What is the secret to perfectly battered food?

flour to the meat, then apply egg, then breadcrumbs.

You need to a-salt it. :P

Try a different pan, might help a lot with the cleanup.

@ragingloli – I’ve tried that, but I can’t seem to do it right. The flour sticks to the meat well enough, but then the egg doesn’t stick very well to the flour, and comes off in the breadcrumb bowl and then the breadcrumbs that do stick come off in the pan and float away.

@Nullo – What kind of pan would be better? I usually use a (theoretically) non-stick skillet.

Consider using panko bread crumbs. Dry what you are frying first. Then dip in the egg or buttermilk, and then in the flour.

@laureth Hmm. Oil, then?

I’m watching this to learn. I’ve never gotten it right either. As a result, I don’t do it at all.

You want to pat dry the item you are breading then dip into egg mixture, flour mixture then back in to the egg mixture and a final dipping into the flour mixture. I learned this method from working at KFC when I was a kid.

@Nullo – Which kind? I usually use corn or sunflower.

Also, I’m wondering about batter-dipping that isn’t the usual egg and bread crumbs. That uses beer, right?

And how do you coat the whole filet (or vegetable) when you have to hold on to part of it?

I don’t usually do batter so I am watching to see if anyone has some good tips for that.

When using breadcrumbs I usually dip in egg mixed with water or milk first, then breadcrumbs mixed with spices. If I want a really thick coating I repeat the egg and crumbs. I use a fork to hold the thing I am dipping.

Now, for the secret part. I read this somewhere and it really works. Takes more time, but it’s totally worth it. Put the prepared breaded food on a baker’s cooling rack and put something under it (such as a cookie sheet a plate or a piece of waxed paper) to catch any possible drips. Put it in the refrigerator uncovered to air dry for half an hour. This makes the breading dry out so it sticks better when you cook it.

When you pan fry or deep fry make sure the oil is hot before you put the food in the pan. Some people like to use peanut oil because it has a high flash point
If you prefer Olive oil make sure you mix it with something like canola that has a higher flash point. .

@laureth Try olive, see if that helps any.

Laureth I love my cast iron fry pan. Once seasoned, cast iron is naturally nonstick.

Make sure the oil is hot. Fry your food in small batches. The less you add to the oil at a time the better, I usually fry my fish fillets 1 or two time. If you dump everything into the oil at once, it will drop the oil temp, and the food is more likely to clump together.

Just a small clarification. Yes you want the oil hot but you have to first get the pan hot and then pour the room-temperature oil into the pan. If you are pan-frying or sauteeing wait until you see the oil “shimmer”. Then it is time to put your food into the pan.

If you are deep frying, use a thermometer to test the oil. If the oil is not hot enough you will not get a good seal, oil will seep into the batter and you get a mess. You will also avoid a spatter from moisture if you do it this way.

Make sure that your meat or poultry or fish or vegetables are at room-temperature before you bread them. Then use @Earthgirl ‘s suggestion and dry the breading or batter in the fridge. You want it cold so the batter adheres but not frozen in any way.

Thanks everyone! I’ll try this stuff out next time I fry. :)