I am deep frying a serving of fries and chicken and wondered how much of the cooking oil is actually in the cooked food. I am using Canola oil and after the food is cooked and drained I am thinking that there isn’t much oil left in the food. What do you think?

Best reply by corvato:

depends on the food and its batter, the temperature you are frying at, and how long its fried

beer batter, or wet batters won’t hold as much as something like breadcrumbs, and the hotter and quicker you fry the less oil will be absorbed.

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How much cooking oil is actually in a serving of fried food?

Apple Sauce
You can try applesauce in place of oil when you’re using a cake mix, it works surprisingly well. Use the same quantity of applesauce as you would use oil, and proceed as normal. However, when you’re using a mix, it’s preferable to use unsweetened applesauce, since most store bought cake mixes have added sugar. In case the mix asks for the addition of water, you may need to reduce the quantity of liquid you add, to maintain the batter consistency. In general, any pureed fruit can work, but most cooks baking cakes prefer applesauce because of its mild flavor. Fruit puree works in a similar way as the oil, by adding moisture to the cake mix. Once baked, you’d be hard pressed to figure out the difference. Once you understand how to substitute applesauce for oil in cake recipes, you can use this as a low calorie version to the regular recipe.

Yogurt
Another great option that you can use as an oil substitute in a cake mix is yogurt. Again, use the same quantity of yogurt as you would oil, and continue as usual. You could also use a mixture of half yogurt and half milk, to equal the quantity of oil you need to substitute. Both milk and yogurt will give you a moist cake, so you don’t need to worry about dryness.

Butter
Butter is an obvious option as a substitute for oil in a cake mix recipe. For best results, try melting the butter before you add it to the cake mix. By doing this, you can replicate somewhat, the consistency of oil, which will make sure your batter doesn’t need extra liquid. Butter will give you excellent results as a substitute for oil, and will also impart a rich flavor to your cake.

Sour Cream
Sour cream is a great cooking oil substitute that you can use without a second thought. Its high fat content will add moisture and springiness to your cake.

Mayonnaise
Although this may sound strange, mayonnaise can also work well as an oil substitute in a cake mix. Mayonnaise is made from a combination of eggs and oil, which makes it suitable as a replacement. However, take care not to use mayonnaise that has additional flavorings or salt, since you could end up with a potential disaster in your cake tin. Additionally, don’t try and substitute sandwich spread or dressing for the mayonnaise, as both these, while suitable as substitutes for just mayonnaise, will not work as substitutes in a cake mix. Continue Reading »