Frying in a pan is a cooking technique that involves cooking food in hot oil in a high-bottomed pan. You can make virtually any ingredient this way, from vegetables to meat, including fish. There are a few different methods; it can be fried in a pan, using medium heat and a little oil to cook whole meats and vegetables. During the actual frying, instead, a greater dose of oil is used to immerse food in batter, such as chicken or aubergines for parmigiana; finally, when sautéing food, the temperatures are higher and the doses of oil are minimal to prepare vegetables and meats cut into bite-sized pieces. Once you have mastered the various techniques, you can make a list of all the ingredients you want to try!
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Basic Techniques
Step 1. Get a heavy skillet
You can use a sauté or a normal pan, the important thing is that it has a flat bottom and high edges, with straight or sloping sides; make sure it is large enough for the portions you intend to prepare, to avoid "crowding" it excessively.
Step 2. Heat the pan over medium-high heat
Unless you have a non-stick pan, you should heat it before adding the oil to prevent the meat from sticking to the surface. This method also allows the fat to heat up more quickly; two or three minutes are enough.
If you have a non-stick pan, add the cold oil and heat it together with the pan
Step 3. Pour the oil
A couple of spoons should be enough; tilt the pan to distribute it over the entire surface. The best oils to use should be nearly tasteless, such as refined olive or peanut oils; do not use extra virgin olive oil if possible.
Extra virgin olive oil can burn in the pan because it has a low smoke point, around 160-190 ° C, compared to 240 ° C of the refined one. As food starts to fry around 180-190 ° C, the olive oil may burn before it even starts cooking, giving the dish a bitter taste. If you have no other choice, monitor the oil carefully; if it starts to smoke, remove the pan from the heat and wait for it to cool before throwing it away and trying again
Step 4. Wait for the oil to heat up
If you poured it into a hot pan, it should take a short time, about a minute; if you put it in a cold pan, it may take longer. Here are some tests to check if it has reached sufficient temperature:
- Use a kitchen thermometer to know the exact value. Dip the metal end of the meter into the oil and wait 5 seconds to get an accurate reading; the oil is ready when it reaches 185 ° C.
- Insert the handle of a wooden spoon into the oil; if bubbles pop up, it's ready.
- If you don't have a wooden spoon, try a drop of water (just one!). The water should fizz and pop when the oil is hot; be careful because burn splashes may develop.
- Do not leave the pan unattended on the fire while the oil is heating up; it only takes a few minutes, you have to prevent it from burning and starting a fire.
Step 5. Add the ingredients to the oil
Make sure that each piece has enough space and that the cuts of meat do not come into contact with each other. If you are preparing vegetables, arrange them in a single layer, they should not be stacked on top of each other. Foods release steam when frying; if you overfill the pan, the steam will build up and you will get a mushy dish.
Remember that the side you put in the oil first is the one that looks the best; accordingly, if your goal is a good presentation, arrange the chicken breasts with the rounded side down and the fish fillets with the skin side up
Step 6. Turn the meat halfway through cooking
If possible, use kitchen tongs instead of a fork; the latter pierces the meat causing it to release the juices. The various cuts require different cooking times and you have to calculate them based on the size and type of the product. If you turn the meat too often or too quickly, you risk ruining the batter.
- Flip the chicken and steak after 4-6 minutes;
- Turn the fish and pork after 3-4 minutes.
Step 7. Cook to desired level
You can use a thermometer to make sure the meat is fully cooked; insert the probe into the thickest part of the cut. Alternatively, you can cut the dish to see if the inside is cooked or not. The various types of meat must reach different temperatures considered safe for consumption:
- Beef steaks must have an internal temperature of at least 63 ° C; they can be pink but not red.
- Chicken and turkey can be eaten safely when cooked up to at least 74 ° C. The internal fibers must be white, not pink, and the juices transparent.
- The pork must reach at least 63 ° C, the inner portion should be mostly white or brown, even if a slight pink hue is allowed.
- The fish must be cooked up to 63 ° C; the meats must flake easily using a fork.
Step 8. Remove the food from the pan
If possible, use kitchen tongs or a spatula and arrange the dish on the plate. If you are cooking beef or pork, allow it to rest for three minutes to reabsorb the juices and finish the cooking process. Serve immediately.
Method 2 of 3: Frying
Step 1. Pour 2.5cm of oil into a pan
The liquid level should be halfway up the sides of the pan. You can use seed, sunflower, or refined olive oil.
Step 2. Coat the food with batter before frying
They must be ready for when the oil is hot. You can check the temperature of the oil by dipping the handle of a wooden spoon into it; if bubbles form around the handle, the oil is ready.
Step 3. Add the food to the hot oil
Make sure each piece has plenty of space available; you must avoid crowding the pan, otherwise you will not get a uniform frying. Foods should sizzle as soon as they touch the oil. If not, it means the oil is too cold; wait for its temperature to rise before adding the other pieces of food.
Step 4. Turn the food halfway through cooking
If possible, use tongs but you can also use a fork, although this is not ideal. You only have to turn the pieces once to ensure the batter is cooked perfectly; if you flip them too many times or too often, the batter will come off.
Step 5. Transfer the fry to absorbent paper
Once the food has been extracted from the oil, arrange it to dry a little using a spatula or kitchen tongs; absorbent paper removes excess oil leaving the batter crisp. The meat should rest for a while to finish cooking. Serve immediately.
Method 3 of 3: Stir-fry
Step 1. Choose a wok
It is a very large pan with sloping sides and is the ideal tool for this technique, because it allows you to cook in different stages. Even if you can use a regular pan, the result won't be as tasty or consistent.
Step 2. Cut the meat and vegetables
This method requires that the dishes are reduced into chunks or strips before cooking; make sure that the various pieces are roughly the same size to ensure that they cook evenly. Prepare and cut them before heating the pan.
Step 3. Heat a tablespoon or two of oil
Set the stove on high heat because cooking in the wok requires higher temperatures than those for pan-fried preparations; peanut oil is particularly suitable, although it is possible to use seed oil.
Step 4. Add the ingredients
First, brown the meat by placing it in the wok and turning it after a minute until all sides are golden brown; then add the vegetables, but remember that some (such as broccoli, corn and carrots) take longer and must therefore be poured into the pan first. Add softer ingredients, such as mushrooms and Chinese cabbage, towards the end of cooking.
Step 5. Shake the food in the wok
Use a wooden spoon to mix, turn and shake the ingredients; you need to make sure they all cook evenly. If you feel like any bite is overcooked, move it to the cooler part of the wok to prevent it from burning.
Step 6. Pour the sauce
Let it steam and penetrate the vegetables; mix the dish carefully and make sure it is well covered with liquid. There are many popular sauces you can make or buy for stir-frying, including:
- Soy;
- Ginger and soy;
- Oranges
- Hoisin;
- Douchi.
Step 7. Remove the ingredients from the wok and serve the sautéed dish
You can accompany it with rice, noodles or enjoy it alone; eat it while it is still very hot, or let it cool down and save it for later. This dish keeps well in the refrigerator; you can reheat it later in the microwave or decide to eat it cold.
Step 8. Finished
Advice
- Before adding the meat or vegetables, pat the food lightly to dry; humidity forms a barrier that prevents good frying.
- All cooking times indicated in the article are approximate; always respect the instructions of the recipe you are preparing.
Warnings
- Don't add water, don't put the lid on, and don't overfill the pan.
- Do not overheat the oil; if it emits smoke, it is too hot.
