Method for making breaded fried food

Abstract

To provide a manufacturing technology for fried foods with a coating that has a good taste and texture, and that can maintain that good taste and texture even after storage. [Solution] A method for producing breaded fried food, comprising: a deep-frying step of deep-frying ingredients with batter attached to their surface to obtain an intermediate product of breaded fried food; a cooling step of cooling the intermediate product immediately after deep-frying; and an oil immersion step of immersing the intermediate product that has undergone the cooling step in a heated oil composition containing oil and an emulsifier, wherein the mass ratio of solid fat to liquid oil in the oil is solid fat:liquid oil = 100:0 to 50:50.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing fried foods with coatings.

Background Art

[0002] Fried foods with coatings are foods obtained by deep-frying ingredients with a coating material adhered to their surfaces, and a coat made of the coating material adheres to the surfaces of the ingredients. By heating the ingredients with the coating material adhered to their surfaces in hot oil, the coat that directly touches the oil has a crispy texture and unique flavor, and the ingredients are steamed inside the coat and have a concentrated umami flavor as if they were cooked through.

[0003] Conventionally, fried foods with coatings have had the problem that the texture of the coat deteriorates over time. That is, in fried foods with coatings, moisture migrates from the ingredients to the coat as time passes after deep-frying, and as a result, the coat becomes soft and the crispy texture is lost.

[0004] Patent Document 1 describes a method for manufacturing fried foods that have a freshly fried crispy texture when reheated in a microwave oven. After frying the coated food by a conventional method, it has a step of spraying an edible oil at 130°C or lower containing at least 10% or more of medium-chain fatty acid triglycerides onto the coat layer. Patent Document 2 describes a method for manufacturing tempura that can maintain the crispy texture of the coat even when stored at a low temperature of 0 to 20°C for a long time. After primary deep-frying tempura by a normal tempura manufacturing process, without deliberately cooling it, it is secondary deep-fried with an oil having a saturated fatty acid composition of 25% by weight or more, and after secondary deep-frying, it has a step of vacuum cooling the tempura at a rate of -3°C / min or more for the central temperature of the tempura. It is also described that an emulsifier can be used for the oil used in secondary deep-frying. Patent Document 3 describes a method for manufacturing fried foods with coatings that have a coat with a good texture even when reheated in a microwave oven or the like. It includes a step of coating the deep-fried fried foods with a melted and heated fat or oil, and the solid fat content of the fat or oil is 75% or more at 5°C and 70% or less at 40°C. Patent Document 4 describes including an emulsifier in the batter that is attached to the ingredients during the production of breaded fried foods, with the aim of suppressing the deterioration of the texture of the batter over time. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2002-272389 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2007-104997 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2018-191614 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2017-42098 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide a manufacturing technology for coated fried foods that has a good taste and texture, and that can maintain that good taste and texture even after storage after manufacturing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention relates to a deep-frying process in which ingredients with a coating material attached to their surface are deep-fried to obtain an intermediate product of a coated fried food, A cooling step for cooling the intermediate product immediately after deep frying, The intermediate product, having undergone the cooling step, is further immersed in an oil immersion step in a heated oil composition containing oil and an emulsifier. The method for producing breaded fried food is such that the mass ratio of solid fat to liquid oil in the oil is solid fat:liquid oil = 100:0 to 50:50. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The present invention provides a method for producing breaded fried food that yields breaded fried food with a good taste and texture, and that maintains this good taste and texture even after storage. The breaded fried food obtained by the present invention is resistant to storage at room temperature, refrigeration, and freezing. For example, even if frozen breaded breaded bread is thawed in a microwave oven, it can be obtained with the same taste and texture as when it was immediately after production, specifically, a good taste and texture with a crispness. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The present invention provides a method for producing breaded fried food, comprising: a deep-frying step of deep-frying ingredients with a batter material attached to their surface to obtain an intermediate product of breaded fried food (hereinafter also simply referred to as "intermediate product"); a cooling step of cooling the intermediate product immediately after deep-frying; and an oil immersion step of immersing the intermediate product that has undergone the cooling step in a specific oil and fat composition.

