When you think chopsticks, you probably think of eating Asian cuisine, but they’re great tools for managing different styles of frying. Karen Ahn at WonderHowTo explains why they’re perfect for dealing with hot oil.
Photo by Bruce Guenter
With hot oil, you want to keep your hands as far away from it as possible, but you also need some decent articulation to move food around. Ahn recommends long, wooden chopsticks because they have good reach — for food that sinks to the bottom of the pot or pan — and because you get more control than you would with a pair of tongs. Metal tongs also conduct heat, limiting the amount of time you can fiddle around in the hot oil. Ahn also describes a hidden bonus to wooden chopsticks:
…they’re the perfect tool for checking oil temperature. Just dunk it in and if it starts to bubble, you know you’re ready for deep frying.
The next time you get takeout, hold on to those extra chopsticks, or consider purchasing a nice pair of your own that you can reuse.
Why Chopsticks Are the Best Cooking Tool You Aren’t Using [WonderHowTo]
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