A Comparison of Quality of Chicken Fried in Vegetable oil, Chicken Fat or Duck Fat

Abstract

A series of studies were conducted in which skimmed chicken fat and dry rendered duck fat were compared to commercial vegetable oil for deep-fat frying of broiler chickens. In experiment 1 the three fats were each treated with butylated hydroxy anisol + butylated hydroxy toluene + silicone at levels of 0.01%, 0.01% and 1 p.p.m., respectively. The fats were heated to 180° C. in two open deep-fat fryers. Opposite halves of chicken conventionally cut and floured were fried for 20 minutes in the two fryers. Within 45 minutes after frying, warm chicken was offered to a 5–10 member panel for triangle testing and hedonic scale grading. After 3 days of frying for about 1/2 hour each day the chicken fat was exchanged for duck fat which was used for 2 days. The vegetable oil remained the same for the 5-day period.In experiment 2, dry-rendered duck fat, vegetable oil, and a mixture of vegetable oil and duck fat (2:1) were used as the cooking oil. Antioxidants were not added to the duck fat as it was used only once. The vegetable oil was of the same type as used in the earlier studies. The results indicated that poultry fats are suitable for chicken frying and at times result in color improvement. These results, and evidence in the literature, suggest that blending of chicken and/or duck fat with vegetable oil could improve the quality of fried chicken, particularly for the first batch cooked in the fresh frying fat.