[0010] The ingredients can be any ingredients that have been conventionally used as ingredients for breaded and fried foods, without any particular restrictions. Examples include livestock meats such as chicken, pork, beef, lamb, and goat; seafood such as squid, shrimp, horse mackerel, and shellfish; and vegetables. These can be used individually or in combination of two or more.

[0011] The aforementioned garment material includes at least one selected from grain flours. In this specification, "grain flours" refers to a substance derived from grains that is powdery at room temperature and pressure, and is a concept that includes grain flour and starch. Unless otherwise specified, "starch" here refers to "pure starch" isolated from plants such as wheat, and is distinguished from the starch inherently present in grain flour. Examples of the aforementioned grain flours include wheat flour (strong flour, semi-strong flour, medium flour, weak flour, durum wheat flour, whole wheat flour, etc.), buckwheat flour, rice flour, corn flour, barley flour, rye flour, adlay flour, barnyard millet flour, and foxtail millet flour. The grain flour may also be heat-treated, such as with dry heat treatment or moist heat treatment. Examples of the starch include unprocessed starches such as tapioca starch, potato starch, corn starch, waxy corn starch, wheat starch, and rice starch; and processed starches obtained by subjecting unprocessed starch to one or more treatments such as etherification, esterification, acetylation, dry heat treatment, moist heat treatment, crosslinking treatment, and oxidation treatment. The content of grain flours in the garment material is preferably 30 to 95% by mass, more preferably 40 to 90% by mass, based on the total mass of the garment material.

[0012] In this specification, "room temperature and atmospheric pressure" refers to the ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure of the environment in which the method for manufacturing breaded fried food of the present invention is normally carried out, specifically, for example, an ambient temperature of 25°C and 1 atmosphere.

[0013] The coating material may contain ingredients other than flours. These other ingredients can be any ingredients conventionally used as coating materials for fried foods, without any particular limitations. Examples include seasonings, sugars, oils and fats, emulsifiers, thickeners, proteins, leavening agents, etc., and one of these can be used alone or in combination of two or more. The total content of other components besides grain flours in the aforementioned garment material is preferably 15% by mass or less, and more preferably 5 to 10% by mass, based on the total mass of the garment material.

[0014] The coating material is in powder form at room temperature and pressure. In the deep-frying process, it may be mixed with a liquid to form a liquid or paste-like batter before being applied to the surface of the ingredients, or it may be applied to the surface of the ingredients as a powder. Water is commonly used as the liquid for preparing the batter, but other aqueous liquids such as milk, broth, or boiling liquid can also be used. One of these can be used alone or in combination of two or more. The amount of liquid used for preparing the batter can be adjusted as appropriate depending on the type of ingredients, but is preferably 130 to 180 parts by mass, more preferably 155 to 165 parts by mass, per 100 parts by mass of the coating material.

[0015] The deep-frying process can be carried out according to conventional methods. Typically, the deep-frying process can be carried out by applying a batter or powder coating to the surface of the ingredients to obtain a fried base, and then deep-frying the fried base. Before applying the coating to the ingredients, they may be seasoned, dusted with flour, or coated with beaten egg. After applying the coating to the ingredients, breadcrumbs may be applied to them as well. Deep-frying of the fried base may be so-called deep frying, in which the entire fried base is immersed in oil, or it may be so-called pan-frying, in which a part of the fried base is exposed without being immersed in oil. In the production of intermediate products, the oil used for deep-frying of the fried base may be any edible oil and is not particularly limited.

[0016] The intermediate product obtained in the deep-frying process comprises ingredients and a coating attached to the surface of the ingredients. The coating is a deep-fried coating material. The number of deep-frying cycles for obtaining the intermediate product is usually one, but it may be two or more. The intermediate product can be a known deep-fried food with a coating. Specific examples of the intermediate product include deep-fried food, fritters, tempura, fried chicken, karaage, tatsuta-age, and corn dogs. Deep-fried food includes deep-fried foods with a coating made of breadcrumbs, such as pork cutlets, croquettes, minced meat cutlets, fried shrimp, fried fish, and fried oysters.

