View Single Post
  #4 (permalink)   Report Post  
Posted to rec.food.cooking
hahabogus hahabogus is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2,322
Default Battered fish tacos need not be covered in grease

"Dee Dee" > wrote in
:

>
> "Paul M. Cook" > wrote in message
> news:9XUpi.8853$7V6.8279@trnddc03...
>>
>> "Ablang" > wrote in message
>> oups.com...
>>> Battered fish tacos need not be covered in grease
>>> By JIM ROMANOFF - The Associated Press
>>>
>>>

>> http://www.kcchronicle.com/articles/.../food_and_drin
>> k/doc469d4ec6bf50f625589236.txt
>>>
>>> Fish tacos are extremely popular in coastal areas of Mexico, and
>>> it's no wonder.
>>>
>>> The local catch of the day is battered, deep fried and served
>>> wrapped in corn tortillas along with a variety of salsas, chopped
>>> vegetables and crema, a rich Mexican version of sour cream.
>>>
>>> If it weren't for the deep-frying, this would be a healthy meal.
>>> Fish, chopped tomatoes and onions, shredded cabbage, and fresh
>>> salsas are excellent choices for a healthy diet.
>>>

>>
>> Alton Brown did a great show on frying. He showed that done
>> properly, deep
>> fried food is not overly greasy.
>>
>> I love making fish tacos. Cabbage makes for the best tacos. You
>> need a heavy, dense batter that sticks to the fish and makes a
>> crunchy coating. Beer batter is best and adds a lot of flavor. Deep
>> frying is the only way to achieve the desired results. And as Alton
>> Brown showed, it isn't greasy
>> unless you cook it too long. He made a whole pile of fish and chips
>> and only lost 2 tablespoons of oil in the whole batch.
>>
>> Paul
>>

> I agree with what you are saying, but my first thought was (sorry to
> say) ?how much of that liquid was water to make up the 2T of oil lost.
> Maybe none because it steamed/boiled away. But, still, I can
> wonder.;-)) Dee Dee
>
>


If the oil is over 300F (more like over 325F or higher recommended for
french frying) any water would steam/boil right out soonest. I also
imagine the oil was left to cool before any measuring occurred; that
would ensure that it had sat long enough at a high enough temp to boil
out any water left; as water is gaseous above 212F (called steam). Plus
oil floats on water...That would be highly noticable in a clear measuring
device. Oil and water by themselves just don't mix...thats why oil and
vinegar salad dressings need to be shaken just prior to use or they
separate.

It is more likely that some part of the missing 2 tbsps of oil was lost
into the air or into the fryer filter (if it had one). Perhaps as much as
1 tsp. So even less oil coated the fish than was suspected.

--

The house of the burning beet-Alan

It'll be a sunny day in August, when the Moon will shine that night-
Elbonian Folklore