In Spanish home kitchens, fried fish and vegetables are a minor religion, yet many plates still land on the table limp and greasy.
On regional TV, chef Javier Chozas has sparked debate by insisting that crunch starts long before food meets hot oil. His advice focuses on something many cooks rush past: managing moisture properly and treating both batter and oil like ingredients, not background.
The chef’s golden rule: moisture is the enemy of crunch
Chozas’ main message is blunt: if the food goes wet into the flour, the coating will fail. Water trapped between food and flour turns into a sticky paste, which then steams instead of crisping.
Drying the food thoroughly before coating is the small step that separates soggy batter from a sharp, glassy crunch.
For him, this is not a minor detail but the starting point of any proper fry. He applies it to delicate ingredients such as anchovies, a staple of Spanish fried seafood platters, but the idea works just as well for chicken strips, calamari, or courgette slices.
How Chozas preps anchovies for a clean flavour and crisp coat
When talking about anchovies, he stresses that cleaning affects both taste and texture. He removes the head and guts, then soaks the fish in salted water to help it “bleed out” more completely. That reduces metallic flavours and residual blood, which can darken the coating and give off-notes.
After that wash, he does something many home cooks skip: he dries every piece meticulously with absorbent paper. Only when the surface feels completely dry does the flour come into play.
Flour should cling in a thin, dusty layer, not in clumps. Clumps almost always mean leftover moisture.
Instead of dipping each fish by hand, Chozas suggests a practical trick: put the dry anchovies into a lidded container with hard wheat flour, close it and shake. This way every fillet gets an even, light coating without over-handling the flesh.
The method offers several benefits: food does not warm up too much from repeated touching, there is less mess on the worktop, and excess flour can be reused for the next batch.
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Oil control: temperature, type and when to throw it away
The second pillar for Chozas is the oil. He warns that even a perfect batter will fail if the oil is too cold, too hot, or already exhausted from overuse.
Finding the right temperature for frying
The chef points to 170°C as a good reference for most home fries. At that point, the surface of the food seals quickly, keeping the inside juicy while the outside browns.
Not everyone has a thermometer, so he explains a visual cue: watch the base of the pan or fryer. When the oil starts to show a sort of “rooting” movement, almost like thin threads moving upwards from the bottom, the heat is close to ideal.
Oil that is ready to fry moves in a lively, shimmering way, but does not smoke or smell burnt.
If the temperature is too low, the batter absorbs oil and turns heavy. Too high, and the crust burns before the centre cooks through.
Choosing the best oil for repeated frying
Many Spanish cooks reach for extra virgin olive oil by instinct. Chozas reminds viewers that it is aromatic and healthy, but its flavour compounds burn off and degrade faster when used several times for frying.
For large or frequent frying sessions, he prefers more neutral, stable options like olive pomace oil or sunflower oil. They are usually cheaper, stand up better to multiple batches, and let the batter shine instead of dominating it with a strong olive taste.
- Extra virgin olive oil: ideal for salads, finishing dishes and quick, light frying.
- Olive pomace oil: good balance for deep-frying fish or croquettes.
- Sunflower oil: neutral, budget-friendly choice for large family fries.
He also draws a clear line on safety. If the oil starts to smoke, turns very dark, or develops a harsh, bitter smell, it needs to be discarded. At that stage, off-flavours appear and potentially harmful compounds start to form.
The sparkling water trick for feather-light tempura
While classic Spanish batters rely on simple flour and water, Chozas turns to a more technical approach for vegetables: tempura-style frying. His goal is a crust that is crisp yet almost weightless.
He mixes a low-protein, “soft” flour with a pinch of bicarbonate of soda. Then he adds very cold sparkling water, taken straight from the fridge. The carbonation and the temperature work together.
The shock between ice-cold batter and hot oil creates tiny bubbles that puff the coating and keep it airy.
The chef also notes that consistency matters. The batter should be slightly thick, almost like single cream, so it hugs the vegetables without sliding off completely. Too liquid and the coating becomes patchy; too dense and it feels heavy on the tongue.
Used on batons of courgette, carrot or pepper, this tempura yields vegetables with a soft core, protected by a thin yet crisp shell that looks almost professional on the plate.
Common frying mistakes that kill crunch
Beyond the specific tricks, Chozas’ advice points to a handful of frequent errors that many home cooks make without realising.
| Mistake | What happens | Better approach |
|---|---|---|
| Not drying the food | Batter turns pasty, coating detaches | Pat dry thoroughly with paper before flouring |
| Overcrowding the pan | Oil temperature drops, food stews in fat | Fry in small batches and reheat between rounds |
| Using exhausted oil | Bitter taste, dark crust, potential health risks | Watch colour and smell, replace when degraded |
| Very thick batter | Heavy, doughy exterior, undercooked interior | Aim for a light coat that just covers the surface |
Why drying matters from a food science angle
Behind Chozas’ practical tip lies a simple physical principle. Water turns to steam at 100°C. In the first seconds of frying, that steam tries to escape the surface of the food. If there is too much moisture trapped under a dense layer of flour or batter, the steam inflates and tears the coating.
When the surface is already dry, the batter makes direct contact with hot oil. Starches quickly gelatinise and then dehydrate, forming a stable, crunchy structure. Less water on the surface also means less splatter, which reduces minor burns and keeps the hob cleaner.
Putting it into practice at home
A simple way to test Chozas’ ideas is to cook two small batches of the same ingredient, such as chicken pieces or cod strips. Dry one batch well and leave the other slightly wet before flouring. Fry both in the same oil and compare the sound and feel when you bite them.
You can also adjust only one variable at a time: first focus on drying, then on oil temperature, then on batter thickness. That makes it easier to see which change improves your results most.
For families looking to cut back on heavy, greasy food without giving up fried favourites, these small tweaks can make a big difference. A dry surface absorbs less oil, a well-aerated batter feels lighter, and correctly heated oil shortens frying time. The combined effect is a plate that feels crisp and satisfying without that heavy post-meal fatigue.
Home cooks often chase secret ingredients for perfect frying, but Chozas’ appearance on regional TV suggests something simpler: handle moisture carefully, respect the oil, and treat the batter as a precise mix rather than guesswork. Those quiet details, repeated every time you fry, build the kind of crunch that people hear across the table.
Originally posted 2026-02-13 10:59:34.