[0017] The present invention's method for producing breaded fried food is characterized by having an oil immersion step in which the intermediate product obtained in the deep frying step is immersed in a specific oil and fat composition. The oil and fat composition is intended to impart a moisture barrier function to the intermediate product, inhibiting moisture transfer from the outside (ingredients and outside air) to the breading. The intermediate product obtained after the oil immersion step has the oil and fat composition adsorbed onto the breading, and as a result the breading has a moisture barrier function and poor hygroscopicity, so the texture (crispness) of the breading is less likely to deteriorate over time during storage.

[0018] And the cooling process is carried out prior to the oil immersion process. One of the main roles of the cooling process is to ensure that the effect of the oil immersion process (the effect of imparting a moisture barrier function to the intermediate product) is achieved. If the oil immersion process is carried out without performing the cooling process after the oiling process, the intermediate product at a relatively high temperature (typically 140°C or higher) immediately after oiling will be immersed in the oil-based composition. In this case, the oil-based composition will not be sufficiently adsorbed onto the coating of the intermediate product, and when the intermediate product is taken out of the oil-based composition, the oil-based composition will flow off, and the effect of the oil immersion process will not be achieved.

[0019] From the perspective of ensuring that the role of the cooling process described above is fulfilled, in the cooling process, it is preferable to cool the intermediate product such that the surface temperature of the intermediate product after passing through the cooling process is preferably 60°C or lower, more preferably 40°C or lower. On the other hand, from the perspective of more surely achieving the effect of the subsequent oil immersion process, in the cooling process, it is preferable to cool the intermediate product such that the surface temperature of the intermediate product after passing through the cooling process is preferably 10°C or higher, more preferably 30°C or higher.

[0020] In the cooling process, the cooling method of the intermediate product immediately after oiling is not particularly limited, and a known cooling method can be used as long as it does not inhibit the expression of the predetermined effects of the present invention. The cooling method may be natural cooling in which the intermediate product immediately after oiling is left in a normal temperature environment, or forced cooling using a cooling means such as a vacuum cooler.

[0021] In the oil immersion process, the intermediate product obtained in the oiling process is immersed in an oil-based composition, and the oil-based composition contains at least oil and an emulsifier.

[0022] The content mass ratio of the solid fat to the liquid oil in the oil is required to be 100:0 to 50:50 as solid fat:liquid oil. In this specification, "solid fat" refers to a solid or semi-solid oil that does not have fluidity at normal temperature and normal pressure, and "liquid oil" refers to an oil that has fluidity at normal temperature and normal pressure. The oil and fat composition used in the oil immersion process has the aforementioned specific composition, thereby enabling the effects of the oil immersion process described above to be achieved. From the viewpoint of ensuring that such effects are achieved more reliably, the mass ratio of the solid fat to liquid oil is preferably 100:0 to 60:40, more preferably 85:15 to 75:25.

[0023] The solid fat can be any edible solid fat without particular limitations, such as beef tallow, lard, cocoa butter, or shortening, and one of these can be used alone or in combination of two or more. A preferred solid fat is refined palm oil.

[0024] The liquid oil can be any edible liquid oil without particular limitations, such as rapeseed oil, soybean oil, sesame oil, safflower oil, olive oil, cottonseed oil, corn oil, rice oil, palm oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, salad oil, coconut oil, and grapeseed oil. One of these can be used alone or in combination of two or more. Soybean oil is a preferred liquid oil.

