sauting

Sauting is a method of cooking food using a small amount of fat in a shallow pan over relatively high heat. Sauter means "to jump," in French, and the food being sauted is kept moving, not unlike the stir fry technique using a wok. Food that is sauted is usually cooked for relatively short periods of time in order to preserve its color, moisture and flavor. This is very common with tenderloin meats, like Filet Mignon. Sauteing differs from searing in that the sauted food is thoroughly cooked in the process. One may sear simply to seal the outside of a food before another process is used to finish cooking it. Olive oil or clarified butter are commonly used for sauteing. Regular butter is less well suited for sauteing because it will burn at a lower temperature. It is important to ensure that the pan is very hot and that the food is not crowded into the pan. This ensures that the food browns well without absorbing the fat or stewing in its own juices. Furthermore, the food must be completely dry, again in order to avoid stewing it. This is particularly important in the case of food that has been marinated. Another method to sauteing which prevents stewing is not moving the pan until the contents have been browned up.

Sauting

See also