Mix for deep-fried food and method for producing deep-fried food

Abstract

A water-soluble mix for deep-fried food, the mix being used in the production of deep-fried food that is deep-fried in an oil having a depth of 40-80% of the height of a coated ingredient, the mix for deep-fried food containing 5-40 mass% of a phosphoric-acid-crosslinked starch.

Description

Deep-fried mix and method for producing deep-fried chicken

[0001] The present invention relates to a water-soluble deep-frying mix used for producing fried chicken that is fried in a small amount of oil, and a method for producing fried chicken using the same.

[0002] Fried chicken is usually produced by coating ingredients such as meat with a batter and then frying them in hot oil. The batter on the surface of deep-fried chicken is heated in hot oil, making it crispy and fragrant, while the ingredients inside the batter are heated as if they were steamed, making them plump and give them a unique flavor.

[0003] Recently, from the viewpoint of reducing the labor required for cleaning up after oil disposal and reducing food waste, it has become desirable to produce fried foods using a small amount of oil. However, when deep-frying using a small amount of oil, the battered ingredients (fried ingredients) are heated while in contact with the bottom surface of the frying pan, and the batter may stick to the bottom surface and peel off from the ingredients.

[0004] Patent Document 1 describes a deep-frying mix containing 0.5 to 50% by mass of wheat flour, cereal flour other than wheat flour, 0.3 to 10% by mass of an emulsifier, and 0.05 to 5% by mass of a leavening agent, and describes that by using this mix, deep-fried foods with less oil splashing and a good appearance and texture can be easily produced when deep-fried using a shallow cookware with a small amount of oil. Furthermore, Patent Documents 2 and 3 describe the production of non-fried foods using a batter mix containing wheat flour and cross-linked starch.

[0005] On the other hand, in the production of fried chicken, a method is generally adopted in which ingredients such as meat are immersed in a seasoning liquid, and then a coating powder made mainly from wheat flour or a powdery coating material such as blender is applied to the ingredients, followed by frying. However, while this method can impart a desirable flavor to the ingredients with the seasoning liquid, it is troublesome to apply the coating to the ingredients, and further, some of the coating powder separates into the oil tank during frying, contaminating the oil, and therefore the coating powder must be removed from the oil tank, making the operation complicated.

[0006] A water-soluble deep-frying mix that can solve the above problems has been developed. Patent Document 4 describes that a water-soluble deep-frying mix containing 15 to 35% by mass of wheat flour, 10 to 20% by mass of oxidized starch, 10 to 18% by mass of phosphate-crosslinked starch, and 0.1 to 1.0% by mass of sodium bicarbonate can be used to produce fried chicken with a good appearance and texture. Patent Documents 5 and 6 describe the production of fried foods by frying ingredients coated with a batter containing wheat flour and phosphate-crosslinked starch.

[0007] International Publication No. 2017 / 204324 JP 2018-014915 A JP 2008-011856 A JP 2015-223119 A JP 2022-035907 A Japanese Patent No. 6960563

[0008] To provide a water-soluble mix for deep-frying, which can prevent the coating from coming off from ingredients due to the coating sticking to the bottom of a pan, even when the coating ingredients are deep-fried in a small amount of oil.

[0009] The inventors have found that when a batter liquid prepared from a mix containing phosphate cross-linked starch is applied to ingredients, the coating material can be prevented from sticking to the bottom of the pan even when the resulting coated ingredients are deep-fried in a small amount of oil so that they come into contact with the bottom of the pan.

[0010] The present invention provides the following as representative embodiments. [1] A water-soluble deep-frying mix for use in producing fried chicken to be fried in oil to a depth of 40 to 80% of the height of the battered ingredients, the deep-frying mix containing 5 to 40% by mass of a phosphate cross-linked starch. [2] The deep-frying mix according to [1], wherein the phosphate cross-linked starch comprises an oil- or fat-modified phosphate cross-linked starch. [3] The deep-frying mix according to [1] or [2], further containing 0.2 to 0.4% by mass of an emulsifier. [4] The deep-frying mix according to any one of [1] to [3], further containing 6 to 20% by mass of an oxidized starch. [5] The deep-frying mix according to any one of [1] to [4], further containing 15 to 40% by mass of an unmodified starch. [6] The deep-frying mix according to any one of [1] to [5], further containing cereal flour. [7] The deep-frying mix according to any one of [1] to [6], used for producing deep-fry fried chicken to be fried in oil to a depth of 1.5 to 3.5 cm. [8] A method for producing deep-fry fried chicken, comprising frying ingredients coated with a batter containing the deep-frying mix according to any one of [1] to [6], in oil to a depth of 40 to 80% of the height of the ingredients coated with the batter. [9] The method according to [8], wherein the oil depth is 1.5 to 3.5 cm.

