Fried food manufacturing method

Abstract

To provide a method for producing fried food having a crispy texture, which texture lasts for a long time.SOLUTION: A method for producing fried food includes the steps of: (i) applying batter liquid over the whole surface of food material, the batter liquid containing an alginic acid, its viscosity being 2000-20000 mPa s; (ii) applying breader powder over the whole surface of the food material of (i), the breader powder containing a bivalent metal salt; and (iii) oil-frying the food material of (ii).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for producing fried foods that have a textured tempura-like appearance and maintain their texture after cooking. [Background technology]

[0002] In the production of pre-cooked fried foods, which are mainly sold in convenience stores and the prepared food sections of supermarkets, it is necessary to provide a crispy texture and maintain that texture for a long period of time. Known methods for providing a crispy texture to fried foods include, for example, mixing granular breadcrumbs, cracker crumbs, etc. into the coating (Patent Document 1, etc.). Furthermore, methods for maintaining the texture of fried foods have been reported, such as using a coating containing sugar alcohol (Patent Document 2) or egg white powder (Patent Document 3). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-46712 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-300198 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-78460 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, it was difficult to maintain the texture for a long period of time using the method described in Patent Document 1. Furthermore, fried foods with a crispier texture than those produced by the methods described in Patent Documents 2 and 3 are desired. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing fried foods that have a crispy texture and that maintains the texture for a long period of time. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The inventors discovered that in the production of fried foods, fried foods with a crispy texture can be obtained by dividing the coating material into batter liquid and breading powder, adding alginic acid and divalent metal salt to each, and maintaining the viscosity of the batter liquid at a constant level, and thus completed the present invention.

[0006] That is, the present invention provides the following. (1) the following steps: (i) applying a batter liquid to the entire surface of the food material, the batter liquid containing alginic acids and having a viscosity of 2000 to 20000 mPa·s; (ii) applying breading flour to the entire surface of the food material of (i), wherein the breading flour comprises a divalent metal salt; and (iii) A process of deep frying the ingredients of (ii) A method for producing a fried food product, comprising: (2) The method according to (1), wherein the frying in step (iii) is started within 30 minutes after step (ii). (3) The method according to (1) or (2), wherein the concentration of alginic acids contained in the batter is 0.15 to 0.8% by weight. (4) The method according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the amount of the divalent metal salt contained in 100 parts by weight of the breading powder is 0.1 to 3.0 parts by weight. (5) A fried food produced by the method according to any one of (1) to (4). [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The present invention can provide a method for producing fried foods that have a crispy texture that can be maintained for a long period of time. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a photograph showing the appearance of fried chicken from Test Example 6 in Example 1. [Figure 2]1 is a photograph showing the appearance of fried chicken from Test Example 10 in Example 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] In this specification, "A to B" (A and B are numerical values) means "A or more and B or less" unless otherwise specified. "%" used in this specification means "% by weight" unless otherwise specified.

[0010] 1. Fried food manufacturing method The method for producing a fried food product of the present invention (hereinafter also referred to as "the method of the present invention") is characterized by comprising the following steps: (i) applying a batter liquid to the entire surface of the food material, the batter liquid containing alginic acids and having a viscosity of 2000 to 20000 mPa·s; (ii) applying breading flour to the entire surface of the food material of (i), wherein the breading flour comprises a divalent metal salt; and (iii) A process of deep frying the ingredients of (ii).

[0011] As used herein, "fried food" refers to food obtained by deep-frying ingredients. Specific examples include fried chicken, tempura, cutlets, and fritters. While fried foods may be food directly deep-fried, they typically refer to food that is deep-fried while its surface is covered with a coating. As used herein, "food material" refers to the substance to be deep-fried, specifically a single ingredient such as meat, fish, or vegetables that has been pre-processed, or a mixture of multiple ingredients that has been cooked and shaped. As used herein, "coating material" refers to a coating used to coat food to be deep-fried, primarily to impart a crispy texture after cooking and to prevent overheating of ingredients. Coating materials can be broadly divided into liquid batters (batter liquid) and powdered breading materials (breading powder).

[0012] 1-1 Process (i) Step (i) of the method of the present invention is a step of applying batter to the entire surface of the food material. The batter is applied to the food material, which has been pre-treated, washed, shaped, etc. as necessary. The application method is not particularly limited as long as it can be applied so that the entire surface of the food material is covered with batter to a certain thickness or more. Any method such as immersion, showering, or brushing can be used, but immersion application is particularly preferred. Alternatively, the batter can be applied automatically using a battering machine.

[0013] As used herein, the term "batter" refers to a liquid coating material, and is not particularly limited, but is usually prepared by dissolving wheat flour, starch, oils and fats, seasonings, spices, etc. in water. In addition to these, the batter may also contain leavening agents, emulsifiers, thickening polysaccharides, colorings, pH adjusters, etc.

