How to Saute?

One of the proper ways to saute is to assemble all ingredients and preparations. Cut the main item into an appropriate size. Trim away the fats from the meats. For poultry and fillets of fish, remove the skin and bones. Pound or butterfly the meats to achieve an even thickness. Vegetables and fruits are generally sliced, but this should be a decision made with respect to the nature of the food itself. For instance, you would certainly slice or chunk pineapple before sauteing it, but you may not need to do so with small button mushrooms.

Marinades, stuffings, or seasonings may be required by specific recipes. Marinades should be allowed a sufficient amount of time to add the correct degree of flavor. Stuffings must be properly prepared, allowed to cool if necessary, then incorporated correctly and secured so that they do not escape during cooking.

Dredging or dusting the item with flour is another common advance preparation technique. This is generally recommended for meat cut into strips and for chicken and fish. Dusting is optional, otherwise, and many chefs feel that it is not always desirable. If you wish, seasoning can be added to the flour. If it is not, it is generally a good idea to season the food lightly with salt, pepper or other items just prior to sauteing.

The cooking medium must be able to reach relatively high temperatures without breaking down or smoking. Clarified butter, neutral-flavored oil, olive oil, or rendered fats such as bacon, goose fat or lard are often used.

A base sauce is usually necessary. There are a number of possible ingredients you may need to have on hand to flavor or finish the sauce. Wine, stock, cognac or liqueur, fortified wine, or water is often used to deglaze the pan. Additional aromatic ingredients, such as shallots, mushrooms, capers, tomatoes or peppers (capsicums) might be required. Butter may be used to finish the sauce; it should be whole butter, diced and either chilled or softened to room temperature.