How to Properly Sauté
Sautéing is a technique that cooks food rapidly in a little fat over high heat. The term sauté means to “jump in the pan".
Rules of Sauté:
Use tender cuts of meat and high moisture vegetables: Sautéing is a quick,dry cooking method that will not tenderize tougher cuts. Examples of good cuts of meat for sauté: chicken breast, beef tenderloin, steaks, pork loin, salmon filets or vegetables with high-moisture content. Veggies like broccoli or carrots with low-moisture must be blanched before sautéing.
Use portion-size cuts: Only sauté single portions of food, generally between 4-8 ounces.
Select the correct equipment: Do not attempt to sauté without a heavy-bottomed pan, like a sauté pan, tilt skillet, or wok. Ordinary pots and nonstick pans will not work for sautéing.
Use a small amount of fat: You want to sear the food instead of poaching or frying it in too much fat.
Use fats and oils with high smoke points and neutral flavors: Sautéing is done over high heat therefore you must select oil that will not smoke. Pure olive oil is not a good choice, especially for meats. corn, safflower, canola, peanut oil, and clarified butter are best.
Procedure for Basic Sautéing:
1) Season the food and dredge in flour if necessary
2) Preheat the pan with a small amount of oil. Sautéed foods must be placed in a hot pan. The food should sizzle and crack as it is put in the pan. Always place presentation side down first.
3) Immediately add the food to the pan. Do not overcrowd pan as the food will no longer sauté, it will steam. Ensure that all pieces are flat and are not touching each other
Turn the food and continue until proper doneness Sautéed foods are usually turned only once. This helps to develop a fond in the bottom of the pan. (The fond is essential for sauce development.)
4) Remove the food from the pan and make the sauce with the fond. This is done by removing any excess fats and adding any aromatics such as shallots or mushrooms then deglazing the pan with stock or wine and reducing.
5) Finish the sauce with butter, garnish, and seasonings.
Essentials of Sautéing
Do not overcrowd pan or the food will not sauté, it will steam and lose its nice crust and proper fond development. Use high heat and minimal fat (clarified butter, canola oil, peanut oil) for sauté. Use tender portion cuts of meat.
Sauté Chicken Breast with Sauce Fines Herbes
The following recipe is what we teach our Black Hat Chefs students. It is a classical dish that encompasses two competencies of level one, stocks and sauté techniques. This dish is delicious and is easy for beginners to understand the essential elements of sautéing food
Ingredients
4 - 6 oz Chicken Breast Supreme
½ t salt
½ t pepper
1 cup flour
¼ cup dry white wine
12 oz sauce fine herbs
2 T butter
Salt and pepper as needed
Method
1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.
2. Place chicken presentation side down first in preheated pan with oil
3. Cook on both sides until golden brown. Remove chicken from pan and finish in oven
4. Degrease pan and deglaze with wine and scrape bits from pan
5. Add sauce, fine herbs and reduce slightly
6. Place chicken back in sauce and cook for 2 minutes
7. Place chicken on plate and montè au beurre sauce. Spoon sauce on chicken
Sauce Fines Herbes *Fines Herbes
2 ½ oz dry white wine 1 ½ t Parsley, chopped fine
2 parsley stems 1 ½ t Chives, sliced thin
1 T fresh Tarragon, chopped 1 ½ t Tarragon, chopped fine
1 oz shallots, minced 1 ½ t Chervil, chopped
1 cup Demi Glace
¼ cup heavy cream
2T chopped fines herbes * fresh
Method
1. Reduce wine, parsley stems, tarragon and shallots by half
2. Add demi glace and reduce to nappé
3. Add heavy cream and reduce
4. Remove from heat and strain the sauce
5. At service adjust seasoning add fine herbs and montè au beurre
(C) Copyright Black Hat Chefs 2012
Rules of Sauté:
Use tender cuts of meat and high moisture vegetables: Sautéing is a quick,dry cooking method that will not tenderize tougher cuts. Examples of good cuts of meat for sauté: chicken breast, beef tenderloin, steaks, pork loin, salmon filets or vegetables with high-moisture content. Veggies like broccoli or carrots with low-moisture must be blanched before sautéing.
Use portion-size cuts: Only sauté single portions of food, generally between 4-8 ounces.
Select the correct equipment: Do not attempt to sauté without a heavy-bottomed pan, like a sauté pan, tilt skillet, or wok. Ordinary pots and nonstick pans will not work for sautéing.
Use a small amount of fat: You want to sear the food instead of poaching or frying it in too much fat.
Use fats and oils with high smoke points and neutral flavors: Sautéing is done over high heat therefore you must select oil that will not smoke. Pure olive oil is not a good choice, especially for meats. corn, safflower, canola, peanut oil, and clarified butter are best.
Procedure for Basic Sautéing:
1) Season the food and dredge in flour if necessary
2) Preheat the pan with a small amount of oil. Sautéed foods must be placed in a hot pan. The food should sizzle and crack as it is put in the pan. Always place presentation side down first.
3) Immediately add the food to the pan. Do not overcrowd pan as the food will no longer sauté, it will steam. Ensure that all pieces are flat and are not touching each other
Turn the food and continue until proper doneness Sautéed foods are usually turned only once. This helps to develop a fond in the bottom of the pan. (The fond is essential for sauce development.)
4) Remove the food from the pan and make the sauce with the fond. This is done by removing any excess fats and adding any aromatics such as shallots or mushrooms then deglazing the pan with stock or wine and reducing.
5) Finish the sauce with butter, garnish, and seasonings.
Essentials of Sautéing
Do not overcrowd pan or the food will not sauté, it will steam and lose its nice crust and proper fond development. Use high heat and minimal fat (clarified butter, canola oil, peanut oil) for sauté. Use tender portion cuts of meat.
Sauté Chicken Breast with Sauce Fines Herbes
The following recipe is what we teach our Black Hat Chefs students. It is a classical dish that encompasses two competencies of level one, stocks and sauté techniques. This dish is delicious and is easy for beginners to understand the essential elements of sautéing food
Ingredients
4 - 6 oz Chicken Breast Supreme
½ t salt
½ t pepper
1 cup flour
¼ cup dry white wine
12 oz sauce fine herbs
2 T butter
Salt and pepper as needed
Method
1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.
2. Place chicken presentation side down first in preheated pan with oil
3. Cook on both sides until golden brown. Remove chicken from pan and finish in oven
4. Degrease pan and deglaze with wine and scrape bits from pan
5. Add sauce, fine herbs and reduce slightly
6. Place chicken back in sauce and cook for 2 minutes
7. Place chicken on plate and montè au beurre sauce. Spoon sauce on chicken
Sauce Fines Herbes *Fines Herbes
2 ½ oz dry white wine 1 ½ t Parsley, chopped fine
2 parsley stems 1 ½ t Chives, sliced thin
1 T fresh Tarragon, chopped 1 ½ t Tarragon, chopped fine
1 oz shallots, minced 1 ½ t Chervil, chopped
1 cup Demi Glace
¼ cup heavy cream
2T chopped fines herbes * fresh
Method
1. Reduce wine, parsley stems, tarragon and shallots by half
2. Add demi glace and reduce to nappé
3. Add heavy cream and reduce
4. Remove from heat and strain the sauce
5. At service adjust seasoning add fine herbs and montè au beurre
(C) Copyright Black Hat Chefs 2012