[0025] Examples of emulsifiers used in combination with oils and fats in the aforementioned oil and fat composition include glycerin fatty acid esters, sucrose fatty acid esters, propylene glycol fatty acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters, lecithin, saponins, and polysorbates, and one of these can be used alone or in combination of two or more. The glycerin fatty acid esters include organic acid monoglycerides (such as acetate monoglyceride, citrate monoglyceride, diacetyl tartaric acid monoglyceride, lactic acid monoglyceride, succinic acid monoglyceride, etc.), distilled monoglycerides, polyglycerin fatty acid esters, and polyglycerin condensed ricinoleic acid esters. The distilled monoglycerides are obtained by molecular distillation of reaction monoglycerides obtained by the reaction of glycerin with fatty acids or glycerin with oils and fats, and refer to those with a monoglyceride content of 90% by mass or more. A preferred emulsifier is polyglycerin fatty acid ester.

[0026] Examples of constituent fatty acids of the emulsifier (fatty acids that serve as the source of the fatty acid portion of the emulsifier) ​​include saturated or unsaturated fatty acids with 8 to 22 carbon atoms, such as caprylic acid (8 carbon atoms), capric acid (10 carbon atoms), lauric acid (12 carbon atoms), myristic acid (14 carbon atoms), palmitic acid (16 carbon atoms), stearic acid (18 carbon atoms), oleic acid (18 carbon atoms), linoleic acid (18 carbon atoms), linolenic acid (18 carbon atoms), behenic acid (22 carbon atoms), and erucic acid (22 carbon atoms).

[0027] An example of the emulsifier is an emulsifier having a fatty acid portion with 18 to 22 carbon atoms. The fatty acid portion with 18 to 22 carbon atoms is derived from a fatty acid with 18 to 22 carbon atoms and constitutes the hydrophobic group (lipophilic group) of the emulsifier. The number of carbon atoms in the hydrophobic group is the number of carbon atoms of the fatty acid constituting the hydrophobic group minus 1. Examples of fatty acids that serve as sources for the fatty acid portion with 18 to 22 carbon atoms include stearic acid (a saturated fatty acid with 18 carbon atoms), oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid (all unsaturated fatty acids with 18 carbon atoms), behenic acid (a saturated fatty acid with 22 carbon atoms), and erucic acid (an unsaturated fatty acid with 22 carbon atoms). Among emulsifiers having a fatty acid portion with 18 to 22 carbon atoms, emulsifiers with 22 carbon atoms are particularly preferred, especially polyglycerol fatty acid esters derived from behenic acid.

[0028] HLB (Hydrophile Lipophile Balance) is a numerical value that represents the balance between hydrophobicity and hydrophilicity of an emulsifier. The HLB value is set as follows: paraffin, which has no hydrophilic groups, has HLB=0; substances like polyethylene glycol, which have only hydrophilic groups and no hydrophobic groups, have HLB=20. Therefore, an emulsifier that contains both hydrophilic and hydrophobic groups within a single molecule will have an HLB value somewhere in between. The greater the hydrophilicity of the hydrophilic groups relative to the hydrophobic parts of the emulsifier, the higher the HLB value, indicating greater solubility in water. Conversely, the opposite is true for less solubility in water. From the viewpoint of ensuring that the effects of the oil immersion process described above are achieved more reliably, the HLB of the emulsifier used in the present invention is preferably 1.0 to 4.0, more preferably 2.0 to 3.0.

[0029] The amount of emulsifier in the oil and fat composition is preferably 0.5 to 6.0% by mass, more preferably 1.0 to 4.0% by mass, based on the total mass of oil and fat in the oil and fat composition. If the amount of emulsifier is too low, there is little point in using it, and if the amount of emulsifier is too high, the effect of the oil immersion process (effect of imparting moisture barrier function to intermediate products) will decrease, and the crispness of the breaded fried food may decrease.

[0030] In the aforementioned oil immersion process, the oil and fat composition into which the intermediate product is immersed is heated. That is, the oil and fat composition must be at a temperature higher than room temperature (25°C). If the oil and fat composition is not heated and its temperature is around room temperature, the effect of the oil immersion process (the effect of imparting a moisture barrier function to the intermediate product) may not be achieved. From the viewpoint of ensuring the aforementioned effects are achieved more reliably, the temperature of the oil and fat composition is preferably 50°C or higher, more preferably 60°C or higher. On the other hand, if the temperature of the oil and fat composition is too high, the oil and fat composition may not be sufficiently adsorbed onto the intermediate coating, which could lead to a decrease in the moisture barrier function. Considering this point, the temperature of the oil and fat composition is preferably 100°C or lower, more preferably 80°C or lower.

