Fix Batter That Falls Off

When making food such as croquettes or onion rings that require battered coatings, the ideal is for the batter to stay on the food item in an even, crisp and appealing way. If, however, you find that the batter is falling off, this is a sign of inadequate heat during the frying process, dirty fat or oil, or may also reflect use of the wrong type of fat or oil for frying. Remedying this problem requires getting the temperature right each time you fry food coated in batter or other coatings.

Steps

 * 1) Ensure that the fat or oil is clean and clear. Do not reuse old fat or oil with former fried food pieces, etc. in it. Some oil can be reused provided it is clean but this is not recommended on the whole; see "Tips".
 * 2) Ensure that the fat or oil in which you are frying the food is hot enough. It is really important to use fat or oil that is able to take high temperatures, such as peanut oil. Good fats for deep frying include:
 * 3) *Butter, ghee
 * 4) *Corn oil
 * 5) *Cottonseed oil
 * 6) *Lard
 * 7) *Macadamia nut oil
 * 8) *Olive oil
 * 9) *Peanut oil
 * 10) *Rice bran oil
 * 11) *Walnut oil
 * 12)  Heat the fat or oil until it is quite still. You will see a little blue smoke rising. This is known as its "smoke point", the temperature at which the fat or oil gives off smoke. The smoke point of oil is affected by the purity and age of the oil.
 * 13)  Check the heat with a thermometer to ensure that the fat is heated adequately. This step is optional if you don't have a thermometer but it is very helpful.
 * 14)  Fry the food as instructed in the recipe.

Tips

 * Egg and breadcrumb coating is another coating that can be "under-cooked".
 * Food that is supposed to be battered but has failed can still be eaten; simply ensure that the food is adequately cooked and hide it under a sauce such as cheese sauce, béchamel sauce, parsley sauce, etc. No need to own up to what happened!
 * If you wish to reuse oil for frying, there are several things to keep in mind. The oil should be strained through a cheesecloth to prevent particle build-up. The oil should be capable of being refried (olive oil, canola oil, etc.), and the oil should not be burned (past its smoke point). Do not reuse dirty oil, blackened oil, or oil that has been used in an iron or copper pots. Never mix different types of oil.

Things You'll Need

 * Thermometer (optional)
 * Correct fat or oil

Sources and Citations

 * Adapted from advice in The Hostess Cookbook, 1952, London, pre ISBN.