Abandon Your Fears of Frying: Deep-Fry Tips

Abandon Your Fears of Frying: Deep-Fry Tips - Viet World Kitchen window.fbAsyncInit = function() { FB.init( { apiKey: 'a279adbe87e2b3c505e777af99a5260d', xfbml: true } );};( function() { var e = document.createElement( 'script' ); e.async = true; e.src = document.location.protocol + '//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js'; document.getElementById( 'fb-root' ).appendChild( e );} )();Viet World Kitchen Home Asian Dumplings Asian TofuRecipe IndexEventsFav SitesAbout MePermission+Credit Welcome! Join me to explore, create, and contribute to the culinary traditions of Asia.

Andrea Nguyen
Author & Teacher
Send a message

My Books + App
Book trailer, info on ebook w/ video, sample content
BUY NOW @ Amazon, B&N, iBooks, IndieBound, J. Biscuit & local bookstores
* * *

Details on eBooklet, how & where to buy
* * *

BUY NOW @ Amazon, B&N, iBooks, IndieBound, J. Biscuit & local bookstores
* * *

Info on e-book w/ videos!
BUY NOW @ Amazon, B&N, iBooks, IndieBound, J. Biscuit & local bookstores
* * *

The mobile app is here!
BUY NOW @ iTunes store

« 7 Versatile Asian Grilling Recipes |Main| Making Crazy Delicious Banh Mi Photos »

September 02, 2013Abandon Your Fears of Frying: Deep-Fry Tips

Lastweek in a comment about the almond crusted shrimp balls, Candice remarked thatshe refrained from deep-frying because she didn’t know what to do with the leftoveroil. That led me to assemble these tips to help you deep-fry. I’ve been deep-fryingsince I was young, when my mom gave me the task of frying chicken for ourfamily dinner. I’ve had many successes and mishaps over the years. (If youdeep-fry squid, remember to make sure it’s super dry before it hits the oil.)

Soif the thought of deep-frying puts you off or sends shivers down your spine, Ihope these tips will persuade you to go out and buy yourself a bottle of oiland fry up something delectable.

Addressing common concerns about deep-frying:

Is deep-fryingis fattening? Well, it’s not like eating boiled food. It’s not spa or dietfood. That said, if deep-frying is done well, it’s not terribly greasy. I’moften surprised by how little oil gets absorbed during deep-frying. Of course,that add depends on what’s being deep-fried. Also, old oil that’s degraded toomuchcan sometimes cause lead-like deep-fried food. As my friend Diane, anurse, once told me, “It’s not what you eat once in a while, it’s what you eateveryday that really affects your health.” So a live a little. What do youwith all that oil after deep-frying? Recycle it.  After you’re done frying, let the oil coolcompletely, then strain it through a fine-mesh sieve. If the oil is cloudy orcontains lots of unsavory bits, line the strainer with paper towel orcheesecloth. Transfer the oil to a clean, dry jar or plastic bottle, captightly, and store in a cool, dry place. In general, I don’t reuse oil once ithas turned super brown (as opposed to its golden color when new) or if it haspicked up funky odors from frying foods such as oily fish like salmon. If you fry fish, use recycled oil and dispose of it afterward. Store spent oil in a separate container. Don't put it down the drain.Deep-fryingmakes the house smell. You betcha. To deal with the smell of frying, which perfumesa room but can linger for a spell, run the exhaust while frying and openwindows. I sometimes carefully take the pot of hot oil outside and let it coolin the open air. Burn a stick of incense. You can also do like mymother and fry outside. It’s toomessy to deep-fry. Put a few sheets of newspaper on the floor if you areworried about dirtying the kitchen. During or after frying, quickly wipe thestove and counter clean to prevent grease buildup. Wear an apron.

