All the frying happens on the stove, in a deep, heavy pot or skillet. The Thermomix® TM7™ does not deep fry, but it helps with everything before and after: the masa for alcapurrias, the dough and filling for empanadillas, the batter for bacalaítos and the garlicky mojo for dipping.
Oil temperature by food
These are the usual home frying temperatures. Your recipe may ask for a few degrees more or less, and that is fine.
| Food | Oil temperature | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Maduros (ripe plantains) | about 160°C (325°F) | Their natural sugar browns fast, so gentler heat lets them turn soft and caramelized without burning. |
| Bone-in chicken pieces | about 160°C (325°F) | Thick pieces need time to reach 74°C (165°F) in the center before the outside gets too dark. |
| First fry of tostones | about 160 to 175°C (325 to 350°F) | Cooks the plantain soft inside and keeps it pale, ready to flatten. |
| Alcapurrias, bacalaítos, empanadillas, pastelillos, sorullitos | about 175°C (350°F), up to 180°C (360°F) for thin bacalaítos | Seals and browns the outside while the filling or center heats through. |
| Second fry of tostones, churros, yuca frita (boiled first) | about 180 to 190°C (360 to 375°F) | Thin or already cooked inside, they only need a fast, crisp, golden outside. |
Every time you add food, the oil cools down. Fry a little at a time and let the oil heat back up before the next batch.
How to check the oil without a thermometer
A frying or candy thermometer clipped to the side of the pot is the surest way. If you do not have one, these old tricks get you close:
- Wooden spoon: dip the end of a dry wooden spoon handle into the oil. When small, steady bubbles form around it right away, the oil is ready for most frying. Very strong bubbling means it is too hot; few or no bubbles mean wait.
- Bread cube: drop in a 2.5 cm (1 in) cube of bread. If it turns golden in about 60 seconds, the oil is close to 175°C (350°F). Faster means hotter.
- Test piece: fry one small piece first. It should sizzle with lively bubbles as soon as it touches the oil.
- Smoke is a warning: if the oil smokes, it is too hot. Turn off the heat and let it cool a little before you go on.
Why the temperature matters
- Too cool: the outside does not seal, so the food soaks up oil and turns out greasy, pale and soft.
- Too hot: the outside darkens or burns before the inside cooks, and the oil breaks down faster.
- Just right: a crisp, golden crust forms quickly, the steam inside keeps the oil out and the center cooks through.
- Too much at once: a crowded pot drops the oil temperature, and you are back to greasy food. Leave space around each piece.
Tips for better frying
- Use a deep, heavy pot and fill it no more than halfway with oil, so it has room to bubble up when the food goes in.
- Pat the food dry before frying. Water makes hot oil spatter.
- Lower each piece in gently with a slotted spoon or tongs, letting it slide away from you.
- Fry in small batches and let the oil come back to temperature between them.
- Drain on a rack or on paper towels and add salt while the food is hot, so it sticks.
- Keep finished batches crisp on a rack in the oven at its lowest setting while you fry the rest.
Which oil to use
Choose a neutral oil with a high smoke point, the temperature where oil starts to smoke and break down. These handle frying heat well and do not add their own flavor:
- Vegetable, canola, corn or sunflower oil: neutral, affordable and easy to find.
- Peanut oil: great for frying, but tell your guests, because of peanut allergies.
- Save butter and extra virgin olive oil for other jobs: butter burns at frying heat, and good olive oil is costly and has its own taste.
Reusing oil: once it is completely cool, strain it through a fine strainer lined with a paper towel or a coffee filter, cover it and keep it in a cool, dark place. You can use it a few more times for similar foods. Throw it out when it turns dark, smells off, foams or smokes early. Never pour oil down the sink: let it cool, close it in a container and put it in the trash.
Frying safely
- Never leave hot oil alone, not even for a minute. If you have to step away, turn off the heat.
- Keep a lid or a baking sheet next to the stove. If the oil catches fire, turn off the burner and slide the lid over the pot to smother the flames. Leave it covered until it cools.
- Never put water on hot oil or on an oil fire: the water turns to steam at once and throws burning oil everywhere.
- If the fire does not go out right away, get everyone out of the house and call 911.
- Never carry a pot of hot oil, and never try to move a pot that is on fire.
- Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove and keep children and pets away while you fry.
- Let the oil cool completely, a few hours, before you strain it or move the pot.
Practice with these recipes
Each one tells you the oil temperature to use:
- Tostones: two fries, a gentle one to cook them and a hot one to make them crisp.
- Alcapurrias: green banana and yautía fritters filled with beef.
- Bacalaítos: thin, crisp salt cod fritters.
- Empanadillas: beef turnovers with a blistered, golden crust.
- Sorullitos de maíz: cornmeal and cheese fingers.
- Maduros: sweet plantains at a gentler heat, so they do not burn.