recently we talked about sauteing. now, let's talk about the rest of the dry heat cooking methods.

firstly, the name is slightly a misnomer. you're not going in completely dry - you're going to have oil be your best friend (remember, we talked about different types of oils as well). the name dry heat simply means that no water is being used in the cooking method.

pan frying

pan frying is a lot like sauteing, a stovetop method of cooking using oil over direct heat. the difference is in the amount of oil used and the object of the game. with pan-frying, instead of looking to simply cook the item, you're going to dredge it in flour or press breadcrumbs onto it, and you're looking to create a rich, golden-brown exterior. the oil, as opposed to the 1-2 oz used in sauteing, should come halfway up the item being cooked. common pan-fried dishes include sole meuniere and breakfast potatoes.

deep frying

deep frying is a familiar sight. pots filled with oil, thermometers sticking out. baskets dunked in full of potatoes or breaded catfish. deep frying is our next dry heat cooking method, in which the item is entirely submerged within oil at a controlled temperature. it's the oil that's cooking the food here and not that hell-hot pan at all. like pan-frying, you're looking for that beautiful, golden-brown and crisp exterior.

some care must be taken with the temperature here. a recommended frying temperature is between 350-400 degrees Fahrenheit in canola, peanut, or grapeseed oil. lower temperatures allow the oil to penetrate the crust, causing it to become oily and greasy instead of perfectly crisp. dropping the food in will lower the oil's temperature, so a recommended starting temp is about 375. always allow the oil to come back up to temp before dropping a new piece.

common deep fried items include french fries, buttermilk fried chicken, and vegetable tempura.

roasting & baking