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#GeekingOutSeries/Safety101/KitchenDangerous/2

This post is part of the Geeking Out series which presents data-driven information on food and farming, safety in the kitchen, practical science for cooks, cooking techniques and processes and other relevant nerdy stuff that every cook should know.\\xa0 For the next few weeks, we will be covering topics from the chapter, Safety 101.

Read Kitchen Dangerous part 1

In part 1 of Kitchen Dangerous, we talked about how kitchen fires happen and how they can be prevented by following simple guidelines. While accidents happen, a little knowledge goes a long way into keeping them from becoming full blown disasters.\\xa0 In this post, we\\u2019ll cover what to do when a fire occurs and how to avoid getting burned by frying.\\xa0 But first\\u2026

Another near-disaster

A few years into my Boston life, I decided to make chicken stock.\\xa0 Stock is made simmering bones with aromatics and vegetable trims in water over many hours.\\xa0 One morning, I put my chicken bones, onion, garlic, vegetable trims, spices and water in a large stockpot, planning to have it simmer a couple of hours until after lunch, when I had to leave for work.\\xa0

On my way home later that evening, it suddenly occurred to me that I may not have turned off the burner prior to leaving the apartment.\\xa0 I couldn\\u2019t be sure, but it was past 8pm.\\xa0 If I hadn\\u2019t turned off the burner, that meant my stock would have been simmering more than 10 hours.\\xa0 I was on the bus just a few blocks from my stop when panic set in.\\xa0 I mentally reviewed my actions earlier in the day, scanning for a recollection of having turned off the burner as a deep dread slowly seeped into my chest.\\xa0 I could find none.\\xa0 In my mind\\u2019s eye, I could see fire trucks on my street and strained to hear wailing sirens. I imagined the flames licking through the triple-decker; my roommates\\u2019 accusing eyes.

As soon as I reached my bus stop, I bolted out, ran the block home while looking for signs of smoke, sirens or neighbors congregating in excitement. Finding no fire trucks nor burning embers drifting in the wind, and the street looking as normal as I had left it earlier in the day, I gave in to relief.\\xa0 I hadn\\u2019t burned down the apartment nor my neighbors!\\xa0 I arrived home to find barely 2 inches of liquid left in my stockpot. Whew! Thank goodness I had left it on the lowest burner setting but more importantly, that I had sufficient liquid, having earlier filled the stockpot three quarters full of water. It also helped that my stock pot was partially covered, which slowed the evaporation. \\xa0\\xa0I had averted another catastrophe.\\xa0 Had the liquid dried out, my stock pot and who knows what else could have burned. And my roommates would have hated me.\\xa0

Things to remember if you have a Kitchen Fire.\\xa0 Also known as:

Kitchen Fire Guidelines1. Never use water on a grease or electrical fire.\\xa0 It will only cause the fire to worsen. \\xa0Want some proof? Check out this cool video from The Slow Mo Guys.

In this demo of what not to do, a pot of oil is heated over a propane burner until hot enough to burst into flames. A cup of water is quickly poured into it and the resulting explosion, which unfolds in slow motion, is a terrifying yet impressive pyrotechnic display. Awesome!2. If you have an electrical fire and the device causing it is found, unplug device and shut off circuit breaker.

3. Fire needs oxygen.\\xa0 If your fire is in the microwave or oven, do not open the door. The oxygen rush may cause the flames to worsen.4. If your grease or electrical fire is small enough, you can extinguish 2 ways :

* Pour regular baking soda over the whole fire. Use the whole box!

* Use a fire extinguisher that\\u2019s rated for grease and electrical fires

5.\\xa0 If your grease fire is small enough, you can also smother it.\\xa0 For pans, use a lid or metal tray. You can also use heavy blankets or a piece of clothing.\\xa0 Do not remove the lid/blanket/clothing until you are absolutely sure the fire has been extinguished.\\xa0 Removing too early re-introduces oxygen and may cause flames to re-ignite.\\xa0 If safe to do so, take the offending item outdoors and away from other flammable items.\\xa0 6. If the fire is too large or uncontrollable, don\\u2019t be a hero.\\xa0 Get out, close the door behind you (to contain fire) and call for help! You can find more comprehensive information on prevention and handling electrical fires on sites such as Fire Rescue 1.

Rule number three: If a fire is small enough, try putting it out using the Kitchen Fire guidelines mentioned. If too large or uncontrollable, don\\u2019t be a hero, call for help.

