High Oleic Cooking Oil Offers 'Soy' Much to Love
March 12, 2018
By Lindsey Foss, Iowa Soybean Association
Photos by Joseph L. Murphy, Iowa Soybean Association
Chef Mark Patel of Simmons Prepared Foods, one of America’s largest chicken-producing companies, hopped on the cooking stage at Commodity Classic in Anaheim, California, earlier this month to prepare kid-friendly and parent-approved chicken recipes.
Two of Patel’s featured dishes were fried in high oleic soybean oil, a product of high oleic soybeans that he says is highly functional for his culinary creations.
“From a chef’s perspective, there’s a major benefit to using this product,” he said. “I’m impressed with its ability to hold stable under room temperatures, and it fries with a clean, neutral taste.”
Farmers throughout the U.S. are growing 625,000 acres of high oleic soybeans and marketing the oil to food companies for a familiar-tasting oil with lower saturated fat and no trans fats. While the versatile soybean oil is not yet available on grocery store shelves, it’s estimated demand for the product will lead to 18 million acres of the crop in five years.
Patel doesn’t think it can come to consumers soon enough.
“High oleic soybean oil has a much longer shelf life and gives me three times longer frying life,” he said. “A big round of applause for the farmers growing this product so that folks like me can use it.”
With experience ranging from fast food to fine dining, Patel created menu ideas to bring fun, craveable flavors into the home for busy families and shared three of his favorites with the Iowa Food & Family Project.
Recipes Featuring High Oleic Cooking Oil
Corny Bacon Chicken Tender Dogs
Serves 10
Ingredients
Corny Batter:
- 1 ½ cups yellow cornmeal
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
Chicken:
- 10 chicken tenderloins (medium size)
- 10 slices bacon
- Salt and pepper for seasoning
- Frying oil (high oleic, if available)
- Dipping sauces (ketchup, honey mustard, etc.)
Instructions
Corny batter:
In a large bowl, add the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add bean egg, milk, oil and honey. Stir until combined. Batter should be slightly thicker than pancake batter.
Chicken — Stage 1:
Preheat oven to 400° F. Carefully push raw chicken throw wooden skewers to the end of the tender. Set on sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper. Stretch and wrap one slice of bacon around the tender making sure ¾ of the tender is covered. Cook for 8-10 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 170 degrees. Bacon should be cooked three-quarters of the way through and show signs of crispiness. Refrigerate immediately. Once cooled, wrap tight and reserve for stage two.
Chicken — Stage 2:
Preheat fryer oil to 355° F. Take the skewered bacon-wrapped tenders out of the refrigerator and set out at room temperature for 15 minutes. Fill two water glasses three-quarters full of corny batter. Dip skewers into glass, making sure the entire tender is submerged in the batter. Slowly add the dipped chicken tender to the oil. Cook until golden brown or until internal temperature reaches 165° F. Serve with French fries and dipping sauces of choice
Breakfast Chicken & Waffle Sliders
Serves 4 – 5
Ingredients
Waffle batter:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 3 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 1 cup butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Fried chicken:
- 5 – 7 chicken breasts, chunked
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- Salt and pepper, for seasoning
- ½ cup scrambled eggs, raw
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs
- Frying oil (high oleic, if available)
- Maple syrup (optional) for sauce topping
- Fresh Fruit (optional) for garnish
Instructions
Waffle batter:
In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar and baking powder. In a separate bowl, lightly beat eggs. Add milk, butter and vanilla; mix well. Stir into dry ingredients until combined. Cook in waffle maker until golden brown. Batter should yield 5 – 6 mini waffles.
Fried chicken:
Make a breading station with separate containers of all-purpose flour, scrambled eggs and panko bread crumbs. Lightly dredge pressed chicken pieces in seasoned flour. Shake off excess flour. Submerge in egg mixture, allowing to run off chicken for 3 seconds. Add to panko bread crumbs. Lightly press into bread crumbs on both sides for a good coating. Once oil temp has reached approximately 355° F., add chicken to high oleic oil and fry. Place all mini waffles on plate and add 1 slider on each mini waffle. Top with maple syrup sauce and fresh fruit, if desired.
Twist-in Chicken Nachos
Serves 4 – 5
Ingredients
Southwest cream sauce:
- 8 ounces sour cream
- ¼ teaspoon roasted garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon red onion, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Chicken:
- 8 ounces thin-sliced chicken breast (cut length-wise)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cornstarch
- ½ cup rice flour
- Frying oil (high oleic, if available)
Toppings (optional):
- Diced tomatoes
- Green onions
- Black beans
- Cilantro, chopped
Instructions
Southwest cream sauce:
Whisk together the sour cream, garlic, red onion, chili powder, cumin and ground red pepper. Whisk in cilantro and lime juice until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and keep refrigerated until serving.
Chicken:
Make a flour mixture by combining equal parts all-purpose flour, cornstarch and rice flour in one bowl; mix well. Place raw chicken breast in separate bowl and coat with olive oil, salt and pepper. Dip seasoned chicken in flour mixture. Shake off excess flour and slowly add to high oleic oil and fry. Cook until internal temperature reaches 170° F.
Spread out and stack crispy twist-in chicken pieces on plate to make nachos platter. Garnish with additional toppings as desired and drizzle with Southwest cream sauce.