Sauté

To sauté a dish means to cook it in a small amount of hot fat, making sure that the food doesn't stick to the pan by making it "jump" in and out of the heat. The term comes originally from the French word for jump, "sauter". Sautéing is ideal for browning or searing food. This article provides easy steps on how to sauté.

Ingredients

 * 1 potato, or ingredient of your choice
 * 3 tbsp oil; you may need more (or less) depending on how much (or how little) you are sautéing.

Steps

 * 1) [[Image:Saute2.png|200px|right]] Chop the ingredients. Chop your vegetables into manageable, bite size pieces. Cutting them up makes them easier to eat and to handle, and it also helps them cook faster and more evenly.
 * 2)  [[Image:Saute3.png|200px|right]]Heat the pan over medium to low heat for 1 minute.
 * 3)  [[Image:Saute4.png|200px|right]]Add oil. The amount will vary by recipe. Heat this throughly for one minute.
 * 4)  [[Image:Saute5.png|200px|right]]Add your food, making sure your pan is big enough to hold all of it easily. Remember: you need space to move the food around in the pan. You could use a skillet or sauté pan but a standard frying pan will do the job nicely too.
 * 5)  [[Image:Saute6.png|200px|right]]Stir regularly or shake the pan so the food doesn't stick.
 * 6)  [[Image:Saute7.png|200px|right]]Test if the food is done. It should take around 5 to 7 minutes to sauté most firm vegetables, but you can test a piece by breaking it with your spatula. If it cuts easily, then your food is ready.
 * 7)  [[Image:Saute8.png|200px|right]]Drain the oil. Remove pan from heat and pour ingredients onto a clean kitchen towel or paper towel to remove excess oil.
 * 8) *Alternatively, leave the food in the pan and add any ingredients that will form sauce for the dish.
 * 9)  [[Image:Saute9.png|200px|right]]Serve.

Tips

 * If you wish to add herbs and spices during the sautéing, add these towards the end to prevent them from burning on to the vegetables.
 * Many vegetables are suitable for sautéing; experiment on times but generally softer vegetables will need less time and harder vegetables will need more time. To sauté different vegetables together, start with those that will need longer cooking times, and add those that have shorter cooking times toward the end.
 * Only tender cuts of red meat should ever be sautéed.
 * Cut all items being sautéed to about the same size to ensure even cooking.
 * Not all sauteing requires this much oil, but don't use too little or the food will burn and stick to the pan.
 * Different fats have different smoke points (the temperature at which the oil begins to burn). Vegetable and canola oils have high smoke points and therefore can tolerate high heat.  Olive and sesame oils as well as butter have low smoke points and can burn more quickly.

Warnings

 * Always take care when using hot oil; precautions include keeping children and pets well out of the way, handling pans with oven mitts, avoiding splattering oil and never taking an eye off the cooking process in case a fire starts.
 * Always keep the frying pan handle facing into the stove to avoid knocking it onto the floor or onto yourself. It also prevents curious small hands from pulling it down on top of themselves.
 * Never pour water into hot oil. It will spatter.
 * Never attempt to put out a grease fire by throwing water on it.

Things You'll Need

 * 1 Chopping board
 * 1 Sharp knife
 * 1 Spatula
 * 1 Frying pan
 * Kitchen towel

Related Tips and Steps

 * How to Saute Fish Fillets
 * How to Make Sauteed Chicken
 * How to Steam Food in a Wok, Pan or Pot
 * How to Cook Steamed Fish
 * How to Get Your Kids to Eat Veggies
 * How to Purée Carrots

Sources and Citations

 * VideoJug A video of sautéing. Original source of article. Shared with permission and appreciation.