Crispy batter

Michael said...

Quoted message said:

How do you make a very crispy, "durable" batter for deep frying?

One that will stay intact in sauce and not soak up the sauce?

I've just used egg, ap flour,salt and made it thick but it doesn't cut
it.

I read somewhere that chinese cooks use rice flour?

What is the definitive answer?......anything I can do just using all
purpose flour?

THANKS.

Michael,

During my recent fish'n'chips research, one recipe suggestion was to add
vinegar to the batter, claiming it improved crispiness, though no measure
was given. Sorry.

Anyone?

Andy

"Michael" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

How do you make a very crispy, "durable" batter for deep frying?

One that will stay intact in sauce and not soak up the sauce?

I've just used egg, ap flour,salt and made it thick but it doesn't cut

it.

Quoted message said:

I read somewhere that chinese cooks use rice flour?

What is the definitive answer?......anything I can do just using all

purpose

Quoted message said:

flour?

THANKS.

Pancake batter.

Michael said:

I've just used egg, ap flour,salt and made it thick but it doesn't cut it.

I read somewhere that chinese cooks use rice flour?

I use rice flour, potato starch, or cornstarch mixed with flour
(2/3'rds flour) Never egg - that prevents it from getting crispy.

-sw

Steve Wertz said:

Michael said:

I've just used egg, ap flour,salt and made it thick but it doesn't cut it.

I read somewhere that chinese cooks use rice flour?

I use rice flour, potato starch, or cornstarch mixed with flour
(2/3'rds flour) Never egg - that prevents it from getting crispy.

Interesting. Seen an awful lot of batter recipes with whole eggs in
them, and some with just the egg whites. In fact when I make deep fried
pork (which is not often, I admit) I throw an egg into the batter
mixture. They still get crispy.
--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy

Ok thanks......I forgot to mention that I've tried cake flour and mixing
with cornstarch.

No egg..... I'm off to buy some rice flour.

Does the thickness of the batter make a difference?

Does the potato starch work better?

Quoted message said:

I use rice flour, potato starch, or cornstarch mixed with flour
(2/3'rds flour) Never egg - that prevents it from getting crispy.

-sw

"Michael" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

How do you make a very crispy, "durable" batter for deep frying?

One that will stay intact in sauce and not soak up the sauce?

I've just used egg, ap flour,salt and made it thick but it doesn't cut it.

I read somewhere that chinese cooks use rice flour?

What is the definitive answer?......anything I can do just using all purpose
flour?

THANKS.

In a word "PANKO" & the proper frying temperature.

Dimitri

Chatty Cathy said:

Steve Wertz said:

Never egg - that prevents it from getting crispy.

Interesting. Seen an awful lot of batter recipes with whole eggs in
them, and some with just the egg whites. In fact when I make deep fried
pork (which is not often, I admit) I throw an egg into the batter
mixture. They still get crispy.

For most stuff - fish and veggies - you can't cook the egg long
enough to to make it crispy without overcooking the stuff inside.

I've tried dozens of ways to batter and bread foods, and the egg
washes and batters always produce a less crispy result.

-sw

Michael said:

How do you make a very crispy, "durable" batter for deep frying?

One that will stay intact in sauce and not soak up the sauce?

I've just used egg, ap flour,salt and made it thick but it doesn't cut it.

I read somewhere that chinese cooks use rice flour?

What is the definitive answer?......anything I can do just using all purpose
flour?

THANKS.

Rice flour usually does it. Dry your item (fish, chicken, veggie) real
well and then coat with rice flour. THEN dip in your batter which can be
made with either type of flour though rice flour again will give you a
bit more crisp. Fry nice and hot.

Melondy

Michael said:

Ok thanks......I forgot to mention that I've tried cake flour and mixing
with cornstarch.

No egg..... I'm off to buy some rice flour.

Does the thickness of the batter make a difference?

Depends on the food. Thinner quick-cooking food should geta
thinner batter. Don't forget some baking powder, too. Ut helps
open up the batter to let the oil in.

Quoted message said:

Does the potato starch work better?

I think cornstarch (easy to find) works just as well as rice and
potato flour/starch.

-sw

"Michael" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

How do you make a very crispy, "durable" batter for deep frying?

One that will stay intact in sauce and not soak up the sauce?

I've just used egg, ap flour,salt and made it thick but it doesn't
cut it.

I read somewhere that chinese cooks use rice flour?

What is the definitive answer?......anything I can do just using all
purpose flour?

Baking powder.

--

Charles
The significant problems we face cannot be solved
at the same level of thinking we were at when we
created them. Albert Einstein

Steve,

You're right....the rice flour is the way to go.

I used about 2/3 RF, 1/3 cornstarch, salt and some baking powder.

Didn't bother to dust first...just went straight into the batter.

What I noticed also is that you can really make it thin compared to an all
purpose flour and the rice flour cleans up really easily. right on?

Quoted message said:

I think cornstarch (easy to find) works just as well as rice and
potato flour/starch.

....or arrowroot...

In article <[email hidden]>,

Charles Quinn said:

"Michael" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

What is the definitive answer?......anything I can do just using all
purpose flour?

Baking powder.

I agree. I use seasoned self rising flour to dust, then buttermilk to
coat then the same self rising flour again. And then the same self
rising flour again if there is much moisture still present on the
product and I want extra crispy.
I just looked at my self rising flour, and the leavening is baking soda,
but the principle is the same.
This method makes outstanding coating for damned near anything for
deep-frying which I do in a 2 quart pot a third of the way full 'cause
I'm cheap.
I suspect it will soak up sauce though. That part of the OP's question
confused me. And to clarify, I use ordinary self rising flour that I
season myself. Usually with salt and pepper. Baking powder added to
ordinary flour ought to do the same thing.
My wife just told me, as I was looking up the size of my pot, that I got
the idea from a Martha Stewart episode at some time in the past.
Works great. I suggest it at least once for anyone wanting to deep-fry
anything from cheese to cauliflower to shrimp to cod and more.
I just found some dry buttermilk blend in the store, thanks to this
group. I haven't tried it yet in a deep-fry. I expect it to be a success
and eliminate the pressure of deep frying before the real buttermilk
goes bad. And it does in my house. Real bad.

leo

--
<http://web0.greatbasin.net/~leo/>

Michael said:

What is the definitive answer?......anything I can do just using all purpose
flour?

Lots of good suggestions worth trying but first I'd make sure my temps
were
dead on and remained so. Watch the initial drop when you add food. If
you're
frying at 275 or 300, none of your coatings may be crispy.