Good batter for fish.

[Mr. X]

Originally Posted by Oldsarge

I was going to try and find a polite way of pointing that out. Before we get all drippily nostalgic over "the good old days" perhaps a quiet look at the actuarial tables of past generations might be educational. In spite of the media's hysteria over every little problem they can blow out of proportion, we live longer than ever before . . . in spite of the "obesity epidemic", Mad Cow Disease, SARS, Avian flu or (fill in the blank here). Now eat your vegetables, drink your red wine and go outside and play.

"You gotta eat, you gotta drink and you gotta move"! (Was that Susan Powter?). Improved plumbing/drains/sanitation came top of a list of things that have improved health in a recent survey in the UK (ironic considering the prevalence of MRSA in our hospitals -- because they are dirty* --and the change to fortnightly rubbish collection). Antibiotics came second; I wonder how many of us would not be around without those?
[*From personal observation...dried blood on the floors, dirty curtains, dust in the corners. A family friend died of MRSA although it was omitted from her death certificate. The hospital was only 1 or 2 years old - I guess it makes no difference if it isn't clean ].

[wax63]

There are a lot of people that purport that people born in industrialized nations after 1940 who live health lifestyles (eat healthy, enough sleep, lack of stress, don't abuse drugs, alcohol, tabacco) have the opportunity to live well into their hundreds.

Of course enough time has not passed to prove this fact or fiction, but it makes sense to me...I think the biggest killer of people is stress.

I know my parents and those before them did not stress about things they way we do today. They didn't worry about what to eat, or political correctness, or whether they were within the limits of some assinine law, or anything for that matter that wasn't worth worrying about. For the most part they encountered real problems in their lives, got over them, and then on every other day lived with enjoyment and appreciation.

With that, i think a life of spearfishing at what it entails will yield great health and longevity, regardless of the fry oil.

[code2d]

..I think the biggest killer of people is stress.

I Agree fully.
I now many smokers that are over 80 years old.

[Mr. X]

Originally Posted by code2d

I Agree fully.
I now many smokers that are over 80 years old.

I know a few who did and few who didn't (one accidently set fire to herself & her house over Christmas).

[Oldsarge]

Last night on "Nova: Science Now" there was a segment on a study done in New York of citizens over 95 years old. What they have in common is large amounts of oversized HD colesterhol in their bloodstream and that none of them in any way follow the "common wisdom" on how to extend your life. Not a single one was a vegetarian, they all ate and drank what they damned well pleased and one old chap, a mere broth of a boy at 102 1/2, smoked for 60 years. Go figure.

[Spaniard]

My Grandma is 94, still drinks wine and sherry, reads 3 hours a day, speaks more sense than me!!! Hope it is genetic.......

[shoutatthesky]

As someone who batters and sells fish (and oysters, scallops, mussels, bananas, etc) to the public I can tell you what works well and is healthy too. And our customers tell us its good too.

We cook in rice bran oil. We chose this product for a number of reasons - it has a very high smoke point, it is non-animal, it is recommended by the New Zealand Heart Foundation. Also, although it is more expensive than other oils it lasts longer so ends up being around the same cost as less healthy alternatives. If I was cooking for myself I think I would prefer olive oil preferably from a local plantation. I am sure Italian olive oil is just as good if not better but it makes sense to buy local.

As for batter we use a very simple recipe - flour (highest grade), baking powder, a very tiny amount of yolkine colouring(basically concentrated egg yolk), and some water.
IMHO it is best for the batter not to have too much taste as it is the food inside that you want to taste not the batter.
My favourite battered food, SALMON yuuummmmmm!!

[code2d]

What is brain oil made from???????

[fcallagy]

bran oil code2d from bran not brain

[code2d]

te he brain oil. Is BRAN oil a common oil??

[Oldsarge]

I've never heard of it. Our local markets carry a wide variety but not that one.

[shoutatthesky]

It is relatively new to our country but so is cooking fat/oil not from an animal. Its RICE BRAN oil. So I guess that means it comes from rice. Or maybe I got it wrong and it is actually mice brain oil in which case I think we might be in trouble.

[Oldsarge]

I googled Rice Bran Oil and found, to my surprise, that it is a California product, carefully formulated to turn an agricultural waste product into money. Remarkable what the UC can come up with.

There was no response to mice brain oil, fortunately.

[shoutatthesky]

The brand we use sources their oil from Thailand. Agricultural waste product? No, that is called 'Cheese'.

"Rice has been and continues to be the largest source of human nutrition. Rice Bran Oil comes from the thin brown coating between the rice kernel and the protective husk. This coating called bran contains valuable nutritious components such as proteins, vitamins, minerals and lecithin. Oil is extracted from the bran. During the extraction process oil is carefully separated with the highly valued vitamins intact. As a result, the oil is naturally fortified with an abundance of vitamin E, gamma oryzanol and the essential fatty acids
Frying
Rice bran oil performs well as frying oil. Its mild flavour does not overwhelm the food so it is the perfect choice for frying applications that are flavour sensitive. Compared to most other oils Rice Bran Oil is low in linolenic acid and yet retains up to 20% saturated fat. It is for this reason, tests have shown that Rice Bran Oil has a fry life and storage life superior to most other oils. Rice Bran Oil does not require hydrogenation. It is also free of the undesirable trans fatty acid.
Stir-Frying
The major objective in stir-frying is to cook the food without destroying or overwhelming the food's natural flavours. This requires great skill in the selection of the temperature of stir-frying, stirring intensity and time. The choice of frying oil also affects the quality of the stir-fry. Since Rice Bran Oil does not overwhelm the flavour of the food and does not break down easily at high temperatures it is the oil of choice for stir-frying.
Snacks
Rice Bran Oil is used for snack coating. With its high level of naturally occurring antioxidants it can be used to encapsulate the snack and assist to preserve it from degradation.
Salad Oil
Rice Bran Oil being mild in aroma and flavour is a great alternative for consumers who find the intensely flavoured and aromatized oils such as olive and peanut oils overwhelming. Its stability makes it a good salad dressing carrier preserving the flavours in most dressing formulas.
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Other Information
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Shelf life: 1 year after manufacture date
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NUTRITION INFORMATION
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1. Acid value: 0. 2 max
2. Peroxide value: 1. 5 max
3. Protein: 0 g
4. Mono-unsaturated: 6. 0 g
5. Polyunsaturated: 5. 5 g
6. Saturated Fat: 2. 5 g
7. Vitamin E: 1. 2 mg
8. Gamma Oryzanol: 8. 4 mg
9. Cholesterol: 0 g
10. Sodium: 0 g

[ocean_314]

When we fry fish which we rarely do i use pancake mix as the batter. I just dip the filet in beaten egg and cover with dry pancake batter and fry its excellent.
For healthy fish, i consider frying fish in any oil unhealthy, try putting cornflakes into the blender and grind them into crumbs. dip fliets in egg white and then cover with the cornflakes crumbs on both sides. Put in a glass pan and bake at 475% for 16 minutes. This is excellent on all white meated fish.