How To Fry Food Correctly?
Do you know how to fry food correctly? Frying is one of the worst options when choosing a cooking method. It produces a series of waste substances that can harm health and the body. In addition, it is a way to increase the caloric content of the diet and the load of trans fatty acids.
However, there are right and wrong ways to fry food. Doing it in a proper way minimizes the damage that this type of food can cause in the body. In spite of everything, it must be taken into account that in a varied diet there is also room for fried foods, they should be consumed in moderation but they are understandable sporadically.
Frying food correctly: what should you know?
As a review in the journal Nutrients shows , frequent consumption of fried foods has adverse effects on health, mainly on the cardiovascular system. Furthermore, it is also associated with obesity and other chronic diseases.
However, according to a publication in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition , fried foods certainly have a place in diets, as long as they are eaten in moderation.
Use olive oil
It is important to prioritize olive oil over sunflower oil. In addition, it is preferable that it is new, not reused. In the case of having to use it again, it is good to strain it previously. It should be borne in mind that the more times the oil is used, the more likely it is that harmful elements to health are created.
Not all oils withstand the same number of frying, the quality of the product is a key factor in this regard. On the other hand, it should be expected to achieve a suitable oil temperature before submerging the food. If the elements are introduced with the cold oil, they will be soaked in it, becoming more fatty and less crunchy.
However, immersing food in very hot oil creates an external crust that prevents the oil from penetrating inside. It is important to introduce the food as dry as possible and avoid stacking many foods at the same time to prevent the oil temperature from falling.
Fish fritters
It is usually advisable to cover the fish with a film of flour to improve browning and frying. It is also possible to pass them previously by egg and breadcrumbs, since they are foods rich in water, whose steam can cause problems in browning.
As a general rule, foods with a high water content should be fried between 160 and 180 ºC. In the case of very thick foods, this temperature could even drop to 140 ºC, in order to prevent them from remaining raw inside.
Beware of acrylamide
Frying is a cooking method that generates acrylamide, a carcinogenic substance in the medium term. Therefore, it is a type of preparation that should not be consumed frequently. The best thing to do is to prioritize the iron, oven, cooking with water and steam as common cooking methods.
However, it is possible to consume fried and battered on occasion, but always keeping in mind what they mean. Another factor that should not be forgotten is that fried foods increase their caloric value and their content in trans fatty acids.
Olive oil is rich in mono and polyunsaturated acids. However, when subjected to high temperatures, these fats become trans and can be harmful to health. To minimize the damage that this cooking method can cause to the body, it is interesting that the diet has the necessary antioxidant load.
In this way, the production of free radicals and inflammation processes that could be harmful will be reduced. Therefore, vegetables and fruits must be continuously present in the preparations. In addition, the contribution of fiber can lead to an increase in the production of vitamin E and K at the intestinal level, which also have effects related to antioxidation.
Fry foods properly, but fry them little
Although frying should be done sporadically, there are ways to do it correctly. With this we will achieve an organoleptic improvement of the final product, a decrease in the oil it contains and a reduction in the risks that the consumption of these products can represent against health.
The keys to frying are always the temperature of the oil and its origin. It is necessary to differentiate the thickness of the food and adjust the temperature depending on the result we want to achieve. Food should be fried in batches, trying to prevent the oil temperature from dropping due to the accumulation of many cold foods in the pan.
