Keeping Fried Food Crispy
Everyone loves fried food (or most people do) and fried food is at its best when eaten soon after it is prepared, while still hot and crispy. It is a challenge to keep fried food crispy from the time it is cooked to the point when it is eaten, so here are some tips on how to maintain the optimum quality of fried food for as long as possible.
Since we are concerned with the crispiness of fried food – when we say ‘fried’ we actually mean ‘deep-fried’ here – it would make sense to start off by ensuring that the end-product that comes out of the fryer is crispy in the first place. Ensure there is sufficient oil to cover the item being fried and that it is fried at the right temperature. If the oil is not hot enough, it will absorb into the food and cause it to be soggy later. Having the oil adequately hot ensures that the surface in contact with the oil is properly dried out and crisped.
Once the food is cooked and golden, remove it from the hot oil with a slotted spoon or strainer so that excess oil falls back into the pan and does not remain on the item. Place the fried item on a wire rack fitted over a baking tray. The wire rack ensures air circulation so that moisture does not accumulate beneath the food and cause it to become soggy.
Another hassle-free way to prepare healthy fried food is with the Panasonic Cubie Oven. Using the Healthy Fry function, all you need to do is to preheat the oven, line the food on the tray, lightly spray some oil over the food if necessary, set the desired time and your food is ready to go!
To keep the food warm and still as crispy as possible, you can also place the fried food in the Panasonic Cubie Oven, between 100oC – 120oC (it is possible to keep the oven door slightly ajar). Keep the food uncovered – again, this is to prevent moisture accumulating and causing sogginess.
Finally, when it is time to serve the fried food, the choice of serving ware plays a part in helping to maintain crispiness to the last bite. Serving hot food items like fried chicken, fish and chips, potato wedges and even spring rolls, in ventilated baskets instead of ordinary platters will help prevent sogginess and keep food crispy for a reasonable length of time during the dining experience.
