dry frying

• dry frying means cooking food in a pan without fat or oil
• you can dry fry foods that contain natural fat eg minced meats and bacon. as the foods heat up, the fats inside the food melt into the pan and begin to cook the food
• nuts, seeds and spices can also be cooked in this way, although this method is usually called dry roasting. this helps to release oils and bring out more flavour in the food
• using a medium heat is important at the start of cooking to allow the fats to melt without burning the food - when the fat melts, the temperature can be increased as the fat starts to fry the food
• when dry frying, heat is transferred by conduction
• advantages of dry frying:

  • no extra fats or oils are added, making this method healthier than other frying methods
  • dry roasting can be used to give a more distinct aroma to nuts, seeds and spices
• disadvantages of dry frying

  • it takes longer than other frying methods to cook meat thoroughly, because lower temperatures are needed at the start
  • it can be only used for a small range of food types compared to other cooking methods