[0031] In the oil immersion step, it is preferable to immerse the entire intermediate product in the oil composition. In the oil immersion step, the immersion time of the intermediate product in the oil composition is preferably 1 to 10 seconds, more preferably 2 to 5 seconds. If the immersion time is too short, the predetermined effect of the oil immersion step may not be achieved, and if the immersion time is too long, the oil composition may be excessively adsorbed onto the garment, potentially degrading its quality.

[0032] The breaded fried food obtained through the oil immersion process can be eaten immediately or after being stored for a certain period of time. The breaded fried food can be stored at room temperature, refrigerated, or frozen. Because the breaded fried food has the moisture barrier function, even when eaten after storage, the taste and texture of the coating can be obtained to the same extent as when it was made. However, if the ambient temperature of the environment in which the breaded fried food is stored is too high, the oil composition that exhibits the moisture barrier function may leak out of the breaded fried food, and the moisture barrier function may be reduced. Therefore, from the viewpoint of preventing this, the ambient temperature (storage temperature of the breaded fried food) is preferably 25°C or lower, and more preferably 10°C or lower.

[0033] The present invention's method for manufacturing breaded fried food may further include, in addition to the deep-frying step, cooling step, and oil immersion step, a step of refrigerating or freezing the intermediate product that has undergone the oil immersion step, i.e., the breaded fried food which is the target product of the manufacturing method (refrigeration or freezing step). By carrying out the refrigeration or freezing step, it becomes possible to store the breaded fried food stably for a long period of time. Refrigeration or freezing of the breaded fried food can be carried out in accordance with conventional methods. When consuming breaded fried food that has undergone the aforementioned refrigeration or freezing process, heating the breaded fried food is generally unnecessary. When consuming refrigerated breaded fried food that has undergone the refrigeration process, it may be consumed as is, or it may be left in an environment at room temperature to allow the food to reach a temperature similar to that of the environment before consumption. When consuming frozen breaded fried food that has undergone the freezing process, it may be left in an environment at refrigeration temperature or room temperature to allow the food to reach a temperature similar to that of the environment before consumption. [Examples]

[0034] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

[0035] [Examples 1-22 and Comparative Example 1: Production of Frozen Shrimp Tempura] We manufactured frozen shrimp tempura, a type of deep-fried food coated in batter. Specifically, we manufactured shrimp tempura using the following method, and used this shrimp tempura as an intermediate product. Immediately after manufacturing, the intermediate product was left in an environment at room temperature and pressure to cool naturally until the surface temperature of the intermediate product fell below 40°C (cooling step). Then, the entire portion of the intermediate product, excluding the tail portion of the shrimp, was immersed in an oil composition heated to a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time to manufacture shrimp tempura (oil immersion step). After the oil immersion step, the shrimp tempura was left to stand on a wire rack for 3 minutes to allow excess oil to fall off by gravity, and then the shrimp tempura was rapidly frozen to obtain the desired frozen shrimp tempura. The composition of the oil composition and the conditions for carrying out the oil immersion step are shown in Tables 1 to 4 below.

[0036] (Method for making shrimp tempura) To prepare the batter, 160 parts by mass of cold water was added to 100 parts by mass of tempura flour (Nisshin Flour Milling Co., Ltd., Welna "Easy Tempura Flour"), and the mixture was stirred with a hand whisk until the lumps were mostly gone. As the ingredients, thawed, peeled, and flattened shrimp with tails (black tiger: 21-25 shrimp / pound) were used, and the surface of the ingredients was sequentially coated with flour (Nisshin Flour Milling Co., Ltd., Welna "Easy Tempura Flour") and the batter, and then deep-fried in soybean oil heated to 170°C for 2 minutes and 30 seconds to produce shrimp tempura.

