Deep-fry (zhà), a well-known technique where the food is fried in a pool of hot oil, which both cooks it and creates a crispy exterior, is used throughout the “Frying” chapter in my cookbook “The Chinese Way.”
When deep-frying, I use a thermometer, aiming for 350°F to 375°F. Another way to gauge the temperature is to stick a wooden chopstick in the oil, and if tiny bubbles float rapidly up around it the heat is adequate.
