Frying
Vegetables can be shallow-fried, deep-fried or stir-fried; they are also fried as part of other cooking processes - in casserole making for example. All vegetables for frying must be cut into small pieces so they will not burn on the outside before the inside is cooked.
SWEATING AND GLAZING
These two techniques are often used in French cooking. Diced flavouring vegetables are sweated gently at the start of a soup or stew so they cook in their own juices and retain flavour without browning. Greaseproof paper is used as a covering to prevent evaporation - for a snug fit, it can be cut into a cartouche. Glazing is the classic technique for finishing off turned vegetables. It gives them an attractive glossy presentation.
SWEATING
Melt 1-2 tbsp butter in a pan. Add vegetables, sprinkle with water and seasonings. Cover with greasepoof paper. Cook over a low heat, 3-5 minutes.
GLAZING
Melt 2 tbsp butter with 1 tbsp water and 1 tsp sugar. Add blanched vegetables and cook over a high heat, rolling them until glazed, 2-3 minutes.
GREASEPROOF PAPER CARTOUCHE
Fold a square of paper in half, then in half again, then into a triangle. Hold one narrow point in centre of pan; cut level with edge.
MAKING VEGETABLE FRITTERS
Vegetables cut into julienne and held together with batter can be shallow-fried to make crisp fritters or rösti. Here, a mixture of potatoes, carrots and courgettes are shown.
1. Make a batter of 50 g plain flour, 1 egg and seasonings to taste. Mix in 250 g vegetable julienne. Add spoonfuls to hot, shallow oil in a non-stick pan.
2. Fry the fritters over a moderate heat turning once with a spatula until they are crisp and golden on both sides, 3-4 minutes. Drain thoroughly before serving.
STIR-FRYING
This Asian technique is excellent for vegetables, leaving them crisp, full of nutrients and bright in colour. For best results, cut vegetables into julienne or ribbons.
Put prepared firm vegetables (here carrots and mangetouts) in a little hot oil in wok. Toss over a high heat for 2 minutes, then add soft vegetables such as bean sprouts and toss for 1 minute. Add seasonings and serve immediately.
DEEP-FRYING POTATOES
The French way of deep-frying potatoes is to "twice-fry" them, which gives an ultra-crisp result. First they are cooked until tender, then they are left to cool, and then they are fried again at a higher temperature. Potato baskets are used in classic French cuisine as containers for diced and tiny vegetables; the bird's nest mould for making them is available at specialist kitchenware shops.
1. Heat the oil to 160°C. Immerse potatoes in the oil for 5-6 minutes. Remove and cool, then increase the oil temperature to 180°C and deep-fry the potatoes again until crisp, 1-2 minutes.
2. Lift the basket out of the oil and let as much oil as possible drain away. Empty the fries out of the basket on to paper towels to absorb any residual oil. Sprinkle with salt before serving.
POTATO BASKET
Press pommes pailles into bird's nest mould. Deep-fry in 180°C oil for about 3 minutes until crisp and golden. Drain and unmould.
SAFETY FIRST
• Use a deep-fat fryer or deep, heavy pan.
• Fill deep-fat fryers no more than half full with oil, and woks no more than one-third full. Use a two-handled wok for optimum stability.
• Dry food well before frying to avoid sputtering.
• Keep pan handles pushed back.
• Clean up spills immediately and ensure that no fat is present on the outside of the pan.
• Never leave the pan unattended.
• Keep a fire blanket close to the stove.
MAKING CRISPY SEAWEED
Although served as seaweed, this Chinese restaurant speciality is in fact a dish of finely shredded spring greens deep-fried until crisp. Remove the tough stalks and wash and dry the leaves before shredding. The drier the cabbage, the easier it is to achieve crispy "seaweed" without it losing its bright green colour.
1. Pour enough oil into a wok to come one-third of the way up the side and heat to 180°C. Reduce the heat slightly, then add shredded greens in batches. Stir constantly with chopsticks to keep the shreds separate.
2. Just at the point the shreds begin to make a tinkling sound, remove with a slotted spoon and drain thoroughly. Serve hot, sprinkled with salt and sugar to taste. If you like, you can also sprinkle the seaweed with the special Chinese seasoning, ground fried fish, as illustrated here.
CHARGRILLING
This technique makes use of a stovetop grill to fry vegetables so that they have an attractive striped "chargrilled " effect.
Cut vegetables (here fennel, courgette, aubergine and red pepper) into chunks and toss them in olive oil, lemon juice, chopped fresh herbs and seasonings. Heat pan until hot but not smoking. Place vegetables on the pan and cook for 5 minutes on each side or until tender.
