Which deep fat frying method is recommended for battered foods that tend to stick together?

The swimming method is particularly well-suited for battered foods that have a tendency to stick together during the frying process. This technique involves placing the food directly into the hot oil without using a basket, allowing for more freedom of movement in the oil. As the items fry, they can freely float and move around, which helps prevent them from adhering to one another. This is crucial when dealing with delicate batters that can easily bond with other pieces if they are restricted in their movement.

In contrast, methods that utilize baskets can lead to foods becoming compacted together, especially when the batter is moist. The use of a double basket or single basket method can limit the space available for the food to move and may cause some items to stick together while frying. The floating method using parchment paper may help to provide some non-stick properties, but it still confines the food more than the swimming method would. Therefore, for achieving optimal texture and preventing the batter from sticking, the swimming method is the most effective choice.