Some more technical tips to fry by:

What kindof oil to use for deep-frying? There are many choices but I’ve been finewith canola oil, purchased by the 1.25-gallon containers from Costco. Onoccasion canola smells a little weird as it heats up, but I haven’t noticed itaffecting the flavor of my food. Grape seed and semi-refined peanut oil aregreat for deep-frying as they’re a touch lighter, but they are costly. By theway, the only time I was at Thomas Keller’s French Laundry, I got to go intothe kitchen. What does a Michelin 3-star restaurant fry in? Canola oil, I wastold. Don’t beshy about using oil. It may seem like a gross amount but you aredeep-frying, not searing. Pour enough oil into the pan as called for in therecipe. A recipe will typically tell you by depth, that is “pour oil into a panto a depth of X.” Measure with a chopstick. If you’re short of oil, fry in a medium saucepan rather thana larger pot. It will take more time but use less oil. What tofry in? It depends on what you’re frying and how much. Restaurants havedeep-fryers the size of a kitchen sink! For us regular folks, how about asaucepan, 5-quart Dutch oven, deep skillet, or wok? I love deep-frying in awok because its concave shape requires less oil and heats up in a jiffy.How doyou know when the oil is hot enough? The key to successful deep-frying isgetting the oil to the proper temperature and keeping it there. The easiest way to achieve that is to buy a clip-on deep-frying thermometer (same as a candythermometer). Position the tip of thermometer just above the bottom of the panso you are measuring the heat of the oil and not the metal. When you feel morecomfortable with deep-frying, try using a bamboo chopstick to gauge thetemperature. Stick a dry on into the oil and if bubble rise immediate to thesurface, the oil is roughly about 350F (175C). If you want hotter heat, use athermometer to be sure. Rectangular clip-on thermometersare my favorite.Getorganized before you begin frying. Put the food on one side of the stoveand the setup for draining the crispy results on the other side. Keep utensilssuch as a wire skimmer, chopsticks, or tongs nearby. Don’t letthe oil overheat and smoke. If it does, carefully move the pan to anotherburner. After the smoke dissipates, reheat the oil and continue frying. Test fryone or two pieces of food when trying out a new recipe. A practice run is greatfor testing the oil temperature and getting used to the timing and fryingprocess. Fry inbatches to avoid lowering the oil temperature. Always let the oil return tothe appropriate temperature,  (regulatingthe heat as necessary,) before adding the next batch. Torefresh and restore a fresh-from-the-fryer crispness, refry a second time.When planning a second refrying, fry again right before serving. Slightly underfry the first time to avoid over browning on the second frying. In general,refry using slightly higher heat than used for the first frying.

One last thing . . . I so enjoy deep-fried food but theolder I get, the more I realize that I shouldn’t (can’t) eat as much of it as Iused to. Looking back at all the restaurant French fries and  pieces salt-and-pepper squid that I’ve eaten,only a fraction of them have been stellar. I had better luck when I did itmyself. Plus, it’s extra fun and gratifying to stand at the stove sipping champagneand frying onion rings, a perfect way to pick yourself up on a Monday or launchthe weekend on a Friday. Something to ponder and perhaps look forward to.

Feelfree to share deep-frying tips or experiences (good or bad)! Posted in Cooking Tips & Tools | Permalink

| | |

Comments Abandon Your Fears of Frying: Deep-Fry Tips

Lastweek in a comment about the almond crusted shrimp balls, Candice remarked thatshe refrained from deep-frying because she didn’t know what to do with the leftoveroil. That led me to assemble these tips to help you deep-fry. I’ve been deep-fryingsince I was young, when my mom gave me the task of frying chicken for ourfamily dinner. I’ve had many successes and mishaps over the years. (If youdeep-fry squid, remember to make sure it’s super dry before it hits the oil.)

Soif the thought of deep-frying puts you off or sends shivers down your spine, Ihope these tips will persuade you to go out and buy yourself a bottle of oiland fry up something delectable.

Addressing common concerns about deep-frying:

