Doughnuts in Boiling Water

August 7, 2005 11:14 AM

Doughnuts and boiling water. In the 1928 edition of The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book, a recipe called 'cheap doughnuts (without shortening)' has a bizarre method.

"Remove from fat, using a two-tined fork, and pass quickly through water kept at the boiling-point."

Why would you do this? Is it to get the fat off the surface of the doughnut? But, wouldn't it make it soggy? The ingredients are pretty standard doughnutty things.

I have seen something like this used for bagels. But, doughnuts?

posted by QIbHom to food & drink (4 comments total)

So it has you cook them in fat, and then dip them in boiling water? How is that not in shortening?

Or do they mean use some other type of fat, e.g. drippings, in which case maybe the water is to get rid of the taste of the drippings. I guess back then shortening was expensive.

If you had just taken them out of the fat, it would probably make a sort of protective layer so that the water wouldn't make them soggy, as long as you dipped them in VERY quickly.

I think you should try it and let us know what happens.
posted by exceptinsects at 1:12 PM on August 7, 2005

FWIW, I found this on a page of cooking tips:

For less greasy doughnuts, quickly dip them in boiling water immediately after frying. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the doughnuts directly from the hot oil to the boiling water. Drain the doughnuts on paper towels.

posted by nikzhowz at 2:44 PM on August 7, 2005

So, perhaps because the doughnuts absorb more oil, since there is no shortening in the batter, the boiling water dunk is used to pull out some of the oil, so they aren't terribly greasy?

exceptinsects, I'd try it, except that working around hot oil and boiling water in the weather we've been having this summer would be masochistic, even by my standards. Maybe in a few months. I haven't had homemade doughnuts in over 30 years, and that is too long.
posted by QIbHom at 7:31 PM on August 7, 2005

Far as bagels go, they are boiled first, then baked. I believe this applies to soft pretzels, as well. This makes the tough crust on the outside.

Clearly, dipping the fried donuts in boiling water would remove the most grease if you put some anti-grease dish liquid in the boiling water first.

Seriously, I am curious what this would do to the donuts. But I don't deep fry.
posted by Goofyy at 1:24 AM on August 8, 2005