secret is to get it roaring hot. Here’s a trick: put it over high heat with a splash of water, about a tablespoon. When it boils (he he) off and the pan is dry again, you’re ready to add frying fat. I like groundnut oil for frying unless you have ghee and your dish calls for a buttery flavour. With most fried foods you can add a little ordinary butter at the very end, for that flavour.
With cast iron, carbon steel and woks, don’t bother with water: just heat it until slight wisps of smoke start appearing. They might be more intense if you oil your wok/cast iron after use and washing. I sometimes do and sometimes, if the pan is well seasoned, don’t.
How to fry meat?
With breadcrumb or similar coating, since batters and tempuras tend to take the deep plunge, the trick is to adjust the heat. With a generous amount of fat keep it high frying on one side and peek underneath often to see when the desired golden crispiness is reached. But be gentler when the schnitzels or cutlets are turned over: turn the heat down, perhaps add a knob of butter and again, peek. Sit the food momentarily on paper towels when lifted, to drain some fat.
Naked meat, steaks, fillets or smaller pieces always benefit from greasing. If your pan is good quality, oil the meat rather than the pan. With larger cuts make sure the surface is pressed to the hot pan for maximum Maillard’s, on both sides. With smaller cuts and wok frying, however tempted you will be to toss and nudge the meat from the start, leave it be for at least 30 seconds. It will thank you by not sticking.
How to fry fish?
And the trickiest part: fish fillets. But I promise it’s not if you observe a couple of simple rules.
Firstly, only fry fish or fillets skin-on. Skinless will result in a sorry mess. Thinner fillets can be just fried; thick ones, like salmon, haddock, halibut etc. probably need a few minutes in the oven after frying.
And then just this: super-hot pan, with the water trick and perfectly dry fish skin. Make sure you store the fish skin side up in the fridge before cooking, including defrosting if that’s the case. Sprinkle the skin with salt, then wipe it and pat dry with paper towels just before frying. No need to score the skin – I’m honestly not sure what it’s supposed to do.
Add a little oil to your very hot pan and then place the fish in, skin side down. It will curl up so press it gently down with a fish slice while you season it, if needed. Keep it there on high heat until the edges and the sides start to turn opaque, and only the middle part is still looking raw. Which is when you should turn the heat off, add a little butter to the pan and turn the fillets over. The flesh side will happily cook in the residual heat.
Is all this useful? You can let me know in the comments below. And, by the way, don’t make me laugh mentioning air fryers: they don’t fry but cook just like fan ovens. Happy frying!