# White Whale of cooking. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 1, 2014, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-whale-of-cooking/706079 "2014-12-01T22:24:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2014, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-whale-of-cooking/706079/81 "2014-12-05T14:21:39Z")
> [@Fenris](#): > > \*And just what the hell do you do with the leftover oil/crisco? Serious answer: You let it cool, strain it, and store it in whatever receptacle you have around to keep that amount of oil. I put it in a leftover gallon container I keep for this purpose. You can reuse it many times. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2014, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-whale-of-cooking/706079/82 "2014-12-05T14:26:01Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Serious answer: You let it cool, strain it, and store it in whatever receptacle you have around to keep that amount of oil. I put it in a leftover gallon container I keep for this purpose. You can reuse it many times. Only if you reuse it fairly soon. It doesn’t keep nearly as well as oil that hasn’t been used to fry stuff. Yeah, if you fry food regularly, you can do that. It’s not a great idea if you would like to fry every couple of months. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2014, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-whale-of-cooking/706079/83 "2014-12-05T14:40:46Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Only if you reuse it fairly soon. It doesn’t keep nearly as well as oil that hasn’t been used to fry stuff. > > Yeah, if you fry food regularly, you can do that. It’s not a great idea if you would like to fry every couple of months. That’s about the period I fry, and I reuse oil for about six months or so (I’ve gone a bit longer, though you really shouldn’t) before it starts getting rancid or doesn’t come up to temperature, about three or four times. Store it in a fridge or even freezer if you want it to keep “fresh.” ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2014, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-whale-of-cooking/706079/84 "2014-12-05T15:27:02Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > That’s about the period I fry, and I reuse oil for about six months or so (I’ve gone a bit longer, though you really shouldn’t) before it starts getting rancid or doesn’t come up to temperature, about three or four times. Store it in a fridge or even freezer if you want it to keep “fresh.” But that just pushes the problem forward: you have a gallon of oil, you’ve used it for 6 months and now have 3/4ths of a gallon of semi-rancid oil left. Then what? Pour it down the drain? Toss the sealed container in the trash? Dump it on your neighbor’s lawn? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2014, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-whale-of-cooking/706079/85 "2014-12-05T15:38:46Z")
> [@Fenris](#): > > Two of 'em for me: > > One is a general one: > Real fried chicken (as in “on the bone”) and tempura. Either the outside comes out burned and the inside raw, or it all turns to leather–greasy leather–or (and yes, I’m pretty sure it’s thermodynamically impossible) the batter on the chicken was still undercooked and mostly liquid while the chicken was done but stringy/fiberous. I’ve adjusted the temp of the oil every direction, I’ve tried deep frying in a pot of oil\*, I’ve tried “shallow” frying in a cast iron skillet with melted crisco\* and I JUST! CAN’T! DO! IT! (PS-no fair telling me to either pound the meat flat–I want real, bone-in, fried chicken and no fair saying "Don’t batter it, just use bread-crumbs, corn-flake crumbs, cracker crumbs, etc. That’s good, but it doesn’t count for what I want) > > The other…there was a little cafe’ in Denver called “The Brick Oven Beanery”. They had a citrus marinated rotisserie chicken that I can’t duplicate. They’ve been out of business for at least 15 years and I can’t get it right. There’s some secret ingredient I’m missing. > > \*And just what the hell do you do with the leftover oil/crisco? Genuine Southern fried chicken is seasoned with salt, pepper and paprika, then dredged in flour and fried at 365F in about 3/4" of oil in a covered pan. Takes about 15-20 minutes, and you have to turn it once. Batter fried chicken needs a double dip (dry, wet, dry) and fried in deep fat at 350F. A good thermometer is essential. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2014, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-whale-of-cooking/706079/86 "2014-12-05T15:53:15Z")
(Didn’t read the whole thread.) Re the OP: the secret to good fried potatoes is not to start with raw potatoes. Either microwave the whole/cut-up potatoes first for about 5 minutes, or else start with leftover cold baked potatoes. When I make baked potatoes, I usually throw in an extra potato or two just for this purpose. America’s Test Kitchen suggests boiling the potatoes first: > [@](#): > > When developing our home fries recipe, we discovered that Yukon Gold potatoes make terrific fries when sautéed in a heavy skillet. But first, place diced potatoes in large saucepan, cover with 1/2 inch water, add 1 teaspoon salt, and place over high heat. As soon as water begins to boil, about 6 minutes, drain potatoes thoroughly in colander. As for browning and crisping the potatoes, we learned that meant letting them sit undisturbed in hot fat. We found that we had to let them sit for a full four to five minutes before the first turn. A total of three or four more turns over another 10 to 15 minutes gave us the delectably golden-brown nuggets we wanted for our home fries recipe. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2014, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-whale-of-cooking/706079/87 "2014-12-05T16:00:50Z")
> [@Fenris](#): > > But that just pushes the problem forward: you have a gallon of oil, you’ve used it for 6 months and now have 3/4ths of a gallon of semi-rancid oil left. Then what? Pour it down the drain? Toss the sealed container in the trash? Dump it on your neighbor’s lawn? Sealed container in the trash (or recycle, if available). Definitely _not_ drain, sewer, or toilet. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2014, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-whale-of-cooking/706079/88 "2014-12-05T16:17:42Z")
