Tried the ice water trick for crispy batter, saved my whole batch

I read about adding ice cubes to the batter on a random forum last Tuesday and thought it was nonsense. Decided to test it with my chicken strips in the fryer at 350F and the crunch was night and day different. The ice water keeps the batter cold so it crisps up fast without soaking up oil, and I only used about 3 cubes per cup of mix. Has anyone else tried this or do you swear by something else for a lighter coating?

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cora_scott7722d ago

Oh, have you tried the club soda swap instead? I remember reading about that in a cooking magazine a few years back, some chef swore by it for tempura. Anyway, your ice cube trick makes total sense to me now, cold batter hits the hot oil and the temp difference does all the work. I used to add vodka to my batter for the same reason, the alcohol evaporates fast and leaves it extra crispy. The ice water sounds way cheaper though, I'm gonna have to grab some cubes next time I fry. My only worry is it might water down the seasoning, but you said it didn't, so that gives me some hope.