Is deep-fryingis fattening? Well, it’s not like eating boiled food. It’s not spa or dietfood. That said, if deep-frying is done well, it’s not terribly greasy. I’moften surprised by how little oil gets absorbed during deep-frying. Of course,that add depends on what’s being deep-fried. Also, old oil that’s degraded toomuchcan sometimes cause lead-like deep-fried food. As my friend Diane, anurse, once told me, “It’s not what you eat once in a while, it’s what you eateveryday that really affects your health.” So a live a little. What do youwith all that oil after deep-frying? Recycle it.  After you’re done frying, let the oil coolcompletely, then strain it through a fine-mesh sieve. If the oil is cloudy orcontains lots of unsavory bits, line the strainer with paper towel orcheesecloth. Transfer the oil to a clean, dry jar or plastic bottle, captightly, and store in a cool, dry place. In general, I don’t reuse oil once ithas turned super brown (as opposed to its golden color when new) or if it haspicked up funky odors from frying foods such as oily fish like salmon. If you fry fish, use recycled oil and dispose of it afterward. Store spent oil in a separate container. Don't put it down the drain.Deep-fryingmakes the house smell. You betcha. To deal with the smell of frying, which perfumesa room but can linger for a spell, run the exhaust while frying and openwindows. I sometimes carefully take the pot of hot oil outside and let it coolin the open air. Burn a stick of incense. You can also do like mymother and fry outside. It’s toomessy to deep-fry. Put a few sheets of newspaper on the floor if you areworried about dirtying the kitchen. During or after frying, quickly wipe thestove and counter clean to prevent grease buildup. Wear an apron.

Some more technical tips to fry by:

Stay Connected                         Asian Tofu in the News"Informative, engaging, well written and researched, this is also the best book about tofu."
— Winnie Yang, The Art of Eating

"A whole cookbook devoted to tofu? Yes, please."
— Kate Williams, Serious Eats 2012 Favorite Cookbooks

"Cooking with Tofu (Are You Serious?!)"
— Michael Rulhman on his tofu conversion

Book info, reviews, radio & TV . . .Classes & EventsHands-on @loveapplefarms, Santa Cruz
Sun, Oct 6, 12-4pm: Asian Dumplings
Sat, Oct 26, 12-4pm: Into the Vietnamese Kitchen
Sat, Nov 2, 12-4:30pm: Pho Workshop

Hands-on @SFCooking, San Francisco
Fri, Oct 18, 5:30-10:30pm: Asian Dumplings [date night!]
Sat, Oct 19, 10am-3pm: Asian Dumplings {waitlist only}

new TWTR.Widget({ version: 2, type: 'profile', rpp: 3, interval: 30000, width: 'auto', height: 300, theme: { shell: { background: '#8f1414', color: '#ffffff' }, tweets: { background: '#ffffff', color: '#756875', links: '#8f1414' } }, features: { scrollbar: false, loop: false, live: false, behavior: 'all' }}).render().setUser('aqnguyen').start();Recent PostsJapanese Pickled Ginger (Gari) RecipeMaking Crazy Delicious Banh Mi PhotosAbandon Your Fears of Frying: Deep-Fry Tips7 Versatile Asian Grilling RecipesA Most Wonderful Review of Asian TofuAlmond Shrimp Balls RecipeBasil Tofu Green Goddess Dressing RecipeSpicy Tuna Tartare RecipeVWK Leftovers: August 2013Chicken-Fried Tofu and Sriracha Pimento Cheese Sandwich RecipeCopyright 2002-2013 by Andrea Nguyen | Privacy Policy

document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://sb" : "http://b") + ".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js'%3E%3C/script%3E"));COMSCORE.beacon({ c1: 2, c2: "6035669", c3: "", c4: "http://www.vietworldkitchen.com/blog/2013/09/abandon-your-fears-of-frying-deep-fry-tips.html", c5: "", c6: "", c15: ""});

View the original article here

Tofu Frying Tips

Tofu Frying Tips - Viet World Kitchenwindow.fbAsyncInit = function() { FB.init( { apiKey: 'a279adbe87e2b3c505e777af99a5260d', xfbml: true } );};( function() { var e = document.createElement( 'script' ); e.async = true; e.src = document.location.protocol + '//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js'; document.getElementById( 'fb-root' ).appendChild( e );} )();Viet World Kitchen Home Asian DumplingsRecipe IndexClasses+EventsFav SitesAbout MePermission+Credit Welcome! Join me to explore, create, and contribute to the culinary traditions of Asia.

