The Culinary Works

Pan-frying is a cousin to the sautéing technique.  The main difference between the two is that pan-frying uses a little more oil or fat is used and the process takes a bit more time.   The pan-fry method is better suited to cooking larger pieces of food, usually pieces of meat, but you can also pan fry other foods like potatoes, tofu, pollenta or risotto cakes.

Like the sauté technique, you should use a heavy pan and preheat the pan before adding oil or fat.  A large enough pan should be selected for the job to insure that you can get everything cooked in a timely manner without crowding or overloading your pan.  The risk with crowding your pan is that the pan may not maintain the heat properly and your food will end up steaming instead of frying.

Preheating the oil in the pan insures that the food starts cooking the second it hits the pan.  This prevents your food from absorbing excess oil. 

When the meat is placed into the pan, the oil should sizzle.  If it doesn't sizzle, the pan and oil are not hot enough.

Unlike the sauté technique,  pan fried foods are usually coated.  The coating can take many forms and here are a few common examples:

• Flour
• Panko
• Corn meal
• Bread crumbs
• Wondra

Dry sticks to wet: Wet sticks to dry

To effectively us most coatings, you may need to use a little bit of egg to make it work.  Dry flour (or other coatings) will stick best to something wet.  If there is not enough moisture in your food, you can brush or dip it in a beaten egg.  In most cases, like when using panko or bread crumbs, a quick dip in an egg wash is vital to good results.  The egg wash makes the food good and sticky, which gives your coating plenty of wet surface to adhere to.

Wondra is one of my favorites for pan frying, especially when working with meat and fish. Wondra has a very fine texture so the surface moisture of your food will often be sufficient for the Wondra to adhere without any additional help.

A large, thick pan is needed while pan frying to retain heat. When you add food or liquid to a pan, it cools down the pan. A large, heavy pan will retain more heat than a smaller, light weight pan.  Select a heavy sauté pan or a cast iron pan for best results.

Prior to cooking your food, make sure you lightly season both the food and your coating.   

Here is a step-by-step guide for how to pan fry:

• Begin by preparing seasoning your vegetables or meats and giving them a roll in a seasoned coating.   Yes, season both of them.  Make sure your food is well covered
• Select a heavy sauté or cast iron pan with a heavy bottom and high, rounded sides.
• Set the heat under you pan to medium. You can start on high later, just get used to the technique first. 
• Add enough oil  so that you get at least a 1/4 inch cover on the bottom of the pan. The oil should always be added to a pan that is already hot.  Pick an oil with a high smoke point and combine with olive oil or butter for added flavor.
• Look for ripples appearing in the oil. When that happens, it's hot enough to add the food.
• Turn heat to high and add your food. It should start sizzle right away. Let the pan sit until the bottom layer of your food sizzles loudly and then lower the heat to a bit, but keep the sizzle going.
• After a few minutes, check your food to see if it has browned.  Once you have a nice browned surface, flip it over and cook the other side.
• Once cooked, rest for a few minutes on a paper towel covered plate to absorbe any extra oil and enjoy!