顾名思义，浅煎比煎或sautéing需要更多的脂肪，但不像油炸那么多。当它们被浅炸时，大多数食物首先要裹上面包屑或覆盖(或疏通)面粉。这层涂层会变成金黄色，并密封在汁液中，从而形成酥脆多汁的菜肴，如炸鸡、裹面包屑的猪肉排、炸西葫芦和面包屑鳎目鱼。目的是使涂层变得轻盈、均匀、完整。为了疏通，首先用盐和胡椒粉调味，然后拖着或在面粉中搅拌，抖掉多余的食物。一些食物，如薄鱼片，然后直接油炸。其他食物，特别是那些需要较长时间烹饪的食物，比如带骨的鸡肉块或整条鱼，在疏通后休息一个小时左右，让面粉表面变干变硬。不要让它们互相接触，否则烹饪时涂层会粘住并撕裂。(给鸡肉撒面粉的一个简单方法是把面粉放在一个结实的纸袋里，加入鸡肉并摇晃。)面包屑比面粉更容易燃烧，最好涂在切得足够薄的肉和蔬菜上，当面包屑变成棕色时，内部就会熟了。 Season the meat or vegetables with salt, pepper, and any herbs or spices, as desired. For breadcrumbs to stick, the food needs to be evenly moist. First dredge it in flour, dip it in egg beaten with a little water, and then roll it (or pat it) in dry fresh breadcrumbs. (Coarse cornmeal can be substituted for breadcrumbs.) To keep your fingers from getting breaded along the way, use one hand to roll the food in the flour and crumbs and the other to dip it in the egg mixture. A breadcrumb coating will be crisper if allowed to rest an hour or so before cooking. Once again, be sure that the breaded pieces are not touching one another while they rest. For shallow-frying, choose oils with a high smoking temperature, such as pure olive oil or peanut oil, or clarified butter, which adds rich flavor. Or use a combination of oil and clarified butter. Lard, suet, duck fat, and schmaltz (chicken fat) are all distinctively flavorful frying fats. Potatoes, one of the few foods that don’t need to be floured or breaded before being shallow-fried, are especially tasty when cooked in a combination of clarified butter and duck fat. A heavy pan heats the fat evenly, and it should have low sides, for easy turning and to prevent steaming. The pan must be filled with enough fat to come halfway up the sides of what you are cooking. For most shallow-frying, that will be 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep. Otherwise the coating will get soggy and not cook along the edges where the oil didn’t reach. Heat the oil until it is hot but not smoking and gently add the food. Don’t crowd the pan; fry in batches if necessary. Cook until brown and crisp, then turn and cook until crisp on the other side. Monitor the heat, turning it down if the food is browning too quickly and turning it up if there is no browning after a minute or two. If fat is absorbed during the cooking, add more as necessary to maintain the proper level. Food that takes a while to cook, such as chicken, may need to be turned a few times. Remove from the pan when cooked and drain well on paper or an absorbent towel before serving.