Andrea Nguyen
Author & Teacher
Send a message

In the NewsBoston Globe, Wall St. Journal, Journal Sentinel, Food Gal, Herbivoracious, Zester Daily, The Daily Meal, The Kitchen, Washington Post, LA Times, Times Picayune, Bon Appetit, Splendid Table, Martha Stewart Living, Tasting TableMy Books + App
Asian Tofu
Jump to: Book trailer, ebook buying guide, sample content.
Buy at: Local bookstores, Amazon, B&N, iBooks, IndieBound, Jessica's Biscuit

Into the Vietnamese Kitchen
Buy at: Local bookstores, Amazon, B&N, iBooks, IndieBound, Jessica's Biscuit

Asian Dumplings
Info on e-book w/ videos!
Buy at: Local bookstores, Amazon, B&N, iBooks, IndieBound, Jessica's Biscuit

Asian Market Shopper
mobile app is here!
Buy at iTunes store

new TWTR.Widget({ version: 2, type: 'profile', rpp: 3, interval: 30000, width: 'auto', height: 300, theme: { shell: { background: '#8f1414', color: '#ffffff' }, tweets: { background: '#ffffff', color: '#756875', links: '#8f1414' } }, features: { scrollbar: false, loop: false, live: false, behavior: 'all' }}).render().setUser('aqnguyen').start();Recent PostsMasala-Stuffed Indian Eggplant RecipeFive Food Faves from My FatherTofu Frying TipsPickled Snow Peas RecipeTrendy Tofu: Yuba is More than Tofu Skin DeepSmart Ways to Stir-Fry TofuVietnamese Iced Coffee Tips (Ca-Phe Sua Da)May Flowers: Happy Cooks, Glowing ReviewsHow to Make Asian Dumplings without Eggs or PorkReal Men Make Tofu, Pho and More« Pickled Snow Peas Recipe |Main| Five Food Faves from My Father »

June 11, 2012Tofu Frying Tips

A few weeks ago, Phuong asked for tips on how to fry tofu well. Her husband said that Phuong’s deep-fried tofu was on the dry side. First of all, Phuong’s husband is a very lucky man that his wife deep-fries tofu at home! Secondly, I understand Phuong’s plight because I  used to suffer it too. But once I set out to write the tofu book, I gained insight -- through lots of tinkering and practice -- into how to fry up delicious tofu.

Why fry tofu? Cooking tofu in hot oil creates a wonderful chewy-crisp coating on each piece, adds a rich fattiness, and creates a lovely golden color. It makes tofu sturdier for all kinds of cooking methods – such as simmering, stir-frying, and grilling. Frying tofu is a great way to advance prep your tofu. Once tofu is fried, you can keep it refrigerated for days. Cook tofu dishes with little fuss. No draining needed as the tofu is ready for action!

Many Asian tofu recipes call for fried tofu so I urge you to overcome any fears of frying. Asian markets and tofu shops sell fried pre-fried tofu. But aside from Japanese abura-age (puffy fried tofu squares or rectangles), I fry my own. That way, I know that my oil is clean and I can control the size of the pieces that I fry.

Types of frying: You have two basic choices when frying tofu. Deep-frying and shallow-frying yield the tastiest fried tofu because the pieces are completely exposed to hot oil.  They’re easy, fast, and not overly dramatic tofu cooking methods.

Panfrying tofu does not create an even crisp texture all over the tofu pieces but you use less oil and can fry slabs that are a bit larger; however, too large of slabs (e.g., what you may put on a burger) can be unwieldy. Expect some sputtering when panfrying because the tofu is not quickly coated and sealed in hot oil. For that reason, be sure to blot excess moisture from the surface of the tofu pieces before panfrying.

Choosing tofu texture for frying: In general, I fry firm or extra firm tofu, which have less moisture than medium/medium-firm/regular tofu. The latter types of softer tofu are great for batter coating and deep-frying. Here’s a fabulous example from page 116 of Asian Tofu, in which the tofu turns a little custardy under its sheath of crispness. Terrific with a dunk in chile soy sauce. For Japanese agedashi tofu (page 70) that’s coated in potato starch, I turn to firm tofu because the starch soaks up a lot of moisture.

Super-firm tofu will turn crouton-like, which is nice for the little rods that go into a delicious classic pad Thai (see page 184). If you need assistance on figuring out tofu textures watch this video, which is in the enhanced tofu ebook.

