# What’s the crispiest fried coating?



## boomchakabowwow (Jul 16, 2018)

I’ve heard fat in a batter (like egg yokes) makes a less crispy coating. 

I tried a thinner batter tonight. Just flour and a bit of rice flour with water. I think I should have made it thinner for a lighter crust. 

What starch? What liquid?

I want it to hold up with a glaze. I made Sweet and Sour pork tonight. Flavor was on point, but the crust soften before we finished. I want to try it again. How to make it really crispy?


----------



## DitmasPork (Jul 17, 2018)

That looks delicious!

What I've made sweet & sour pork, I marinate the pork cubes in a little Shaoxing (os dry sherry), egg, salt and pepper. Roll the marinated cubes in plain corn or potato starch, wait about 5 minutes, roll cubes a second time in starch.

I've also seen recipes where starch is mixed into the marinade, then cubes are dipped into egg before rolled in starch. Chinese kitchens I've been in don't use wheat flour too much. Might be due to traditional Chinese home kitchens lacking ovens.

Personally I like cooking with potato starch. A while back I made a batch of Karaage, Japanese fried chicken, which uses potato starch.

It's fun playing with different flours/coatings for frying. Blue Ribbon here in NYC uses matzo meal for their fried chicken.


----------



## panda (Jul 17, 2018)

semolina flour & polenta


----------



## Ryndunk (Jul 17, 2018)

Potato starch is probably what you want for this.


----------



## ynot1985 (Jul 17, 2018)

I use potato starch too for my sweet and sour pork


----------



## Xenif (Jul 17, 2018)

I also use potato starch, its just hard to beat


----------



## Paraffin (Jul 18, 2018)

Another potato starch user here (hey cool, it's a club!). Marinade with potato starch, salt, and Shaoxing wine, or dry white sherry, or sake for liquid. Lately I've been using sake just 'cause we have a lot of it for some reason.

The crispiest coatings in recipes I've used are with the "twice fry" method for pork, chicken, or seafood. Hit the food first in a 300-350 F oil until not quite cooked through, then remove and drain on paper towels. Raise the oil temp to 375-400 F, fry again until golden brown, remove and drain again, then set on wire rack. At that point it usually goes back into the wok one last time with the sauce (briefly, serve quick so the coating doesn't soften).

Kind of a pain in the ass to fry twice, but it gets a better result that way. Same thing with homemade french fries; twice-fry is super crispy.


----------



## DitmasPork (Jul 18, 2018)

If twice frying is a pain, then here's a solution! 
https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes...made-with-popeyes-chicken-nuggets-recipe.html

IMO, frying just once before for finishing in the sauce is sufficient—you don't want to over cook the meat. Though twice frying does get them very crispy.

Another good flour to fry with is arrowroot flour—works in place of cornstarch. The root was used to heal poison arrow wounds, hence the name.



Paraffin said:


> Another potato starch user here (hey cool, it's a club!). Marinade with potato starch, salt, and Shaoxing wine, or dry white sherry, or sake for liquid. Lately I've been using sake just 'cause we have a lot of it for some reason.
> 
> The crispiest coatings in recipes I've used are with the "twice fry" method for pork, chicken, or seafood. Hit the food first in a 300-350 F oil until not quite cooked through, then remove and drain on paper towels. Raise the oil temp to 375-400 F, fry again until golden brown, remove and drain again, then set on wire rack. At that point it usually goes back into the wok one last time with the sauce (briefly, serve quick so the coating doesn't soften).
> 
> Kind of a pain in the ass to fry twice, but it gets a better result that way. Same thing with homemade french fries; twice-fry is super crispy.


----------



## boomchakabowwow (Jul 18, 2018)

Thanks! Potato starch. Can’t wait to try it.


----------



## Chef Doom (Sep 7, 2018)

Tapioca Flour. I made orange chicken strips with it once. It held up pretty well.


----------



## btbyrd (Sep 7, 2018)

Crisp Coat?


----------



## Jon-cal (Sep 8, 2018)

I’ve had good luck with just rice flour. I’ve never tried it with a glaze though, but it gets pretty crispy


----------



## Wdestate (Sep 8, 2018)

also a fan of the twice fry


----------



## Jon-cal (Sep 8, 2018)

Also, I don’t usually bother with egg or anything. Just rice flour on fish mostly in butter


----------



## parbaked (Sep 8, 2018)

^ This...I usually just do "Karaage style"
1. Marinate protein for an hour or so
2. add a couple tbs of potato or corn starch right into the marinated chicken.
3. fry at 375 degrees


----------



## tedg (Sep 9, 2018)

another one here for potato starch.


----------



## Dendrobatez (Oct 5, 2018)

Everyone is saying potato starch but I think potato flour is much better - the results are similar to taro flour. The flavor is good and it gets super crispy and golden. Whatever your (dry) breading of choice though you'll get best results if bread it, pop it under the fan in your fridge on a rack for an hour, then bread it again before frying.


----------



## Mute-on (Oct 6, 2018)

Cornflake crumbs. Probably only available in Australia. 

Of course if you can get hold of some corn flakes, just smash ‘em up.


----------



## pleue (Oct 6, 2018)

I use a mix of tapioca flour, rice flour, and potato starch with coarse potato flour.


----------



## Xenif (Oct 6, 2018)

Goldfish crackers (crushed)also make a great bread crumb substitute, especially for fish


----------



## Keith Sinclair (Oct 8, 2018)

Did a lot of deep frying 40 years in pro kitchens. Now an old fart watching what I eat. I prefer non battered fish grilled in a skillet, baked or steamed Chinese style. Buy my fish fresh from Chinatown. At home don't deep fry anything.

I know not a popular post. I still get my fix every now & then eating Korean fish Jun or Japanese Tempura when go out to eat. Also like panko coated oysters at favorite Japanese spot.  Moral of story don't get old.


----------



## parbaked (Oct 8, 2018)

I don't fry at home...it's a good reason to eat out!


----------



## Paraffin (Oct 9, 2018)

There are some places I've lived where I wouldn't want to home-fry. Right now we're blessed with a kitchen we designed around high heat and great ventilation, so I can crank up a monster commercial hood over pan-fried or wok-fried food. 

I know it's not the healthiest way to cook (and I'm getting old too). But some of the things I fry with Chinese "passing through oil" and then into a sauce, end up with only a very thin potato starch coating. It's not a thick batter like fried fish or chicken. The retained oil is fairly low in those dishes. At least, that's what I tell myself.


----------