[10] Use of the deep-frying mix according to any one of [1] to [6] for preparing batter for deep-frying fried chicken to be fried in oil to a depth of 40 to 80% of the height of the coated ingredients.

[11] The use according to

[10] , wherein the oil depth is 1.5 to 3.5 cm.

[0011] By using a batter containing the deep-frying mix of the present invention as a coating material, even when the coated ingredients are deep-fried in a small amount of oil that causes them to come into contact with the bottom of the pan, adhesion of the coating to the bottom of the pan and the resulting peeling of the coating from the ingredients are prevented. Therefore, the deep-frying mix of the present invention makes it possible to produce fried foods with a good appearance and no peeling of the coating, even when deep-fried in a small amount of oil. Furthermore, the present invention makes it possible to achieve good deep-frying while reducing the amount of frying oil used.

[0012] The water-soluble deep-frying mix of the present invention (hereinafter also referred to as the "mix of the present invention") is used to produce deep-fried chicken that is fried in a small amount of oil. Preferably, ingredients coated with a batter containing the mix of the present invention (also referred to as "battered ingredients" in this specification) are fried in oil to a depth of 40 to 80% of the height of the battered ingredients to produce deep-fried chicken.

[0013] In this specification, the term "water-soluble deep-frying mix" refers to a deep-frying mix that is mixed with a liquid such as water to prepare a liquid or paste-like batter (batter liquid). Deep-frying can be produced by applying the batter liquid to the surface of ingredients and frying them.

[0014] In the present invention, "frying with oil" refers to a cooking method in which ingredients are immersed in oil and heated using the surrounding oil as a heat medium. By "frying" battered ingredients, the moisture near the surface of the batter is replaced with oil, while the ingredients inside are heated so that they are steamed with their own moisture. As a result, the resulting fried food has a batter with a unique crisp texture and flavor, and the ingredients inside have concentrated umami. Therefore, "frying with oil" in the present invention does not include heating in which there is not enough oil around the ingredients (so-called non-frying cooking), such as baking, oven cooking, or microwave cooking.

[0015] As used herein, the "height" of a coated ingredient refers to the height of the coated ingredient (the maximum length perpendicular to the top surface of the oil) when the coated ingredient is placed in a deep-frying cookware (such as a pot) filled with oil. Furthermore, as used herein, the "depth" of oil used for deep-frying refers to the shortest distance from the bottom of the interior of the deep-frying cookware (such as a pot) to the top surface of the oil when the oil is poured into the deep-frying cookware. If the bottom of the cookware is not flat (e.g., rounded), the "depth" of the oil may vary depending on the location within the cookware. In this case, the depth of the oil at the location where the coated ingredient is placed should be applied.

[0016] The mix of the present invention contains phosphate cross-linked starch. The type of phosphate cross-linked starch contained in the mix of the present invention is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include unprocessed phosphate cross-linked starch, oil- or fat-processed phosphate cross-linked starch, acetylated phosphate cross-linked starch, and hydroxypropyl phosphate cross-linked starch. In terms of the effect of preventing the coating material from sticking to the bottom of the pot, the phosphate cross-linked starch preferably includes oil- or fat-processed phosphate cross-linked starch. The type of starch from which the phosphate cross-linked starch is made is not particularly limited, and examples include tapioca starch, potato starch, wheat starch, rice starch, cornstarch, and waxy cornstarch. Of these, tapioca starch is preferred in terms of the effect of preventing the coating material from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

[0017] The content of the cross-linked starch in the mix of the present invention is preferably 5 to 40% by mass, more preferably 20 to 30% by mass, of the total mass of the mix. If the content of the cross-linked starch in the mix of the present invention is too low, the coating material will tend to stick to the bottom of the pan when the coating is deep-fried, while if the content of the cross-linked starch is too high, the coating may have a hard texture or become oily and sticky after deep-frying.

[0018] The mix of the present invention may contain an emulsifier. It is preferable that the mix of the present invention contains an emulsifier, since the fried chicken produced using the mix of the present invention can maintain the texture of the coating even after a long time has passed since frying. Preferred examples of the emulsifier include one or more selected from the group consisting of glycerin fatty acid esters, sucrose fatty acid esters, and lecithin.

[0019] The content of the emulsifier in the mix of the present invention is preferably 0.2 to 0.4% by mass of the total mass of the mix. If the content of the emulsifier in the mix of the present invention is too low, the effect of maintaining the texture of the batter after frying will be insufficient, while if the content of the emulsifier is too high, the batter after frying may become too brittle or oily and sticky.