Drain, Soak, or Press Tofu? You want to remove some moisture from the tofu but don’t have to render it super dry. If the tofu is coated with batter, just let it drain on a dishtowel. I like to soak the tofu in salted water to season it and facilitate draining. When deep-fried or shallow-fried, the salted, soaked tofu turns an even gold color quickly and the inside remains soft and not dried out. Flavorwise, the tofu is very lightly seasoned but your dish will be tastier in the end.  

I don’t often press tofu to drain it for frying because draining or soaking does the trick.

Type of oil to use for frying tofu: Canola is great and so are vegetable/soybean oil and refined peanut oil. In general, choose a neutral-flavored oil that has a high smoking point. That is, don’t deep-fry with sesame oil. After deep-frying, let the oil cool, then strain it through paper towel, saving it for another use. Discard used oil when it has darkened or smells off.

Oil temperature for frying tofu: A deep-fry thermometer is the best tool for gauging oil temperature because you want a moderately-high temperature (360-375F) to quickly fry the tofu. My favorite thermometer is one that can clip onto my wok. Right now, I reach for this one most. (Complain to the Taylor if the numbers disappear after washing; they sent me a new one and it’s worked fine for years.)

Don’t crowd the pan or the oil temperature will lower too much. Prolonged frying can dry out tofu if too much moisture is drawn out of the tofu. Aim to do it quickly. 

What to fry tofu in: Use a wok to deep-fry if you want to save on oil. A deep skillet works well. You can even fry in a medium saucepan, if you want. 

Advance frying: Unless a recipe requires the immediate crispness of fried tofu, you can deep-fry a big batch and refrigerate it for five (5!) days.

People are always amazed that I deep-fry as much as I do. With some practice, you’ll be frying up batches of tofu in no time. It’s absolutely delicious minutes after it’s out of the oil. Maybe fry a some extra to sneak a nibble or two? That's the cook's bonus.

If you have extra tips or questions, pose them below.

Related post: 

Smart Ways to Stir-Fry TofuTofu, Kimchi and Bacon Taco RecipeChinese Fermented Black Bean Magic (plus recipes)Fried Tofu and Egg Pancake Recipe (Tahu Telur)

Posted in Asian Tofu, Cooking Tips & Tools | Permalink

| | |

TrackBack

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d8341ef22f53ef01761556af45970c

Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Tofu Frying Tips:

Comments Tofu Frying Tips

A few weeks ago, Phuong asked for tips on how to fry tofu well. Her husband said that Phuong’s deep-fried tofu was on the dry side. First of all, Phuong’s husband is a very lucky man that his wife deep-fries tofu at home! Secondly, I understand Phuong’s plight because I  used to suffer it too. But once I set out to write the tofu book, I gained insight -- through lots of tinkering and practice -- into how to fry up delicious tofu.

Why fry tofu? Cooking tofu in hot oil creates a wonderful chewy-crisp coating on each piece, adds a rich fattiness, and creates a lovely golden color. It makes tofu sturdier for all kinds of cooking methods – such as simmering, stir-frying, and grilling. Frying tofu is a great way to advance prep your tofu. Once tofu is fried, you can keep it refrigerated for days. Cook tofu dishes with little fuss. No draining needed as the tofu is ready for action!

Many Asian tofu recipes call for fried tofu so I urge you to overcome any fears of frying. Asian markets and tofu shops sell fried pre-fried tofu. But aside from Japanese abura-age (puffy fried tofu squares or rectangles), I fry my own. That way, I know that my oil is clean and I can control the size of the pieces that I fry.

Be Connected Get news via RSS or email
 Get updates in Facebook
Join me on Pinterest
 Follow @aqnguyen
EventsDemo, Tasting & Signing
Sun., June 24, 1-2pm
Am. Librarian Assoc. Conf.