[0014] In the method of the present invention, the batter contains alginic acids at a concentration of 0.15 to 0.8% by weight, preferably 0.3 to 0.7% by weight. In this specification, "alginic acids" includes any substance having an alginic acid skeleton, such as alginic acid, alginate salts, and propylene glycol alginate, with alginate salts being particularly preferred. Alginate salts include both monovalent metal alginate salts and polyvalent metal alginate salts, with monovalent metal alginate salts and sodium alginate being particularly preferred. The molecular weight of the alginic acid skeleton is preferably 50,000 to 5,000,000 (250-25,000 mer), and particularly 120,000 to 150,000 (600-750 mer).

[0015] In the method of the present invention, the viscosity of the batter liquid is 2000 to 20,000 mPa·s, preferably 3,000 to 10,000 mPa·s. As used herein, "viscosity" refers to the liquid viscosity (Pascal seconds) defined in JIS Z 8803:2011. Viscosity can be measured, for example, using a rotational viscometer (e.g., Model BM or Model TVC-7 manufactured by Toki Sangyo Co., Ltd.). Because the batter liquid has the above viscosity, when applied to food materials by immersion or the like, it can be more easily maintained on the surface of the food materials as a layer having a certain thickness or greater.

[0016] 1-2 Process (ii) Step (ii) of the method of the present invention is a step of applying breading powder to the entire surface of the food material coated with the batter in step (i). The method of applying breading powder is not particularly limited, but for example, the food material coated with the batter may be placed in a flat container such as a tray containing breading powder, and then breading powder may be applied from above, or a flour duster or a breading machine may be used.

[0017] As used herein, "breading flour" refers to a powdered coating material and is typically prepared by mixing, but not limited to, powders of wheat flour, starch, oils and fats, seasonings, spices, etc. Breading flour may also contain leavening agents, emulsifiers, thickening polysaccharides, colorings, etc. Furthermore, bread crumbs, cracker flour, rice flour, corn flour, or corn grits may be mixed into breading flour to enhance the crispy texture.

[0018] In the method of the present invention, the breading flour contains a divalent metal salt in an amount of 0.1 to 3.0 parts by weight, preferably 0.5 to 2.0 parts by weight, per 100 parts by weight. As used herein, the term "divalent metal salt" is not particularly limited as long as it is usable as a food additive, but calcium salts and magnesium salts, especially calcium salts, are preferred. When calcium salts are used, the calcium content in the breading flour is preferably 0.02 to 1.5% by weight, especially 0.1 to 1.0% by weight. The calcium salt is not particularly limited, but calcium carbonate, calcium lactate, calcium chloride, calcium acetate, calcium phosphate, etc. can be used. In particular, calcium carbonate is preferred because it has little effect on taste and has a slow reaction rate with alginic acid, as described below.

[0019] In step (ii) of the present invention, the alginic acids in the batter liquid applied in step (i) come into contact with the divalent metal salt in the breading powder, forming a gel-like film of divalent metal alginate at the boundary between the batter liquid and the breading powder.

[0020] The particle size of the breading powder is not particularly limited, but can be, for example, 20 to 100 mesh. If the breading powder has a sufficiently fine particle size, it can be applied more evenly so as to cover the layer of batter on the surface of the food material.

[0021] In step (ii) of the present invention, the alginic acids in the batter liquid applied in step (i) come into contact with the divalent metal salt in the breading powder, forming a gel-like film of divalent metal alginate at the boundary between the batter liquid layer and the breading powder layer. Therefore, the batter liquid remains as a liquid layer without being mixed with the breading powder inside the film. However, as time passes after the breading powder is applied, the thickness and hardness of the film formed increase, and eventually the entire batter liquid layer gels over time. Therefore, it is desirable to keep the time required for step (ii) as short as possible. The time required for step (ii) is not particularly limited, but is preferably within 30 minutes, particularly within 10 minutes, within 5 minutes, or within 1 minute.

[0022] 1-3 Process (iii) Step (iii) of the method of the present invention involves deep-frying the food material coated with breading powder in step (ii). As described above, when the batter liquid and breading powder come into contact with each other, a gel-like film forms at their boundary, and the batter liquid remains liquid within the film. When this is heated (deep-frying), the batter liquid moves within the film, forming a wavy pattern on the surface of the batter. Furthermore, small ruptures occur in places, especially in areas where the batter liquid layer moves within the film and accumulates, forming clumps, forming even more complex irregularities on the surface of the batter. Heating a batter with such a complex irregularity imparts a crispier texture to the surface than usual. Because the outermost surface of this irregularity is far from the food material, it is less susceptible to the moisture inside the food material, making it easier to maintain a crispy texture.