Don\\u2019t Burn Yourself!As a young child, I would sometimes watch my mother cook, which she only did on Sundays and special occasions. \\xa0It was not so much that I had any interest in cooking.\\xa0 I just wanted to be near her.\\xa0 So if I wasn\\u2019t playing, I hovered around mom.\\xa0 Except when she was frying. \\xa0Frying terrified me.\\xa0 I must have been hit by enough oil projectiles to understand the pain of the burn. \\xa0I would watch mom carefully drop a whole fish into the wok, but as soon as it hit the piping hot oil and the frenzy of bubbles and sharp sizzles ensued, I would cower behind her or bolt out of the kitchen. I was afraid of getting burned by oil splatter.\\xa0 \\xa0This fear was exacerbated when my mother had a frying accident and burning oil landed on a finger which donned a thick gold Taurus ring, her astrological sign. The finger blistered and swelled up so quickly she was unable to remove the band.\\xa0 As the digit puffed up and the ring\\u2019s stranglehold steadily increased, it became clear she could lose her finger.\\xa0 My mother was crying in agony as she was rushed to emergency.\\xa0 She returned home many hours later much subdued but with fingers intact.\\xa0 Her Taurus ring however, had been cut in two.\\xa0 I resolved to myself, \\xa0I would never fry.

Many decades later I am doing all sorts of frying.\\xa0 Most often it\\u2019s shallow pan-frying, which uses a small amount of oil, just enough to coat the pan\\u2019s surface.\\xa0 But sometimes, like with fried chicken or panko shrimp, I deep-fry-- the process I once dreaded where food is partially to fully submerged in really hot oil of between 350-360\\xb0F.\\xa0 \\xa0Following many precautions, I had finally learned to overcome my deep seated fear. I even teach an Asian Stir Fry class. \\xa0Oil splatter can still raise my adrenaline level, but I\\u2019ve since learned a trick or two to minimize painful incidents.\\xa0 Looking back, there are a few things my mom could have done differently (had the cooking science been clear or the gizmos invented) to avoid her accident.

Rule number four: Learn how to Minimize Oil splatter and avoid burns when Frying

1.\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Remove excess moisture from food before frying. Oil and water don\\u2019t mix.\\xa0 Oil splatter is caused by water moisture evaporating in very hot oil, shooting up and taking some of the burning oil with it.\\xa0 Remember the Slow Mo Guys video earlier?\\xa0 Oil splatter is a micro-mini version.\\xa0\\xa0 This is why it\\u2019s important to blot up (I use a paper towel) as much moisture as possible from food before frying.\\xa0 Dredging or lightly coating in flour is another way to sop up excess moisture.\\xa0 2.\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Gently slide in or drop food close to oil to avoid a splash and quickly withdraw hand

3.\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Use tongs or long- handled cooking implement to drop food gently in oil4.\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Wear mitts, preferably the silicon ones (which are also liquid-resistant). The longer the better (mine reach to my forearms).5.\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Maintain a deep frying temperature of between 350-360\\xb0F.\\xa0 Much higher temperatures are unnecessary, can overcook/burn your food and will cause more active oil splatters.\\xa0 If you don\\u2019t have a thermometer, keep the heat to the lowest setting where the food you\\u2019re frying still has a nice active sizzle and you see tiny oil bubbles emanating from it.\\xa0 \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa06.\\xa0\\xa0 Especially for deep frying, use a wok or other deep cooking pan so you can have some distance between the oil surface and the rim of your pan. You get more protection from the walls and it narrows the splatter trajectory.\\xa0 \\xa07.\\xa0\\xa0 Surface area matters.\\xa0 Fry in batches so you can use the smallest pan that will fit your food.\\xa0 A smaller surface area means less oil to splatter.8.\\xa0\\xa0 Use a splatter guard or screen.\\xa0 This is a handy round gizmo that you put on top of your frying pan to keep the oil splatter contained.\\xa0 Not only does it protect you, it reduces the mess on stove and nearby surfaces.

My personal protective anti-oil splatter gear: \\xa0long mitts, long tongs (or spatula) and sometimes a large lid that makes a handy shield.\\xa0 Believe me, you will feel less intimidated to fry when you are this well- armed.\\xa0 And hopefully as confidence grows, you\\u2019ll find we all do better with a little sizzle in our lives.

Have you ever had a kitchen fire scare? Do you hate frying? Any fire safety tips to share?\\xa0 Let us know.\\xa0 We\\u2019d love to hear from you.

This is the end of part 2 of Kitchen Dangerous: Don\\u2019t Burn Yourself.\\xa0 In part 3, we will cover More Hot Stuff .

Interested to learn more? Read companion posts on Cooking Subversive:The Kitchen Dangerous seriesPart 1: Liar, Liar Pans on Fire: Fire and All Things HotPart 2: Don\\u2019t Burn Yourself Part 3: More Hot StuffPart 4: Knives and Other Sharp Things Part 5: First Aid for Cuts (and Burns)