Book Talk, Signing, Nibbles
Wed., July 20, 6pm
Book Passage, Ferry Bldg, SF

Asian Tofu Hands-on Class!
Sun., July 29, 12-4pm
Love Apple Farms, Santa Cruz

Click for more . . . Viet World Kitchen | Copyright 2002-2012 by Andrea Nguyen | Privacy Policy

document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://sb" : "http://b") + ".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js'%3E%3C/script%3E"));COMSCORE.beacon({ c1: 2, c2: "6035669", c3: "", c4: "http://www.vietworldkitchen.com/blog/2012/06/tofu-frying-tips.html", c5: "", c6: "", c15: ""});

View the original article here

How to cook perfect rice - in a frying pan

Rice is central to Japanese cuisine, so like most Japanese people, I have owned a rice cooker for as long as I can remember. Therefore, I usually cook rice in it. Sometimes I resort to another appliance, such as a pressure cooker for cooking brown rice. But truth be told I am not that good at making rice in a pot, mainly because I rarely have to do it. My rice cooker is always there for me. (My basic rice cooking method is here.)

But, recently I’ve been in several situations where I haven’t had a rice cooker, but really needed to make some rice, either for eating or to make demo bentos during my book tour. That’s when I decided to try making the rice in a frying pan. I’d seen this method on an NHK TV show called Necchuu Sutajiamu (Passion Stadium…yep I know, Japanese program show names can be a bit odd, especially in translation) back in October, and had been very intrigued at how easy it looked. I looked it up the program’s website (Japanese page) as well as a how-to on Cookpad (also Japanese), the Japanese mega-cooking site, and gave it a try.

And you know what…it’s so easy, and the results are really fantastic! I had perfectly cooked rice in less than 30 minute from measuring out to serving. Amazing!

I’ve tried commonly available methods of cooking rice before, such as adding rice to boiling water or vice versa, letting rice come to a boil in water in a pan and putting a lid on and letting it rest, and so on. None of those methods really worked to my satisfaction, especially for Japanese style rice — you know, the kind that goes with Japanese meals, that gets turned into sushi rice, and so on. I am extremely picky about how my rice turns out. So this method was quite a revelation for me, in terms of how easy and foolproof it is.

I did have to make some small adjustments to the basic method to accommodate the quirks of an electric stovetop (as I explained in my my fried rice in a frying pain article, electric ranges are common in Europe, not so in Japan or the U.S., and I’m constantly adjusting my methods accordingly). Otherwise though, it’s such a quick and easy method of making rice that I have been doing it this way quite often.

Note that the recipe/method here is for Japanese-style white rice. It should work with other white rice types too, but you may need to adjust the water amounts. Brown rice will need to be soaked in water for several hours if you’re going to try cooking it in a frying pan. (I’ve seen brown rice that has been pre-treated to cook in the same amount of time as white rice in Japan and some Japanese grocery stores elsewhere, so you could try looking for that.)

You need:

Japanese style medium-grain white rice (see Looking at different types of rice) A frying pan with a non-stick surface. I used a 28 cm / 11 inch diameter model. I recommend a similar size for making 1 to 2 cups of rice. A tight fitting lid for the frying pan. The lid does need to fit well so that excess steam gets trapped. A glass one is nice since it lets you see your rice’s progress without opening the lid.

Following the method described in my basic rice how-to, rinse the rice and drain it well. (Rinsing does make a difference in taste! You just need to do it a few times.) Put the drained rice plus 1.1 times the amount of water by volume in the frying pan. So, if you have 1 cup of rice, use 1 cup and a bit of water. For 2 cups of rice, use 2.2 cups (about 2 and 1/4) water. I don’t recommend doing more than 2 cups at a time in this size frying pan.

At this point, ideally you’ll let the rice soak a bit (about half an hour) for plumper grains, but you can skip the soaking if you’re in a big hurry.

Put the frying pan on the stovetop over high heat with the lid on. Bring to a boil - the water will bubble aggressively, like so.

Give the rice a good stir up from the bottom with a spoon or spatula.

Replace the lid tightly. Lower the heat immediately to low.

If you’re using an electric range, the heat will not respond instantly so you’ll have high heat for a couple of minutes. Take the frying pan off the hot burner for a couple of minutes until the burner has had a chance to cool down to the low level.

Let the rice cook on the low setting. You’ll see the water get absorbed rapidly and big, starchy bubbles on the surface. This only takes about 5 minutes so be sure you’re hovering near the pan with an eye on it! (I do other dinner-prep stuff while the rice is steaming.)

