So it's best to use a neutral oil, like canola, vegetable and safflower oil to fry fish. Peanut oil has a high smoke point, which is perfect for frying, but it could add a slightly nutty flavor to your fish.
Canola oil is a good choice because it has a neutral flavor and is inexpensive, which is perfect for such high-volume use. You can use a refined olive oil (not extra-virgin) to deep-fry, but keep in mind it will not make your deep-fried food healthier.
But, do you know which is the best oil to use for frying fish and its health benefits. While some may beg to differ, going by traditions and different types of cuisines, experts say fish fried in Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the healthiest option.
"Extra-virgin olive oil is an excellent choice for cooking, even for high-heat methods like frying," she says. "Pan-frying fish in olive oil gives it a wonderfully crispy crust, and it's a divine light choice since you don't have to lather it in batter or leave it in marinades for hours on end."
Summary: Researchers have studied the changes that take place in fish lipids and in the oil during frying processes, and have concluded that using extra virgin olive oil is the best choice.
The Go-To Cooking Oil For The Chip Shop Trade. Frymax is the brand-leading chip shop oil for the Fish and Chip industry beloved by fryers for generations. We use the highest quality sustainable palm oil that is additive-free, long lasting and trusted by some of the best fryers in the country.
It's a common myth that olive oil has a low smoke point, making it inadequate to deep fry with, but it is also a myth that oil needs to reach extreme temperatures in order to fry food. High-quality extra virgin olive oil has a smoke point of upwards of 425°F, well beyond the desired 350°F to 375 F range.
This idea that it's not a good idea to cook over high heat with olive oil is fairly common. For a lot of people, the concern is one of health, specifically that olive oil, with its relatively low smoke point of 325 to 375°F (165 to 190°C), degrades more than other oils when exposed to high heat.
Exceeding the smoke point results in the production of acrolein, a toxic liquid chemical. Extra-virgin olive oil has a very high smoke point, on average 180°C. In some cases it can even exceed 200°C.
Due to its high smoke point, vegetable oil is the best oil for deep frying. Canola oil and peanut oil are other popular options. While vegetable oil, canola oil, and peanut oil are the most popular oils for deep frying, there are several other oil options you can choose: Grapeseed Oil.
Peanut oil, canola oil, vegetable oil, sunflower oil, rice bran oil and extra light olive oil are all ideal for stir-frying, deep-frying and shallow-frying, as they have a high smoke point. This means you can heat the oil to high temperatures without burning it and spoiling your food.
Use vegetable oil or shortening for frying fish. Other oils can smoke before they get hot enough to cook the fish, resulting in a burned flavor.
Vegetable Oil: Best All-Purpose Oil for Frying
It's great for all different methods of frying and all kinds of foods, like breaded chicken, fries, and more. It has a high smoke point (around 400˚ to 450˚), which means it can withstand a high temperature before it starts to burn.
Butter or oil for fish
Fry fish in a mixture of oil and butter, it creates more heat resistant frying fat. The oil should go in first. Wait until the butter stops spluttering and baste the fish during frying. Once you have fried a piece of fish in butter, you've virtually created your sauce in the pan.
Canola oil is generally considered a “healthy” oil because it is very low in saturated fat (7%). Like olive oil it is high in monounsaturated fat (63%).
Heart-healthy oils like canola, corn, olive, peanut, and sunflower oils contain monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. They help to lower harmful low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and raise healthy high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol.
Chefs cook with extra virgin olive oil because it has a high smoke point, which can offer a higher heat temperature without smoking or burning. This makes it ideal for sauteing, frying, and even baking. Extra virgin olive oil also has a unique flavor that enhances the taste of food.
However, if you do need to deep fry your food, our long-standing advice is that oils like corn and sunflower oils are not recommended for high temperatures. These oils are rich in polyunsaturated fats which can form undesirable compounds when heated at high temperatures.
“Fish and chips need to be cooked in an oil with an animal fat base,” said Susman. “Frytol is the number one brand. If you want to use a vegetable oil for health reasons then you might as well go and eat a poke bowl.”
Cod. Cod is the most popular choice, and for most consumers, this is what first comes to mind when they think of fish and chips. It's mild and tender, the perfect complement to the breading on top and the malt vinegar or tartar sauce that you pair the fish and fries with.
Here fish, batter and chips all have equal parts to play in the fish and chip experience, and the medium of their equality is the fat used for frying – beef dripping. Beef dripping is the key to the overall sensation. Unlike vegetable oil, it isn't neutral. It's flavour keys the flavours of the other elements.
Don't skip the flour coating, since it provides a delicious crispy texture, protects the fish from soaking up too much oil, and also keeps the fillet in one piece. For best results, use a heavy-bottomed pan, as it distributes the heat evenly.