What Oil Is The Healthiest for Deep Frying?

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I'm not being sarcastic but why in the world would anyone be concerned about the healthiest oil to use when you eat chicken wings with the skin on and chips?
That is like saying why try at all. Every little bit helps. You do not need to avoid foods that are not healthy if you want to live a healthy lifestyle. You just need to eat them in moderation. And if you are going to eat them then finding any way to make them healthier is a good thing.
 
Steamboater said:
I'm not being sarcastic but why in the world would anyone be concerned about the healthiest oil to use when you eat chicken wings with the skin on and chips?

If food is fried properly (high enough temp, fried uncovered so the steam escapes, not overcrowded and not cooked too long) it will not absorb oil. Yes, it will be "coated" with oil - so looking for the healthiest oil isn't so inane.

And, if you understand animal fats - chicken fat isn't that bad ... kind of blows the idea that some people have - a steak is good for you but chicken with the skin on will kill you.

My x-wife went on a diet once that required her to remove the skin from chicken ... but she also had to buy special gloves from "them" to keep the fat from the chicken skin from being absorbed through the pores in her hands as she removed it.
 
michael: Fat absorbed through your hands through chicken skin isn't a probelm since it's only only your hands briefly. Better to get a little fat on your fingers then in your stomach (and in your arties for that matter). Frankly, chicken skin is bad for your health and there's been enough studies to show that. I cut the skin off and then the fat that was underneaththe skin attached to the chicken before I cook the chicken.
I never said looking for the healthy oil is inane either; it's not. It's only when someone shops at healthfood stores for example and then stops for lunch at McDonalds that is.
 
cupcakeChiq: Hmmm.... grapeseed is terrific if you have episodes of gout like I do. Do you know why it's not good to use it too often?
 
I found this on the net:

Olive oil is the reigning star of cooking oils because of all the research done on the Mediterranean diet and its cardiovascular benefits. But the far less well known grape seed oil has also been shown to have positive effects on cholesterol, and it’s rich in antioxidants to boot. The other good thing about grape seed oil is that it has a higher smoke point than olive oil (425 degrees F versus 325 degrees F). This difference means you can safely set your burner to medium-high versus medium.
Grape seed oil has a very mild flavor so can be used in almost any culinary endeavor from sautéing to baking. Try mixing it with a flavored vinegar and use as a dressing for green or three-bean salads.
 
Frankly, chicken skin is bad for your health and there's been enough studies to show that. I cut the skin off and then the fat that was underneath the skin attached to the chicken before I cook the chicken.

Actually, the skin is not the problem. From Eat To Live: Bacon bad, chicken skin good - UPI.com:

Researchers discovered that skinless chicken contains more heterocyclic amines than chicken cooked with the skin on. People who ate skinless chicken regularly, they found, were at a 52-percent greater risk of getting bladder cancer.

When chicken is properly cooked, i.e., the skin is nice and crispy, the fat under the skin has been rendered out and presumably discarded. I've been known to take chicken skin that was insufficiently crispy and cook it a little longer in the toaster oven till practically all the fat is gone - good good stuff

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I am along the lines of Katie E and smag, only have olive and canola oils at home for cooking and I rarely fry stuff.
I love olive oil, specially the type that smells strongly and I am aware of all publications about the benefits and Mediterranean diets, etc. etc. However, I would not go to karenlyn's extreme of cooking and frying with olive oil. Not just because of the oil being burnt, but also the fact that the average Mediterranean probably excercises daily more than the average American with grocery shopping and use of public transportation.

To answer virgo152 question, I'd say that Canola is the safest bet when used in combination with a thermometer to control frying temperature. At least, that is what I do.
 
We've discussed the concept of "the best fat/oil" several times over the past 3-4 years ... and it really comes down to: the best fat to use depends .... (trust me - it's a whole seperate area of science).

Now, for the "can you do it in the oven" part of the question:

Oven-fried potato chips recipes

Oven-fried chicken (Buffalo) wings recipes

Now, I'll borrow a word from BBQ Mikey - "oxymoron". Oven-frying is a form of "roasting" - deep frying is "boiling in oil". Yep, you can do it - but the results will not be the same.
 
Wysiwyg-- you're right! People here definitely get out more, walk more, and are generally more active. So I'm sure that makes a difference. It's a little disturbing, actually-- everyone is so THIN! But they also eat a LOT of olive oil (and pork fat)... a very high fat diet. I don't. I almost never fry-- but when I do, I use olive oil. It's super cheap here, after all.

I really think there has to be something about olive oil that helps keep you thin. Not a scientific theory, of course... just a study in observation. Sure, people here are more active. But not THAT much more active. I think they probably eat as much or more fat here than in the States, yet everybody is (comparatively) thin. It's gotta be the diet. I certainly lost weight when I moved here!

Anyway, just my theory. Olive oil is wonderful! :)

-Karen
 
Wysiwyg-- you're right! People here definitely get out more, walk more, and are generally more active. So I'm sure that makes a difference. It's a little disturbing, actually-- everyone is so THIN! But they also eat a LOT of olive oil (and pork fat)... a very high fat diet. I don't. I almost never fry-- but when I do, I use olive oil. It's super cheap here, after all.

I really think there has to be something about olive oil that helps keep you thin. Not a scientific theory, of course... just a study in observation. Sure, people here are more active. But not THAT much more active. I think they probably eat as much or more fat here than in the States, yet everybody is (comparatively) thin. It's gotta be the diet. I certainly lost weight when I moved here!

Anyway, just my theory. Olive oil is wonderful! :)

-Karen

stop looking at olive oil and START looking at one HUGE thing that's a major part of the american diet... one thing that's in almost EVERYTHING:

high
fructose
corn
syrup.

causes insulin spikes which trigger fat storage, etc.
 
I like grapeseed oil for most frying which I don't want the flavor of the oil to come through, though I don't deep fry often and it is pretty expensive for use that way. If I did deep fry often I would probably go for rice bran oil. I've heard good things about it before - it's the oil used in the fryers at the last restaurant where I worked.

Oh, it's worth mentioning, deep fry oil can generally be reused, especially if you're only doing potatoes or other vegetables. This helps to offset the costs.

I don't use or recommend canola oil. I prefer oils made from foods I would eat.
 
I've learned alot from this discussion of oils. Problem is, some of them are not available to me here. Goodweed and others, what do you think about corn oil? That is the oil used most often here, and I really like using it. It doesn't have any residual taste - somehow, I can taste canola oil and don't care for it. I can also readily find sunflower oil, and of course, LARD. I guess we shouldn't even go there.............
 
Lard is not as bad as it's cracked up to be - but stay away from the stuff in the supermarket - it's usually hydrogenated.

Corn oil isn't in my pantry, but not for any particular reason. I have a lot of oils already, more than I need, probably. I have peanut, EVOO, grapeseed, coconut, palm (both red & white), walnut, and lard. Sometimes I buy rendered duck fat from my butcher too.
 
How do I tell if the lard I buy here is hydrogenated? (I suspect it isn't.) The label says "manteca de cerdo" (fat from pork) "100% pura". It costs 8 pesos (about 80 cents) for a half kilo (1.1 pounds). There are two grades available - one is a little darker and has some tiny brown flecks in it, so it must be less rendered. I use it for flour tortillas and pastry crusts -it is wonderful stuff.
 
Oh yeah, you're in Mexico. I have no idea of the labeling laws there. I also have no idea how the lard is processed there. Sorry.
 

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