Once the bubbles have subsided, you’ll see the surface of the rice with nice, even steam holes all over it. As soon this happens, turn the heat up to high for a minute or two, then turn the heat off. If you’re using an electric range, take the pan off the hot burner and put it somewhere else (like on top of an unused burner).

Let the pan rest with the lid on for a minimum of 10 minutes. This is very important, otherwise you may end up with a little hard center in your rice grains. Al dente is good for pasta, not for rice! (At least, it’s not good for Japanese style rice. Other rices, I don’t think so either.)

And…here’s the cooked rice. Looks beautiful, doesn’t it?

Here’s the rice fluffed up. Perfectly cooked and ready to eat as-is or turn into onigiri, sushi rice, or whatever your heart desires.

And…there are no burned bits stuck to the pan - I love easy cleanup! (Note: if you use a regular frying pan withint a non-stick surface, you may get some stuck-on bits. Also, if the final burst of high heat is too long, the bottom of the rice may get a bit brown.)

I had some of this batch as tamago kake gohan, raw egg and soy sauce on hot rice - one of my favorite breakfasts or snacks. (Not recommended unless you have really fresh, safe eggs.)

Why does this work? According to that Passion Stadium broadcast it’s because in a frying pan, the rice is spread out thinly on a large cooking surface, so it cooks fast and evenly. (That’s why you shouldn’t cook more than 2 cups (US cup measure, where 1 cup is about 240ml) of rice at a time in a 10-12 inch (26-30 cm) frying pan. If you’re doing a large amount of rice, I’d recommend two frying pans going at once!

The tight fitting lid is very important, otherwise too much steam will escape during the cooking process. The one I use is a model that fits pans of various sizes, and is really handy.

I think this method is preferable to cooking rice in the oven. It’s just as foolproof, much faster (you can have the rice all cooked in the time it takes to heat up a big oven) and far more energy efficient. And I like it better than microwave-cooking rice too, because I find having open take the bowl out of the microwave and stirring, etc. to be too cumbersome. To avoid all that taking out and stirring you need a special microwave-rice-cooking bowl, and this is all about not having to get special equipment to cook rice.

My rice cooker is still my everyday rice cooking device, since you can’t beat its hands-off reliability and delayed-cooking-with-timer capability, not to mention the keep-warm feature. But if you don’t have a rice cooker, and don’t want to get one for whatever reason, or you’re in a hurry to get some rice cooked in the shortest amount of time, I hope you’ll give this a try!

(ETA: Yes, I do know what paella and risotto are. The texture of the rice in either dish is completely different from what I want Japanese style rice to turn out to be.)

View the original article here

How to cook perfect rice - in a frying pan

Rice is central to Japanese cuisine, so like most Japanese people, I have owned a rice cooker for as long as I can remember. Therefore, I usually cook rice in it. Sometimes I resort to another appliance, such as a pressure cooker for cooking brown rice. But truth be told I am not that good at making rice in a pot, mainly because I rarely have to do it. My rice cooker is always there for me. (My basic rice cooking method is here.)

But, recently I’ve been in several situations where I haven’t had a rice cooker, but really needed to make some rice, either for eating or to make demo bentos during my book tour. That’s when I decided to try making the rice in a frying pan. I’d seen this method on an NHK TV show called Necchuu Sutajiamu (Passion Stadium…yep I know, Japanese program show names can be a bit odd, especially in translation) back in October, and had been very intrigued at how easy it looked. I looked it up the program’s website (Japanese page) as well as a how-to on Cookpad (also Japanese), the Japanese mega-cooking site, and gave it a try.

And you know what…it’s so easy, and the results are really fantastic! I had perfectly cooked rice in less than 30 minute from measuring out to serving. Amazing!

I did have to make some small adjustments to the basic method to accommodate the quirks of an electric stovetop (as I explained in my my fried rice in a frying pain article, electric ranges are common in Europe, not so in Japan or the U.S., and I’m constantly adjusting my methods accordingly). Otherwise though, it’s such a quick and easy method of making rice that I have been doing it this way quite often.

Note that the recipe/method here is for Japanese-style white rice. It should work with other white rice types too, but you may need to adjust the water amounts. Brown rice will need to be soaked in water for several hours if you’re going to try cooking it lin a frying pan. (I’ve seen brown rice that has been pre-treated to cook in the same amount of time as white rice in Japan and some Japanese grocery stores elsewhere, so you could try looking for that.)

