FAT SAUTE

To sauté means to cook in small amounts of fat.

1. The French word sauté means `to jump’, referring to the action of tossing small pieces of food on a sauté pan. However, larger slices of meat or vegetables could be sautéed without actually tossing.

2. Note these two important principles: a. Preheat the pan before adding the food to be sautéed. The food must be seared quickly, or it will begin to simmer in its own juices. b. Do not overcrowd the pan or else the temperature will lower.

3. Meats to be sautéed are often dusted with flour to prevent sticking and help achieve uniform browning.

4. After sautéing, a liquid such as stock or even wine or water is swirled in the pan to dissolve browned bits of food sticking to the base or the sides.
This is called deglazing. The liquid becomes part of the sauce that is served with the foodstuff.

To pan-fry means to cook in a moderate amount of fat in a pan over moderate heat.

1. Pan-frying is similar to sautéing, except that more fat is used and the cooking time is longer. Larger items are used and it not possible to toss them.

2. Pan-frying is normally done over lower heat than sautéing because larger pieces are being cooked.

3. The amount of fat used depends on the food being cooked. Only a small amount will be required for eggs, but meat and fish items would require a bit more.

4. Most food items would be required to be turned over at least once for even cooking.