Cooking with Cottonseed Oil

Cotton Field Fries

Adult supervision is advised when cooking
2-4 baking potatoes (Idaho or russet)
Cottonseed oil for deep-frying
Salt

1. Peel the potatoes and cut into ¼ inch thick “cotton stalk” size strips. Line a large baking sheet with crumpled paper towels, and set it aside.
2. Put cottonseed oil in a deep pot to a depth of 3 inches. Heat the oil over medium heat to 375 degrees. Fry the potatoes in five or six batches, about 1 cup at a time. Lightly brown, about 7 minutes, then remove all of the potatoes from the oil with a wire mesh strainer. Place on crumpled paper towels.

Deep-Fat Frying: Cottonseed oil’s stability and consistent browning throughout its life make it a classic in the fryer. It enables foodservice operators to serve up products that are crisp and golden brown with a fresh fried flavor without a greasy mouth-feel.

Cotton Wok Veggies

Adult supervision is advised when cooking
1/3 cup chicken broth 1 cup carrots, sliced
1 tsp. corn starch 1 cup bell pepper, sliced
1 Tbls. soy sauce 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
¼ cup cottonseed oil 1 cup broccoli florets
1 garlic clove, minced 1 cup green onions, sliced

1. Mix broth, soy sauce and cornstarch together, set a side.
2. Place wok over high heat. Add the oil, pouring around the rim. Add garlic and carrots. Cook 2 minutes, then add the rest of the vegetables tossing constantly with a large spatula. Cook for about 2 minutes more.
3. Add soy & broth mixture and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover the wok. Let steam for 2 minutes.

Stir-frying/Wok Cooking: With its high smoke point and mild, slightly nutty flavor, cottonseed oil is an excellent choice for all sorts of stir-frying and wok cooking.

Cottonflower” Salad

Adult supervision is advised when cooking
1 cup cottonseed oil 1 Tbls. lemon juice
1 tsp. dry mustard 1 Tbls. red wine vinegar
1 egg salt and pepper to taste
¼tsp. paprika

1. Put the egg, seasonings, vinegar, lemon juice and ¼ cup of cottonseed oil into a blender, cover and process on medium speed. While still blending pour in the remaining oil in a steady stream. Continue to blend until thick. Immediately place in the refrigerator.
2. Clean and cut 1 head of cauliflower into small chucks. Place in pan of 1-2 inches of water. Bring to a boil, lower heat to low and cook until tender.
3. Drain cauliflower and refrigerate for 1 hour.
4. Mix dressing into cooled cauliflower and serve. Return to refrigerator any leftover salad.

Salad Dressings: As the “Oil That Never Overpowers,” cottonseed oil’s neutral flavor profile makes it an excellent base for salad dressing. Signature house dressings made with Cottonseed oil will carry the flavor of the seasonings, and there will be no unpleasant greasy taste.

Parsley Cottonseed Oil

Adult supervision is advised when cooking
2 bunches parsley
4 cups cottonseed oil

Poach parsley in boiling water for 10 seconds and shock in ice water to cool. Puree in small blender until smooth. Add oil and let set in refrigerator for 1 day to blend flavors.

Cutting Expensive Oils: Many foodservice operators use cottonseed oil for cutting expensive olive, infused and other flavored oils.

Roasted Chicken

Adult supervision is advised when cooking
3-4 pound roasting chicken 3 stalks of celery, cut-up
4-5 garlic cloves cottonseed oil
1 each onion and carrot, cut-up salt and pepper

1. Clean chicken under running water. Dry with a paper towel or cloth.
2. Drizzle cottonseed oil inside cavity of chicken. Shake salt and pepper all around cavity. Place vegetables inside and tie legs together with kitchen string.
3. Generously rub cottonseed oil all over chicken. Salt and pepper outside of chicken and place it breast side down on a rack in a shallow baking pan. Add about ½ cup water to bottom of pan. Loosely cover with foil, and place in a 350-degree oven.
4. After 1 hour turn chicken breast side up and remove foil, bake an additional 15-30 minutes.

Roasting: With its stability and mild flavor, cottonseed oil is ideal for high-heat oven-roasted foods, such as meats and vegetables. Just brush or toss foods in cottonseed oil before cooking.