Recipe Station

If shallow frying seems a little intimidating, don't worry, we have a few tips! For starters, here's what you SHOULD do:

Make sure the oil is hot enough. You want it hear an immediate sizzle as soon as the food hits the pan. “This starts the browning process immediately, creating a seal between food and oil to prevent oil-soaked food,” Amelia says. When making latkes, she suggests making a teeny test latke first. If the oil’s not hot enough, wait a little bit and try another test.

Heat the oil over medium-high heat, not high heat. You want the oil to reach the right temperature (about 350° F to 375° F), but not too quickly. A lower heat prevents things from getting out of hand.

Have your food at room temperature. This prevents the food from cooling down the hot oil when it hits the pan. And hot-enough oil means no soggy, greasy food.

And here's what you shouldn't do:

Let the oil reach its smoking point. Your food won’t cook evenly and will taste burnt and bitter. If the oil smokes, turn off the heat, let it cool down, then discard the oil and start anew with fresh oil.

Use too much oil. Start with about 1/8 inch of oil, an easy amount to control, and add more oil as you cook, if needed. “When you want to add more, tilt the pan a bit, pour in the oil, and let it heat quickly before setting the pan back squarely on the burner to allow oil to flow under and around the food in the pan,” Amelia says.

Use oil with a low smoke point oil, such as nut oils.

Have you ever tried shallow frying? What are some of your favorite tips? What do you think of these suggestions? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!

Article Source: Food52