Pressure cooker chicken frying

[Traveler]

Yesterday I talked with a mgr at KFC and I asked about their pressure cooker frying. He told me that they deep fry pressure cook at 195 F for 18 minutes.

Very interesting. Such a low temp. As an experiment I plan on doing similar with an old fashioned pressure cooker pot.

Is there anyone who thinks that would be dangerous ? I mean deep frying pressure cooker with OIL. ? If so why would it be dangerous?

 

[roadfix]

Should be fine if you keep it at 195.... I would think. But I wonder how it can crisp at that low temp.

 

[roadfix]

Oh, also.... I don't know if you can use a regular household pressure cooker with oil in it as oil and water have different compression rates.

 

[tenspeed]

A quick google search will answer your questions.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAnhxqlxSkU

 

[Traveler]

Oh, also.... I don't know if you can use a regular household pressure cooker with oil in it as oil and water have different compression rates.

I recall seeing KFC use that method 50 years ago. A whole long live of household pressure cookers.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

Pressure frying in oil can also be called broasting. A "broaster" uses more oil than a standard pressure cooker can safely use when frying chicken. My Mom loved broasted chicken. So much, in fact, that she asked for (and got) a broaster cooker for Christmas. She tried it once and was so nervous with the idea of that much oil under pressure, we ended up getting rid of the broaster and buying from the little market that make it fresh to order.

I don't know how informational this article is, but it is somewhat interesting:

What's the difference between Broasted and fried chicken?

 

[caseydog]

I know KFC used pressure fryers for the original recipe, which really wasn't crisp. although it did taste good. I'm not sure they used the same cooking method for their "extra crispy" and subsequent variants on extra crispy.

Give it a try, and tell us how it works out. Hopefully we won't hear how it turned out on the ten-o'clock news.

CD

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Nothing scientific, but many years of using a pressure cooker...the very idea of using a stovetop PC for frying in oil scares the willies out of me. No way to check internal temp.

 

[Aunt Bea]

Years ago they used to sell a pressure fryer called a Chicken Bucket, they still turn up on ebay. I thought that they were discontinued because the heat, pressure and oil caused the gaskets to deteriorate and make them unsafe.

I agree with PF, it's not worth the risks involved.

KFC 8 piece meal deal $21.99 a trip to the emergency room priceless!

 

[GotGarlic]

Nothing scientific, but many years of using a pressure cooker...the very idea of using a stovetop PC for frying in oil scares the willies out of me. No way to check internal temp.

Agree, although I've only used a stovetop pressure cooker once. If you try it, be very careful about how much oil you use. It expands rapidly when the pressure forces moisture out of the food.

Btw, I found this comment from a chef who said pressure frying isn't done as much as it used to be because chickens now are younger and more tender than they used to be. You can make perfectly good fried chicken in a cast iron skillet.

https://www.chefsteps.com/forum/posts/pressure-frying-at-home-9

 

[tenspeed]

Agree, although I've only used a stovetop pressure cooker once. If you try it, be very careful about how much oil you use. It expands rapidly when the pressure forces moisture out of the food.

Btw, I found this comment from a chef who said pressure frying isn't done as much as it used to be because chickens now are younger and more tender than they used to be. You can make perfectly good fried chicken in a cast iron skillet.

https://www.chefsteps.com/forum/posts/pressure-frying-at-home-9

According to Chef Jacob's video, chickens are butchered 10 weeks younger than they used to be. Also, KFC now pressure fries at 5 psi, instead of the 15 psi they originally used.

Depending upon deductibles for homeowners insurance and emergency room visits, buying a commercial pressure fryer might be cheaper and less painful.

 

[blissful]

Nothing scientific, but many years of using a pressure cooker...the very idea of using a stovetop PC for frying in oil scares the willies out of me. No way to check internal temp.

I've used a pressure canner (not a pressure cooker) for many years. As the temperature rises and the stopper is closed, to keep the water vapor in, the pressure goes up.



The pressure is monitored on a pressure dial gauge or rocker style gauge so you know the pressure, and because you know the pressure you know the temperature. There is a direct relationship between the water vapor pressure and the temperature.


It's only measuring the WATER vapor pressure, (not the oil vapor), water boils at a lower temperature than oil. As long as there is water in it, because there is water in chicken, there will always be water vapor until the chicken is completely dried out.


The safe guards on the pressure cooker would blow (there is a rubber button that would blow) once the pressure is well beyond 15 lbs. It would be unsafe to run a pressure cooker/canner into those high numbers and get all of the water vapor out leaving oil to start vaporizing. Dangerous, absolutely. Isn't a pressure cooker/or canner what was used at the Boston Marathon? I think so.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Water vapor yes, temp is accurate, but what is the oil doing?


Put out the money and buy an actual pressure fryer, don't mess with a cooker not designed for pressure frying.

 

[jennyema]

YOU SHOULD NEVER, EVER TRY TO PRESURE FRY ANYTHING IN A REGULAR PRESSURE COOKER!!!!!!

It is very dangerous!!!!

Only use a pressure fryer for this.

KFC and "broasting" machines are pressure fryers, built to be safe. KFC uses a set up that looks like a refrigerator with racks of chicken rolled in.