[0037] [Examples 23-29 and Comparative Example 2: Production of Frozen Pork Cutlets] We manufactured frozen pork cutlets, a type of breaded fried food. Specifically, we manufactured pork cutlets using the following method, and used these pork cutlets as an intermediate product. Immediately after manufacturing, the intermediate product was forcibly cooled using a vacuum cooler (CMJ-20, Food Rapid Cooler, manufactured by Miura Industries Co., Ltd.) until the core temperature of the intermediate product reached 30°C (cooling step). Then, the entire intermediate product was immersed in an oil and fat composition heated to a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time to manufacture pork cutlets (oil immersion step). After the oil immersion step, the pork cutlets were left to stand on a wire rack for 3 minutes to allow excess oil to fall off by gravity, and then the pork cutlets were rapidly frozen to obtain the desired frozen pork cutlets. The composition of the oil and fat composition and the conditions for carrying out the oil immersion step are shown in Table 5 below.

[0038] (How to make pork cutlets) In a pouch bag, 30% by mass of marinade liquid was added to pork loin slices (15 mm thick) and left to stand in the refrigerator for 24 hours. A batter was prepared by mixing 100 parts by mass of coating material (Nisshin Flour Milling Co., Ltd., Welna "Tonkatsu Mix #24-25") with 300 parts by mass of water. The pork loin (ingredients), which was taken out of the refrigerator at a temperature of 4-7°C, was placed in a colander to remove excess marinade liquid. An appropriate amount of dusting powder (Nisshin Flour Milling Co., Ltd., Welna "Mix #22-04") was then applied to the entire surface of the pork loin. Next, the batter was applied to the entire surface of the pork loin, and then breadcrumbs were applied to the entire surface of the pork loin. Then, the pork loin was steam-treated in a steam convection oven until its core temperature reached 75°C, and then deep-fried in soybean oil heated to 170°C for 2 minutes to produce pork cutlets.

[0039] The details of the oils and fats in the oil and fat composition used in the production of the aforementioned breaded fried food are as follows. • Refined palm oil (solid fat): Manufactured by Ueda Oil Co., Ltd., product name "RPO" • Beef tallow (solid fat): Manufactured by Sakai Shoji Co., Ltd., product name "Beef Tallow" • Lard (solid fat): Manufactured by Bell Foods Co., Ltd., product name "Pure Lard" • Soybean oil (liquid oil): Manufactured by J-Oil Mills Co., Ltd., product name "Hounen Oil" • Shortening A (solid fat): Manufactured by Tsukishima Foods Industry Co., Ltd., product name "Pure Short V #40" • Shortening B (solid fat): Manufactured by Ueda Oil Co., Ltd., product name "Vegetable Oil SV" • Shortening C (solid fat): Manufactured by Tsukishima Foods Industry Co., Ltd., product name "CK Short LT"

[0040] The details of the emulsifier in the oil and fat composition used in the production of the aforementioned breaded fried food are as follows. • Emulsifier A: Polyglycerin fatty acid ester, manufactured by Sakamoto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., product name "DDB-750", decaglycerol dodecaester derived from behenic acid, containing a fatty acid portion with 22 carbon atoms, HLB = 2.5 • Emulsifier B: Polyglycerin fatty acid ester, manufactured by Sakamoto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., product name "HB-750", decaglycerol heptaester derived from behenic acid, mainly containing a fatty acid portion with 22 carbon atoms, HLB = 4.2 • Emulsifier C: Polyglycerin fatty acid ester, manufactured by Sakamoto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., product name "PS-3S", contains a 18-carbon fatty acid portion derived from stearic acid, HLB=4.6 • Emulsifier D: Polyglycerin fatty acid ester, manufactured by Sakamoto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., product name "DAS-7S", contains a 18-carbon fatty acid portion derived from stearic acid, HLB=3.8 • Emulsifier E: Polyglycerin fatty acid ester, manufactured by Sakamoto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., product name "PO-3S", contains a fatty acid portion with 18 carbon atoms derived from oleic acid, HLB = 2.9 • Emulsifier F: Polyglycerin fatty acid ester, manufactured by Taiyo Kagaku Co., Ltd., product name "PS-66", contains a 18-carbon fatty acid portion derived from hexastearic acid, HLB=4.0 • Emulsifier G: Propylene glycol fatty acid ester, manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd., product name "Rikemar (registered trademark) PO-100V", contains a fatty acid portion with 18 carbon atoms derived from oleic acid, HLB = 3.6 • Emulsifier H: Polyglycerin fatty acid ester, manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, product name "B-100D", contains a 22-carbon fatty acid portion derived from behenic acid, HLB=3