Pie crust is my white whale. I guess I could, theoretically, make a good pie crust, but the effort and frustration I would experience isn’t worth it. I want to put my energies into the filling, not the thing that holds the filling. ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2014, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-whale-of-cooking/706079/89 "2014-12-05T16:25:48Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Sealed container in the trash (or recycle, if available). Definitely _not_ drain, sewer, or toilet. :dubious:I notice you didn’t address the all-crucial part about “the neighbor’s lawn”. 😉 Seriously, thanks! ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2014, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-whale-of-cooking/706079/90 "2014-12-05T16:27:19Z")
> [@Fenris](#): > > :dubious:I notice you didn’t address the all-crucial part about “the neighbor’s lawn”. > > 😉 > > Seriously, thanks! And, in case it’s unclear, by “recycle” I do mean take it to an oil recycling center if you have one, not throw it into the recycling bin instead of the trash. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2014, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-whale-of-cooking/706079/91 "2014-12-05T17:25:25Z")
> [@Fenris](#): > > But that just pushes the problem forward: you have a gallon of oil, you’ve used it for 6 months and now have 3/4ths of a gallon of semi-rancid oil left. Then what? Pour it down the drain? Toss the sealed container in the trash? Dump it on your neighbor’s lawn? I’ve had pretty good luck in just getting my narrow (“sharpshooter”) shovel and digging a little hole in the back part of the yard and pouring it in. I figure it’s not toxic, and some sort of microorganisms will eat it, so it’s kind of like liquid composting. I’m pretty sure it’ll kill your grass if you just pour it on though. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2014, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-whale-of-cooking/706079/92 "2014-12-05T18:08:20Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > And, in case it’s unclear, by “recycle” I do mean take it to an oil recycling center if you have one, not throw it into the recycling bin instead of the trash. 🙂 Nor down your drain, or frying chicken will be the least of your problems. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2014, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-whale-of-cooking/706079/93 "2014-12-05T19:46:42Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Nor down your drain, or frying chicken will be the least of your problems. Yep, already mentioned. No drain, sewer, or toilet. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2014, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-whale-of-cooking/706079/94 "2014-12-05T21:18:17Z")
> [@Fenris](#): > > But that just pushes the problem forward: you have a gallon of oil, you’ve used it for 6 months and now have 3/4ths of a gallon of semi-rancid oil left. Then what? Pour it down the drain? Toss the sealed container in the trash? Dump it on your neighbor’s lawn? Those of us with cats pour the oil into the garbage bag full of old/used kitty litter that’s about to be dumped in the trash anyway. _Protip_: do not double-bag this. TRIPLE-bag it. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2014, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-whale-of-cooking/706079/95 "2014-12-05T21:50:17Z")
Did anybody say Pho yet? For the life of me I cannot get this right. Too much anise, too much cinnamon, wrong beef broth, or something. I’m a simple cook… those fancy aromas saturate my nose while I’m cooking and then I can’t judge the taste anymore. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2014, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-whale-of-cooking/706079/96 "2014-12-05T21:56:39Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > those of us with cats pour the oil into the garbage bag full of old/used kitty litter that’s about to be dumped in the trash anyway. > > _protip_: Do not double-bag this. > > triple-bag it. genius ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2014, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-whale-of-cooking/706079/97 "2014-12-06T01:34:58Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > … different oil ratios … I wind up with a grassy-tasting, slightly bitter, dark olive green colored mess. Make sure you’re not blending extra virgin olive oil. It could explain the bitterness: > **[Why Extra-Virgin Olive Oil Becomes Bitter In The Blender | Summer Tomato](https://summertomato.com/2009/03/18/the-bitter-truth-about-olive-oil/)** > > Extra-virgin olive oil is very sensitive to mechanical agitation and becomes bitter when blended. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2014, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-whale-of-cooking/706079/98 "2014-12-06T01:51:25Z")
Greek moussaka. It’s like greek lasagna, with eggplant instead of pasta. No matter how I precook/drain the eggplant, my moussaka always turns runny. I can follow a recipe, but with moussaka, I am cursed. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2014, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-whale-of-cooking/706079/99 "2014-12-06T02:40:44Z")
My dad used to make Moussaka a la Turk. It’s distinguishing feature was that the skins of the eggplant were used to line the inside of the ceramic vessel it was cooked in, and when it was decanted, it looked like a giant fez. It was a strikingly attractive dish. Do you salt the eggplant before you cook it to draw the water out? I remember my dad always did that, and a huge amount of water was removed. Then he rinsed off the eggplant slices and began to cook them. Or maybe that was a different moussaka recipe, since I think he needed to cook half eggplants to get the skins right. ---
**Author:** ![syncrolecyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@syncrolecyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/syncrolecyne)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2014, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-whale-of-cooking/706079/100 "2014-12-06T05:29:37Z")
I can never get chicken to taste good. Even when I brine or marinate it, it is not all that great compared to what I get in a restaurant. Fried potatoes used to be a pain, until I began to precook. Still, I need to constantly watch over and adjust the heat when I finish them, or they turn out poorly. Most of my attempts to make pancakes end in disaster. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-whale-of-cooking/706079.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-whale-of-cooking/706079.md?page=6)