[0020] The mix of the present invention can contain oxidized starch. Examples of the oxidized starch include oxidized starch that has not been subjected to any other processing, acetylated oxidized starch, etc. On the other hand, the oxidized starch does not include starch that corresponds to phosphate cross-linked starch. The starch from which the oxidized starch is made is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include tapioca starch, potato starch, wheat starch, rice starch, corn starch, waxy corn starch, etc. The content of the oxidized starch in the mix of the present invention is preferably 6 to 20% by mass of the total mass of the mix. When the mix of the present invention contains the above amount of oxidized starch, the effect of preventing the coating from sticking to the bottom of the pot when the coating ingredients are fried is improved.

[0021] The mix of the present invention can contain unmodified starch. The type of unmodified starch is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include tapioca starch, potato starch, wheat starch, rice starch, sweet potato starch, corn starch, and waxy corn starch. The content of unmodified starch in the mix of the present invention is preferably 15 to 40% by mass. If the blending amount of unmodified starch exceeds 40% by mass, the coating becomes watery and the crispiness is impaired.

[0022] The mix of the present invention can contain cereal flour. As the cereal flour, any edible cereal flour can be used without any particular limitation, and examples thereof include wheat flour, rice flour, corn flour, barley flour, rye flour, etc., and any one or a combination of two or more of these can be used. Of these, wheat flour is preferred. As the wheat flour, there is no particular limitation, and examples thereof include strong flour, semi-strong flour, medium-strength flour, weak flour, durum flour, etc., and any one or a combination of two or more of these can be used. Of these, weak flour is preferred. The content of cereal flour in the mix of the present invention may be 95% by mass or less, and preferably 10% by mass or more, of the total mass of the mix.

[0023] In addition to the above-mentioned components, the mix of the present invention may further contain other components, as needed, such as modified starches other than phosphate cross-linked starch and oxidized starch; egg powder such as whole egg powder and egg white powder; thickeners; seasonings such as salt, powdered soy sauce, fermented seasonings, sugars, powdered miso, and amino acids; spices; flavorings; nutritional components such as vitamins; coloring agents; powdered oils and fats. These other components can be used alone or in combination of two or more. The type and content of the other components used in the mix of the present invention can be appropriately adjusted depending on the desired characteristics of the fried chicken. For example, appropriate seasonings, spices, etc. can be blended depending on the flavor of the fried chicken (e.g., Chinese style, Japanese style, Western style, etc.).

[0024] The mix of the present invention can be prepared by mixing the above-mentioned components. The mix of the present invention is preferably in powder or granular form. The mix of the present invention is suitably used for preparing batter liquid for deep-frying, which is fried in a small amount of oil as described above.

[0025] When producing fried chicken using the mix of the present invention, the mix of the present invention is mixed with a liquid such as water in advance to prepare a liquid or paste-like batter (batter liquid). Examples of liquids used to prepare the batter include water and liquids other than water (e.g., milk, stock, broth, etc.), and these can be used alone or in combination of two or more. The amount of liquid used to prepare the batter can be adjusted depending on the type of ingredients, but is generally preferably 70 to 200 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the mix of the present invention. Preferably, the mix of the present invention and the liquid are stirred and mixed to prepare a homogeneous batter liquid.

[0026] Next, the prepared batter containing the mix of the present invention is applied to the ingredients. For example, ingredients of an appropriate size can be immersed in the batter, or the batter can be sprayed, applied, poured, or dropped onto the ingredients to apply the batter to the surfaces of the ingredients.

[0027] The ingredients for the fried chicken made using the mix of the present invention are not particularly limited, but meat and seafood are preferred, including meats such as chicken, pork, beef, lamb, and goat, seafood, vegetables, and substitutes for these. The ingredients may be seasoned as needed before the batter prepared using the mix of the present invention is applied to the ingredients.

[0028] Fried chicken is produced by frying the batter-adhered ingredients (coated ingredients) in a small amount of oil. Specifically, as described above, the amount of oil used to fry the coated ingredients is an amount such that the depth of the oil is 40 to 80% of the height of the coated ingredients, and can be determined appropriately depending on the height of the coated ingredients to be fried. Considering the size of typical fried chicken, the depth of oil used to fry the coated ingredients is preferably 1.5 to 3.5 cm. In a more specific example, fried chicken can be produced by adding oil to a cooking utensil such as a deep fryer or frying pan to a depth of 40 to 80% of the height of the coated ingredients and frying the coated ingredients. When frying a battered ingredient in oil at a depth of 40 to 80% of its height, for example, by frying the bottom side of the battered ingredient in oil to that depth, then turning the battered ingredient over and frying the other side (the original top side), fried chicken that is thoroughly fried throughout can be produced. The frying temperature and time are adjusted appropriately depending on the type and size of the ingredient, but are, for example, about 4 to 10 minutes at 160 to 180°C.

