Los Angeles herald., 1905-11-05
E+k49.xxE+.s.s.s.s..sE,.sAsE+4
The Art of Frying
BY corneIla C. Bedford

TITO a vast number of people the idea
conveyed by the word frying" is
the cooking of various articles of
food in a spoonful or two of fat in n
swallow frying PAM whether the fat is
not or not when the food Is laid in jt
Is unimportant; with a good fire under
meath the fat will be hot soon any
way and the food will cook--what could
be more to the purpose than that? AS
result, households in which a great
deal of such frying is INDUCED in can
usually boast of more than one member
TO whom dyspepsia is no stranger, AMI
| those so afflicted are experts In the
various remedies advocated for this
dread ailment.
Frying, according to the eminent
authorities connected with our best en-
cyclopedias, means cooking by means
OF immersion in deep fat which has
been raised to temperature of from
$50 degrees to 400 degrees It. Fats
for cooking and table use have their
origin in both animal and vegetable
Kingdoms. Those best known and most
largely used are the suet from beef, lard
from pork and the oils extracted from
| cottonSeed, cocoanut corn, olive and
several varieties of nuts. 4
| Animal fats contain varying propor-
tions of stearin. a Substance which
gives hardness to fats; we find the
| largest amount in mutton, the least IN
pork and poultry, none in oils. When
-four mixtures are fried a certain
amount of stearin in the frying fat is
desirable as it lessons the possibility
| of having grease soaked food. When
| beef suet alone Is used The large pro-
portion of stearin tends to excessive
greasiness of the outer surface, hence
a mixture, such as one-third beef suet
and two-thirds lard is better than fat
alone.
Many who have never attempted fry
ing in deep fat will eXclaim in horror
at the apparent wastefulness in heating
and using two or three pounds of fat at
time. This is more apparent than
real as the same fat can, when care
fully handled, be used for many times,
and those experts who have made care
full tests of two methods are unani-
nous in the verdict that shallow pan
frying or sauteing, as it is properly
called, costs more in the long run than
deep frying.
Where beef and pork fat can be
bought in the piece or leaf it can be
quickly and easily rendered at home.
Fat from the flank of beef--cod fat it
is called in some cities-is usually a
cent a pound cheaper and contains less
stearin than the harder kidney fat; for
the latter reason it is preferred by
many cooks. Purchase this and pork
leaf fat put both through the food
chopper and place in separate kettles.
Stand over a moderate fire and if the
kettle is broad bottomed the fat will
quickly soften and melt. the tissues
shriveling and crisping to "cracklins."
Set off for few moments until it
slightly cools. then strain through a
piece of damp cheesecloth. When cold
the fat will be light colored and firm.
For practically all kinds of frying,
equal parts of the rendered flank fat
and lard will make and give the best
result.
In frying In large quantity of fat
special care must be taken that the fat
is heated properly. else the result will
be bad. Unless the family catered to is
a very large one the best frying kettle
: is one with straight sides and fiat bot
tom, a diameter Of from six to eight
inches and a similar depth. This will
contain when two-thirds full from two
to two and a 2 pounds. 1t seldom
happens that 70 to be fried will ex-
ceed four inches in height hence a
depth of five inches will be more than
ample.
Place the kettle of fat at the side of
the fire an hour or more before it is
needed that the fat may gradually melt
and heat. When we'll warmed through
push forward and let it heat until on
glancing across the top of the kettle, a
thin blue smoke & Seen to rise from the
center as well circumference. Toss
In an inch cube OF bread cut from the
soft part of the loaf. Note the time.
and If the bread is fried golden brown
in forty seconds the fat is the right tenn
perature for frying any food which has
had previous cooking, such as chicken
croquettes. For raw mixtures such as
French fried potatoes or Dreaded veal
outlets, allow a full minute in which
to brown the bread.
When properly fried many different
articles may be cooked in the same fat
without one tainting the other; dough-
nuts may follow fishballs and no hint
be conveyed Of the proximity Of one to
the other.