Q: What temperature should the oil be when I’m deep-frying chicken or vegetables.
A: In either case, the oil should be heated to 350 degrees F. The temperature of the oil will drop precipitously when the food is added, but should start rising back towards 350 pretty quickly.
Q: How do I know when the oil is hot enough?
A: Ideally, you’ll use a frying/candy thermometer so that you can closely monitor the temperature of the oil. Thermometers are inexpensive and can be purchased at most grocery stores and are well worth the price.
If you don’t have a thermometer, then you can drop a pinch of flour into the oil to see if it sizzles. Or you can insert the handle of a wooden spoon into the oil. If bubbles stream from the handle, then the oil is hot enough. These tests will tell you if the oil is hot enough, but not whether it is too hot. If the oil is too hot, then your food is more likely to burn on the outside while remaining undercooked in the middle.
Q: What sort of oil should I use?
A: I generally use canola, but you can use peanut or vegetable oil or any other oil that works for your particular food sensitivities and can withstand high heat.
Q: Do I need any special equipment for frying?
A: At the least you’ll need a deep, heavy skillet made of metal or cast iron. As I mentioned, a deep fry thermometer is very handy, and a mesh splatter guard is nice too. Oh, and don’t forget a slotted spoon and tongs for retrieving the fried food from the oil.
Q: How do I make the crust for fried chicken? Would I do the same thing if I wanted to make a crunch crust with crushed cereal, like my Mom used too?
A: First off, there are two different styles you can use to bread a piece of meat. If you want a chunky crust (like with the cereal) then you’ll use the three-step method. If you want a thin crust (think fried eggplant), then you’ll use the two-step method.
In the three-step method you flour the mean, then dip it in a liquid (usually milk and egg), and then roll it in the chunky topping (breadcrumbs, nuts, etc). For the two-step method, dip them item in a liquid (again, milk and egg) and then coat it with flour.
Q: Now that I know how to make gluten free fried chicken and onion rings, what else can I make with these recipes?
A: You can use the same two-step technique that I used on the chicken to make fried eggplant (great appetizer when dipped in marinara!) I’ve used the onion ring batter for fried green tomatoes. That batter will work for any fried vegetable. Really, in truth, breadings and batters are a technique, not a recipe. As long as you use gluten free flours, you can use most any recipe. The technique is what is important (so be sure to watch the videos!)
Q: What gluten free flours can be sued for breading and batter?
A: Gluten is not desirable in fried breadings and batters, so gluten free flours are actually a great choice for frying. Rice flour by itself will do the job, or you can use your favorite gluten free flour mix. I generally use my own, but I’ve also had great success with gluten free Bisquick. Root flours are not good for frying though, so avoid tapioca and arrowroot starch.
Q: What is tempura and how is it different from deep-frying?
A: Tempura is a kind of batter. It’s made of 1 egg yolk, 1 c. rice flour and 1 c. cold water. The ingredients are stirred together with chopsticks immediately before the frying begins. The batter is purposefully not well mixed so that a lacy crust develops on the fried foods. The size of the fried foods is also intentionally small so that the food will fry quickly.
Q: You’ve mentioned before that you only use gluten free labeled cornmeal. Why is that? None of the cornmeal at my grocery store says anything about wheat on the label?
A: I’m very cautious of cross-contact with cornmeal. Most cornbread mixes are made of cornmeal and wheat flour, which means that wheat flour is processed in most facilities that process corn meal. With all of the flour dust floating around I think that it’s very likely that there is wheat in the cornmeal, even if that possibility is not disclosed on the label.
Q: What can be substituted for the beer in the onion ring batter?
A: If you don’t drink beer or cannot get gluten free beer, the substitute club soda or some other carbonated beverage. Batters often contain carbonated beverages or chemical leavening to add bubbles to lighten the batter. Be sure to use your batter quickly so that the bubbles don’t dissipate. Batters also become thicker as they sit (the flour absorbs the liquids) so it’s best to mix the batter up right before you want to start frying.
What about if the batter slides off?
@Sharon: If the batter is sliding off then the oil is generally not hot enough. It’s nearly impossible to tell the temperature of oil without a thermometer – I highly recommend buying one as it takes all of the guesswork our of it. Of course, my grandmother and my parents have never once used a deep fry thermometer and their fried chicken turns out perfectly every time…..but they have fried A LOT of chicken =)
I prefer my onion rings breaded, not battered. Is there a cereal or flour that will give me that crunch?
Hi Duffy,
I’ve never had breaded onion rings; that sounds interesting. Since corn flakes and Rice Krispies are popular breading option in the regular food world, I would think that GF options of those cereals would work well for breading too. If you have trouble finding GF versions of these cereals at your grocery, then check on Amazon.