How do you sauté food? This cooking technique may sound fancy, but it is easy to learn. Originally, the technique comes from French cuisine and is derived from the word sauté, which means to jump or toss. You have probably seen a chef make a tossing motion with a pan. During the backward movement, the contents jump up in an arc and then land back in the pan. That is also a form of sautéing. Want to learn this technique in an easy way? Follow these 4 steps.
What exactly is sautéing?
Before you start learning the cooking technique, it is important to know what sautéing actually is. Sautéing is preparing a dish in a pan over high heat with little fat or oil. The pan is first heated well. Then both the pan and the oil transfer the heat to the food during cooking. Sautéing cooks dishes evenly and browns them.
Stirring or tossing is a must, but in moderation. Because of the small amount of oil and the high heat, the outside of the food cooks faster than the inside. This results in vegetables with a bite, crispy caramelized onions, or a juicy steak with a delicious crispy crust. Sautéing can be used very versatilely in the kitchen.
Learn to sauté in 4 easy steps
1. Prepare the ingredients
You can sauté meat, fish, or vegetables. In any case, good preparation is important. Make sure to cut the food into evenly sized pieces. This way, you can be sure that each piece of vegetable or meat cooks evenly during sautéing. The size of the pieces depends on the food. Cut chicken and meat smaller than mushrooms or shrimp. These are products that generally require a short cooking time.
2. Heat the pan over high heat
If you want to learn to sauté, it is very important to use the right pan. For example, choose a non-stick pan or a frying pan with a PFAS and PFOA-free coating. If you have more experience with sautéing, you can also use an iron pan.
- Place the pan without oil on high heat. You can also use the wok burner. Wait until the pan is evenly heated. This makes sautéing easier.
- Add a little oil to the pan. Tilt the pan left and right to distribute the oil evenly. Do not remove the pan from the heat. This prevents heat loss.
Tip! If you want to learn to sauté, it is best to use oil instead of butter. Butter has a smoke point of 170°C. Oil gets much hotter at 230°C. If your dish is fine with a lower temperature but you still want a brown crust, then choose butter. It also adds a bit more flavor to a product, like mushrooms, for example.
3. Add ingredients to the pan
- Add the ingredients to the pan once the oil or butter is evenly distributed. First add the meat or vegetables with the longest cooking time.
- Want to prepare a large quantity? Work in batches. This way, the heat during sautéing is not lost and you can more easily stir or shake the pan. Sautéing small amounts of food also results in more even cooking.
- Shake the pan regularly or stir the ingredients. This prevents the meat or vegetables from burning. In a good non-stick pan, you have less trouble with this.
4. Serving
Sautéing usually takes no longer than 5 to 7 minutes, depending on the product you want to prepare with this versatile and fun cooking technique.
- Place a piece of kitchen paper on the counter or on a board. Remove the pan from the heat and pour off the excess oil or cooking fat. You can optionally collect and save this to add more flavor to other dishes or sauces.
- Spoon the ingredients onto the kitchen paper. Excess oil or fat is absorbed this way. You can now serve the dish or season it as you like.
Looking for a cookware set perfect for sautéing?
