Matt wrote:
> I am looking for an oil to use for frying.
>
> I don't want to use hydrogenated oils (notably Crisco and other
> shortenings) because of health concerns.
>
> The problem is that the liquid oils I have tried start to smoke or smell
> rancid when frying.
>
> Specifically I want something for frying french toast or pancakes.
>
> Something that won't smoke or smell bad at frying temperatures.


When I think of frying at high temperatures in oil, I think of deep
frying, as in deep frying french fries, or fish and chips, or tempura,
or fried chicken. For that, if you don't want a hydrogenated oil or
tropical oil, your best bet might be peanut oil-- not the dark brown
toasted one, but the regular golden yellow stuff. Still, you've noticed
what those in the fast food industry have noticed: the higher the oil
is in saturated fat and transfat, the higher the temperature the oil can
get to without smoking or smelling bad.


The higher the temperature can get, the better the fried food tastes.
You're always in a trade-off between taste and health. You can fry in
olive oil, but it smokes at a fairly low temp and doesn't last long.
Animal oils such as beef suet or lard make fried foods taste wonderful,
but they're generally considered less healthy because they're so high in
saturated fats. Tropical oils such as palm or coconut, are high in
saturated fat though they're vegetarian and not hydrogenated.


My compromise is to fry in corn oil when I fry at home and not to worry
about the oil when I eat out. I fry at home almost never, and I eat
fried food in restaurants only infrequently.


But you asked about french toast and pancakes. I don't normally think
of those as being deep fried though I suppose anything is possible.
(Actually, I did have deep fried french toast once, and it was quite
tasty.) French toast and pancakes are normally pan fried in a little
butter at lower temperatures. If you don't care to use butter, almost
any mild oil will do such as corn oil, safflower, canola, etc. Those
are what I use for vegetable sautees as well.


--Lia