[0023] As used herein, "frying" refers to a cooking technique in which food ingredients are heated by bringing them into contact with heated edible oils and fats. The edible oils and fats used are not particularly limited as long as they are oils and fats that are typically used in frying, and examples of the oils and fats that can be used include soybean oil, rapeseed oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, olive oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, coconut oil, sesame oil, lard, beef tallow, palm oil, etc., and mixtures thereof. "Edible oils and fats" as used here include not only the above-mentioned oil and fat materials themselves, but also oil and fat compositions in which emulsifiers, antioxidants (e.g., vitamin E), etc. have been added to the above-mentioned oil and fat materials. It is desirable to use an amount of edible oil and fat during frying that exceeds the amount that completely covers the food ingredients to be cooked.

[0024] The frying temperature varies depending on the food material to be cooked, and is not particularly limited, but can be set to 150 to 200° C., particularly 160 to 180° C. The frying time is also not particularly limited, but can be set to 0.5 to 10 minutes, particularly 1 to 7 minutes.

[0025] The deep-frying is preferably carried out within 30 minutes, particularly within 10 minutes, 5 minutes, or 1 minute after the breading powder is applied to the entire surface in step (ii). As mentioned above, the film at the boundary between the batter liquid layer and the breading powder layer formed after step (ii) increases in thickness and hardness over time. If the film becomes thicker or harder, it becomes less likely that the batter liquid layer will move or burst, as described above, resulting in the formation of tempura-like irregularities on the surface of the batter.

[0026] After deep frying, the food material is removed from the edible oil and fat, and excess oil and fat are drained off to obtain a fried food.

[0027] 1-4 Other processes The method of the present invention may include a step of packaging and storing the fried food product obtained in step (iii). The method of the present invention may also include other steps before step (i), between steps (i), (ii) and (iii), and / or after step (iii). The other steps are not particularly limited, and may include, for example, a step of applying a different breading powder that does not contain a divalent metal salt to the food material before step (i). Furthermore, the method may also include a step of removing excess batter liquid adhering to the surface of the food material (a step of draining excess liquid) after step (i). Furthermore, the method may also include a step of removing excess breading powder adhering to the surface of the food material (a step of brushing off excess powder) after step (ii).

[0028] For example, the method of the present invention may include a step of marinating the food material before step (i). The marinating step may include a method of immersing the food material in a seasoning liquid, a method of sprinkling a powdered seasoning on the food material, or the like. In addition to or instead of this, the method may include a step of dusting the food material with flour. The dusting flour is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include potato starch, wheat flour, etc.

[0029] Step (ii) may be repeated multiple times. In this case, it is desirable that the time required for the process is not too long.

[0030] For example, the method of the present invention may include a step of applying steam at a temperature above 100°C (e.g., 150 to 170°C) to the food material after step (iii). While the food material may be heated only by deep-frying, depending on the food material, the inside may not be heated sufficiently and the coating may burn. By adding a steam heating treatment, the inside of the food material can be heated sufficiently without burning the coating.

[0031] The fried food produced by the present invention may be flash-frozen for storage and distribution, if necessary. Flash-freezing makes it easier to store and distribute the fried food while maintaining the crispy texture of the surface. The frozen fried food can be made edible by, for example, cooking it again with heat, such as frying.

[0032] 2. Fried foods The fried food of the present invention is characterized by being produced by the method of the present invention. By producing the fried food of the present invention by the method of the present invention, the surface of the batter has a complex wavy structure.

[0033] The ingredients and coating materials for the fried food of the present invention are as described in the section "1. Method for producing fried food." [Example]

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

[0035] [Example 1] Study of batter viscosity (1) A flour mix (containing wheat flour, vegetable oil, spices, seasonings, leavening agents, emulsifiers, thickening polysaccharides, and paprika pigment) was prepared, and 1 part by weight of sodium alginate was added to 100 parts by weight of the flour mix and mixed uniformly. 140, 150, 155, 160, 170, 180, 200, 220, 270, or 320 parts by weight of water was added and mixed with a whisk for 1 minute to prepare various batters. The viscosity of each batter was measured using a rotational viscometer (Model BM or Model TVC-7, manufactured by Toki Sangyo Co., Ltd.). The viscosities of the various batters are shown in Table 1.

[0036] One part by weight of calcium carbonate powder was added to 100 parts by weight of the mixed powder and mixed uniformly to prepare a breading powder with a particle size of 80 mesh.

[0037] Chicken thigh meat was cut into pieces approximately 60g in size, soaked in a seasoning liquid (containing seasonings, egg white, starch, and water), and tumbled for 1 hour. After draining the liquid, the meat was dusted with starch. The batter was placed in a tray, and the floured meat was dipped into the liquid to coat the entire surface of the meat. The meat was then coated with breading flour. The weight of the coated material was approximately 10g per piece of meat. The time required from start to finish of applying the breading flour was approximately 30 seconds.

