Deep Frying, Temperatures and Re-using Cooking Oil Jill McKeever / August 2, 2010 / Kitchen Tips In deep frying the objective is to produce foods that have a crispy golden brown crust and a thoroughly cooked interior without letting them absorb too much oil. This includes fish (salmon, halibut, cod), chicken (skinless breasts), beef (grass fed burgers or steak), etc. Researchers found that the cooking oil we choose determines the generation of toxic compounds during frying, "which can have a great influence on food safety and human health.” For frying, the best types of oils have a high smoke point, which means the highest temperature the oil has to be to start smoking. This means that it can be re-used to cook other foods. Canola and vegetable oil may seem interchangeable. Mid-oleic and high-oleic sunflower oils work well for frying fish, and tend not to break down under high temperatures and repeated use. Extra Virgin Olive Oil Better for Frying Fish. It also has the unique quality of not soaking up the flavors from foods. Place salmon steaks in a single layer in a shallow pan. This is a stable, refined, plant-based oil but the difficulty is you never really know what it's made of. Researchers found that the cooking oil we choose determines the generation of toxic compounds during frying, "which can have a great influence on food safety and human health.” They are both often used for baking, frying, and sautéing. Whether you are deep-frying chicken or sauteing spinach in a pan, if the oil is not used in the right way it can ruin the meal. Vegetable oil. Peanut oil is a very popular oil for cooking because it has a neutral flavor which does not impact the taste of the cuisine. So if you have a number of foods to fry, peanut oil can be used for several batches in a row. So, cooking up salmon for the weekend sounds like good idea. Add bell peppers strips. Salmon is a quite popular fish and the health benefits of this fish are numerous. Grapeseed oil and corn oil are also acceptable options. But they actually have different qualities when it comes to nutrition and best use. They are both often used for baking, frying, and sautéing. Extra Virgin Olive Oil Better for Frying Fish. Overall, our favorite oil is vegetable oil, because it's cheap, widely accepted for deep frying, offers a neutral taste, and boasts a smoking point of 400° F. However, the best oil to deep fry fish in our minds is actually peanut oil. Safflower oil and soybean oil have exceptionally high smoke points and neutral flavors. I basically "pan fry" or "sear" or "sauté" all my proteins in either olive or grape seed oil (I will cook some poultry on an indoor foreman like grill with no oil).