[0041] [Evaluation Test] Frozen breaded fried foods (frozen shrimp tempura, frozen pork cutlet) from each example and comparative example were placed in a container and sealed. The container was then left to thaw in a refrigerated environment at an ambient temperature of 7°C to obtain thawed products of the frozen breaded fried foods. The thawed products were then stored in the refrigerated environment for a predetermined time (24 hours and 48 hours for frozen shrimp tempura, and 24 hours, 48 ​​hours, and 72 hours for frozen pork cutlet). Ten expert panelists tasted the thawed products and evaluated the texture (crispness of the breading) according to the evaluation criteria below. The results (arithmetic mean of the evaluation scores from the 10 people) are shown in Tables 1 to 5 below. In Tables 1 to 5 below, if the texture evaluation score after at least 24 hours of refrigerated storage is 3 points or higher, the example or comparative example can be evaluated as practical even if the texture evaluation score after 48 hours or 72 hours of refrigerated storage is less than 3 points.

[0042] <Criteria for evaluating texture> 5 points: The coating has the same crispness as when it was just deep-fried, which is extremely good. 4 points: While not quite as good as when it's freshly fried, the crispness of the coating is still quite noticeable and good. 3 points: The batter is slightly lacking in crispness, but it's still acceptable. • 2 points: The coating lacked crispness, which is a drawback. • 1 point: The batter lacked crispness and had a dry, crumbly texture, making it extremely unsatisfactory.

[0043] [Table 1]

[0044] As shown in Table 1, each of Examples 1 to 4 used an oil composition containing an emulsifier, resulting in superior texture of the shrimp tempura batter after frozen storage compared to Comparative Example 1, which did not use an emulsifier.

[0045] [Table 2]

[0046] [Table 3]

[0047] [Table 4]

[0048] [Table 5]

[0049] As shown in Table 5, the effectiveness of including an emulsifier in the oil composition used in the oil immersion process for pork cutlets was also confirmed, with the aim of preventing deterioration of texture over time.

Claims

1. The deep-frying process involves deep-frying ingredients that have been coated with batter to obtain an intermediate product of breaded fried food, A cooling step for cooling the intermediate product immediately after deep frying, The intermediate product, having undergone the cooling step, is further immersed in an oil immersion step in a heated oil composition containing oil and an emulsifier. A method for producing breaded fried food, wherein the mass ratio of solid fat to liquid oil in the oil is solid fat:liquid oil = 100:0 to 50:

50.

2. The method for producing coated fried food according to claim 1, wherein the amount of the emulsifier in the oil and fat composition is 0.5 to 6.0% by mass relative to the total mass of the oil and fat in the oil and fat composition.

3. The method for producing coated fried food according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the emulsifier is a polyglycerin fatty acid ester.

4. The method for producing coated fried food according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the emulsifier has a fatty acid portion having 18 to 22 carbon atoms.

5. The method for producing coated fried food according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the temperature of the oil composition is 50 to 100°C.

6. The method for producing breaded fried food according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the solid fat is refined palm oil.

7. The method for producing breaded fried food according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the liquid oil is soybean oil.

8. The method for manufacturing a breaded fried food according to claim 1 or 2, wherein in the cooling step, the intermediate product is cooled so that the surface temperature of the intermediate product after the cooling step becomes 50°C or less.

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