You need:

Japanese style medium-grain white rice (see Looking at different types of rice) A frying pan with a non-stick surface. I used a 28 cm / 11 inch diameter model. I recommend a similar size for making 1 to 2 cups of rice. A tight fitting lid for the frying pan. The lid does need to fit well so that excess steam gets trapped. A glass one is nice since it lets you see your rice’s progress without opening the lid.

Following the method described in my basic rice how-to, rinse the rice and drain it well. (Rinsing does make a difference in taste! You just need to do it a few times.) Put the drained rice plus 1.1 times the amount of water by volume in the frying pan. So, if you have 1 cup of rice, use 1 cup and a bit of water. For 2 cups of rice, use 2.2 cups (about 2 and 1/4) water. I don’t recommend doing more than 2 cups at a time in this size frying pan.

At this point, ideally you’ll let the rice soak a bit (about half an hour) for plumper grains, but you can skip the soaking if you’re in a big hurry.

Put the frying pan on the stovetop over high heat with the lid on. Bring to a boil - the water will bubble aggressively, like so.

Give the rice a good stir up from the bottom with a spoon or spatula.

Replace the lid tightly. Lower the heat immediately to low.

If you’re using an electric range, the heat will not respond instantly so you’ll have high heat for a couple of minutes. Take the frying pan off the hot burner for a couple of minutes until the burner has had a chance to cool down to the low level.

Let the rice cook on the low setting. You’ll see the water get absorbed rapidly and big, starchy bubbles on the surface. This only takes about 5 minutes so be sure you’re hovering near the pan with an eye on it! (I do other dinner-prep stuff while the rice is steaming.)

Once the bubbles have subsided, you’ll see the surface of the rice with nice, even steam holes all over it. As soon this happens, turn the heat up to high for a minute or two, then turn the heat off. If you’re using an electric range, take the pan off the hot burner and put it somewhere else (like on top of an unused burner).

Let the pan rest with the lid on for a minimum of 10 minutes. This is very important, otherwise you may end up with a little hard center in your rice grains. Al dente is good for pasta, not for rice!

And…here’s the cooked rice. Looks beautiful, doesn’t it?

Here’s the rice fluffed up. Perfectly cooked and ready to eat as-is or turn into onigiri, sushi rice, or whatever your heart desires.

And…there are no burned bits stuck to the pan - I love easy cleanup! (Note: if you use a regular frying pan withint a non-stick surface, you may get some stuck-on bits. Also, if the final burst of high heat is too long, the bottom of the rice may get a bit brown.)

I had some of this batch as tamago kake gohan, raw egg and soy sauce on hot rice - one of my favorite breakfasts or snacks. (Not recommended unless you have really fresh, safe eggs.)

Why does this work? According to that Passion Stadium broadcast it’s because in a frying pan, the rice is spread out thinly on a large cooking surface, so it cooks fast and evenly. (That’s why you shouldn’t cook more than 2 cups (US cup measure, where 1 cup is about 240ml) of rice at a time in a 10-12 inch (26-30 cm) frying pan. If you’re doing a large amount of rice, I’d recommend two frying pans going at once!

The tight fitting lid is very important, otherwise too much steam will escape during the cooking process. The one I use is a model that fits pans of various sizes, and is really handy.

I think this method is preferable to cooking rice in the oven. It’s just as foolproof, much faster (you can have the rice all cooked in the time it takes to heat up a big oven) and far more energy efficient. And I like it better than microwave-cooking rice too, because I find having open take the bowl out of the microwave and stirring, etc. to be too cumbersome. To avoid all that taking out and stirring you need a special microwave-rice-cooking bowl, and this is all about not having to get special equipment to cook rice.

My rice cooker is still my everyday rice cooking device, since you can’t beat its hands-off reliability and delayed-cooking-with-timer capability, not to mention the keep-warm feature. But if you don’t have a rice cooker, and don’t want to get one for whatever reason, or you’re in a hurry to get some rice cooked in the shortest amount of time, I hope you’ll give this a try!

View the original article here