After a recent cooking class it became apparent that many cooks need to learn how to properly sauté. Not only is it one of the most important techniques to master in the kitchen, but learning how to sauté allows you to then prepare hundreds of different meals. Most sautéing done by novices lacks color or caramelization because they have cooked the ingredient on too low of a heat. Another prevalent problem is crowding the pan. Many times cooks will put too much food in a pan and instead steam the food creating a soggy product.
Sauté in French means “to jump” and essentially is a method of cooking or a way to describe a dish like sautéed chicken breasts. The reason they call it “to jump” is because the technique is based on two principles: One, you are cooking at a very high heat. Two, you are cooking in a very short amount of time not allowing the ingredient to sit in the pan too long. Sautéing can include cooking chicken, fish, vegetables, or meat. That’s the beauty of learning a basic technique because you can apply it to so many different recipes. You are no longer limited and instead can create new recipes with any ingredients you have on hand. Read below for specific suggestions to understand the technique of sautéing.
First, you must have the proper equipment (a pan in this case). The pan should be dense with a slightly heavy bottom that can distribute the heat effectively and uniformly. It also must be large so you can cook a large amount of food without overcrowding the pan. Some people have asked whether it should be non-stick or not. My answer is that if you are making a pan sauce (remember my article about pan sauces?), I would suggest a regular metal pan. If you are sautéing vegetables like spinach or zucchini, use non-stick.
Second, using the proper type and amount of fat is pivotal. You can use butter instead of oil but unfortunately butter has a low melting point thus smoking and burning at higher heat. Olive oil is good as it is able to withstand the high heat you use when sautéing. However, most olive oils don’t have the same depth of flavor as butter. The solution (which is what I do) is to use a combination of the two. This way you get some of the flavor from the butter and the higher smoking point from the oil. The amount of fat added should just coat the bottom of the pan. Don’t get caught up in what recipes say. Just add enough butter or oil accordingly to the size of your pan. If using butter, you will know it is hot enough and time to cook when the butter stops foaming or turns a pale brown. If you are using oil, the proper time to cook is when it changes from perfectly smooth to glistening.
Third, make sure you preheat your pan long enough until you almost start seeing smoke rise off the pan. If it is smoking a lot do not add food as it will undoubtedly burn. Take the pan off the heat and allow it to cool. If you add vegetables to a cold pan, it creates a limp and unflavored product. Instead of properly searing chicken and creating color on high heat, a cold chicken breast in a cold pan slowly releases its moisture and simmers in its own fat, making it inedible.
Fourth, be sure to have equally sized ingredients. They do not have to be perfectly symmetrical but having your ingredients in similar sizes ensures even cooking. Whether it’s your zucchini cut into small ¾ inch cubes, carrots sliced into ½ inch circles or fish filets in 5 ounce portions, following this suggestion will make sautéing easier for you. The downside to not following this suggestion is having different vegetable or protein pieces overcooked and undercooked making both inedible.
As you can see, there are many variables you will face when attempting to sauté so don’t blindly follow recipe directions. Without knowing the size or type of pan you are using, the heat output on your stove top, the thickness of the vegetable/protein you are cooking or your level of cooking expertise, things change drastically. I always tell my cooking students that recipe times should be used only as guidelines. Following the suggestions above will help you with the rest.