[0029] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0030] (Ingredients) Wheat flour: plain flour (Nissin Flour Milling Co., Ltd.) Phosphate cross-linked wheat starch: Glico Nutrition Foods Co., Ltd. (no processing other than phosphate cross-linking) Phosphate cross-linked tapioca starch: Matsutani Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. (no processing other than phosphate cross-linking) Fat-processed phosphate cross-linked tapioca starch: Nihon Starch Chemical Co., Ltd. Oxidized tapioca starch: J-Oil Mills Co., Ltd. Unprocessed starch: wheat starch (Glico Nutrition Foods Co., Ltd.) Emulsifier: sucrose fatty acid ester (Sanei Gen F.F.I. Co., Ltd.)

[0031] The ingredients shown in Tables 1 to 5 were mixed to homogeneity to produce a deep-frying mix.

[0032] A batter was prepared by thoroughly mixing 100 g of the prepared deep-frying mix with 100 cc of water. Ten pieces of seasoned chicken thighs were added to the batter and thoroughly mixed to obtain coated ingredients. The height of the resulting coated ingredients was adjusted to a range of 2.5 to 5 cm. Oil was poured into an aluminum snow pan to a depth of 2 cm and heated to 170°C. The coated ingredients were placed in the pan and fried for 3 minutes, then turned over and fried for another 3 minutes to produce fried chicken. The condition (stickiness of the coating) of 10 coated ingredients during frying was evaluated using the following evaluation criteria, and the average of the 10 evaluations was calculated. In addition, the texture of the coating of fried chicken immediately after production was evaluated by 10 expert panelists using the following evaluation criteria, and the average of the 10 evaluations was calculated. The texture of the coating of fried chicken stored for 4 hours after production was also evaluated in the same manner as in Table 3. The results are shown in Tables 1 to 5.

[0033] <Evaluation Criteria> (Batter sticking) 5: No sticking of the batter to the bottom of the pot, very good. 4: The batter sticks only slightly to the bottom of the pot, and can be removed from the bottom of the pot by simply poking it lightly with chopsticks without it coming off the ingredients, good. 3: The batter sticks to the bottom of the pot, but by poking it carefully with chopsticks, it can be removed from the bottom of the pot without coming off the ingredients, fairly good. 2: The batter sticks to the bottom of the pot, and when removing it with chopsticks, it peels off slightly from the ingredients, somewhat poor. 1: The batter sticks strongly to the bottom of the pot, and when removing it with chopsticks, it peels off from the ingredients, leaving them exposed, very poor. (Batter texture) 5: The batter has a pleasant crispy texture that is characteristic of deep-fried chicken throughout, very good. 4: The batter has a crispy texture that is characteristic of deep-fried chicken, good. 3: The batter has a slight crispy texture that is characteristic of deep-fried chicken, somewhat good. 2: Lacking the crispy hardness characteristic of fried chicken, being slightly soft and sticky, or being slightly too hard, or being slightly brittle and too light in texture, slightly poor. 1: Lacking the crispy hardness characteristic of fried chicken, being soft and sticky, or being very hard, or being very brittle and too light in texture, extremely poor.

[0034]

[0035]

[0036]

[0037]

[0038]

Claims

1. A water-soluble deep-frying mix for use in the production of fried foods that are fried in oil at a depth of 40 to 80% of the height of the battered ingredients, the deep-frying mix containing 5 to 40% by mass of phosphate cross-linked starch.

2. The deep-frying mix according to claim 1, wherein the phosphate cross-linked starch comprises oil- or fat-modified phosphate cross-linked starch.

3. The deep-frying mix according to claim 1, further comprising 0.2 to 0.4% by mass of an emulsifier.

4. The deep-frying mix according to claim 1, further comprising 6 to 20% by mass of oxidized starch.

5. The deep-frying mix according to claim 1, further comprising 15 to 40% by mass of unmodified starch.

6. The deep-frying mix according to claim 1, further comprising cereal flour.

7. The deep-frying mix according to claim 1, which is used to produce fried food that is fried in oil at a depth of 1.5 to 3.5 cm.

8. A method for producing fried chicken, comprising frying an ingredient coated with a batter containing the frying mix according to any one of claims 1 to 6 in oil at a depth of 40 to 80% of the height of the ingredient coated with the batter.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the oil has a depth of 1.5 to 3.5 cm.

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