[0038] The coated meat was placed in 170°C cooking oil within 1 minute after coating, deep-fried for 4 minutes and 30 seconds, and then removed from the cooking oil. The appearance of the meat (fried chicken) immediately after removal and the texture of the fried chicken 30 minutes after removal were evaluated. The evaluation results for appearance and texture were a combination of the evaluation results of five panelists. The evaluation criteria are shown in Table 2. The evaluation results for each fried chicken are shown in Table 1. Figure 1 shows a photograph of the appearance of the fried chicken from Test Example 6, and Figure 2 shows a photograph of the appearance of the fried chicken from Test Example 10.

[0039] [Table 1]

[0040] [Table 2]

[0041] As shown in Table 1, when the viscosity of the batter was around 2320 to 19000 mPa·s, especially around 3260 to 8380 mPa·s, a tempura-like unevenness was formed on the surface of the fried chicken, and a good texture was maintained.

[0042] [Example 2] Study of batter viscosity (2) Fried chicken was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the amount of sodium alginate added to the batter was increased to 2 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the mixed flour, and the amount of water added was the amount shown in Table 3. The viscosities of the various batters are shown in Table 3. The appearance of the fried chicken immediately after frying and removing it from the cooking oil, and the texture of the fried chicken 30 minutes after removal were evaluated in the same manner as in Example 1. The evaluation results for each fried chicken are shown in Table 3.

[0043] [Table 3]

[0044] As shown in Table 3, when the viscosity of the batter was around 2570 to 18500 mPa·s, especially around 4500 to 10000 mPa·s, the surface of the fried chicken became uneven and a good texture was maintained.

[0045] [Example 3] Examination of sodium alginate concentration Fried chicken pieces were prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the amounts of sodium alginate and water added to the batter were as shown in Table 4. The viscosities of the various batters are shown in Table 4. The appearance of the fried chicken pieces immediately after frying and removing them from the cooking oil, and the texture of the fried chicken pieces 30 minutes after removal were evaluated in the same manner as in Example 1. The evaluation results for each fried chicken piece are shown in Table 4.

[0046] [Table 4]

[0047] As shown in Table 4, the viscosity of the batter was 3800 to 5000 mPa·s, which was almost the same for all test examples. When the sodium alginate concentration in the batter was around 0.18 to 0.80 wt%, especially around 0.34 to 0.60 wt%, an uneven surface was formed on the fried chicken, and a good texture was maintained.

[0048] [Example 4] Examination of various calcium salts Fried chicken was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the same batter liquid as used in Test Example 23 of Example 3 was used, and the type and amount of calcium salt mixed with the breading powder were changed to those shown in Table 5. The appearance of the fried chicken immediately after frying and removing it from the cooking oil, and the texture of the fried chicken 30 minutes after removal were evaluated in the same manner as in Example 1. The taste of each fried chicken was evaluated by five panelists using the evaluation criteria shown in Table 2, and the results were combined. The evaluation results for each fried chicken are shown in Table 5.

[0049] [Table 5]

[0050] As shown in Table 5, the fried chicken made using any of the calcium salts in breading flour had an uneven surface and maintained a good texture. On the other hand, the fried chicken made using calcium chloride had a bitter and astringent taste that is unique to calcium chloride.

[0051] [Example 5] Examination of time required for frying after coating Fried chicken was cooked in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the same batter liquid as used in Test Example 23 of Example 3 was used and the time from coating to frying was set as shown in Table 6. The appearance of the fried chicken immediately after removal from the cooking oil and the texture of the fried chicken 30 minutes after removal were evaluated in the same manner as in Example 1. The evaluation results for each fried chicken are shown in Table 6. As shown in Table 6, the shorter the time from coating to frying, the more unevenness formed on the surface of the fried chicken and the better the texture was maintained.

[0052] [Table 6]

Claims

1. The following steps: (i) applying a batter liquid to the entire surface of the food material, the batter liquid containing alginic acids and having a viscosity of 2000 to 20000 mPa s; (ii) applying breading flour to the entire surface of the food material of (i), wherein the breading flour comprises a divalent metal salt; and (iii) A step of frying the food material of (ii) Including, The frying in step (iii) is initiated within 30 minutes after step (ii); Methods for producing fried foods.

2. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the frying in step (iii) is initiated within 1 minute after step (ii).

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the concentration of alginic acids contained in the batter liquid is 0.15 to 0.8% by weight.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the amount of the divalent metal salt contained in 100 parts by weight of the breading flour is 0.1 to 3.0 parts by weight.

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