Cornstarch in Fry Coatings

Replacing a portion of flour in a fry coating with cornstarch produces a noticeably lighter, crisper crust. Cornstarch contains no gluten-forming proteins, so it does not contribute to the chewy, doughy texture that an all-flour coating can develop. At roughly a 4:1 ratio of flour to cornstarch by volume, there is enough structure from the flour to hold the coating together while the cornstarch keeps the finished crust shattery and delicate. This ratio is scalable and applies to onion rings, fried chicken, tempura-style vegetables, and any other fried coating where a light texture is the goal.