How to Saute

Learning to sauté is one of the most important techniques in learning to cook effectively at home. Almost all styles of cooking, most ethnic styles included, require some fort of sauté for various dishes and recipes. The sauté technique allows you to prepare everything from vegetables to fish and meat.

First, it is important to understand that sautéing is basically cooking food very quickly at a high heat. In order to do this effectively you must have the heat at the right temperature and you must know how to use the right amount of oil. If you use too little oil your food will stick and burn; too much oil can cause your food to be soggy rather than crisp and crunchy.

It is also important to start out with the right equipment. In this case this mans the right type of skillet. Professional chefs will use what is known as a sauté pan but if you do not have one of those you can use a skillet as long as it is large enough to hold the food you are cooking. The food should not be overcrowded in the skillet.

You need to have the heat high in order to sauté. To do this, you need to preheat the skillet. The heat needs to already be high when you place the food in the skillet or you’ll end up with soggy food and the items won’t brown. Place your skillet on low and allow it to warm up to about 180 degrees. Don’t ever start it out on high or you will immediately burn the butter or oil. Allow the pan to preheat before adding the butter or oil.

In choosing the right substance in which to sauté you can choose between a variety of oils as well as butter. Keep in mind that butter will give your food a wonderful taste and will help it to achieve a nice golden crust; however butter does burn more easily. Olive oil is always a good choice because it also provides a nice crust without the tendency to burn; however, you don’t get the rich flavor or color.
Generally, the amount of food that you are sautéing will determine how much oil to use. A general rule of thumb is to use about 1 tablespoon of oil per two pieces of chicken and slightly less for fish.
After your pan is preheated it is time to add your butter/oil and then you can turn up the heat and begin sautéing your food. Allow the butter to stop foaming and turn a light brown before adding your ingredients.

Cook your food for about three minutes on both sides and always make sure you use a spatula to turn. Never use a fork, especially if sautéing meat as this will allow the juice from the meat to escape.

 
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