On Food and Cooking

fry crisper and drier. Similarly, corn flour
improves crispness because its relatively large
particles are less absorbant, and its proteins
dilute wheat gluten and reduce the chewiness
of the crust. Adding some pure corn starch
also reduces the proportion and influence of
wheat gluten proteins. Root flours and
starches don’t work well in batters because
their starch granules gelate and disintegrate at
relatively low temperatures, do so early in
frying, and produce a soft crust that gets
soggy quickly.
Batters adhere better to moist foods when
the foods are predipped in dry particles,
whether seasoned flour or bread-crumbs; the
dry particles stick to the moist surface, and
the moist batter then clings to the rough
surface created by the particles. Batters are
more likely to produce crisp, tender crusts if
they’re prepared just before frying, with cold
liquid and little mixing to minimize water
absorption and gluten development (see