Another Sauteeing Question

[GarrettB]

Before I unleash another neophyte question I'd like to say thanks for the replies and answers I recieved in "Sauteeing Chicken". I went back and remade the dish this evening and it turned out wonderful.

When I sauteed the chicken (and this applies to sauteeing anything) I noticed that the butter/olive oil mixture gradually dissapeared as a result of evaporation/smoking, volatile movement and absorption into the food. Is it normal to replenish the cooking fat after every round in sauteeing?

I mean, in pan frying the oil is so deep I don't see it being a problem. Same with deep frying. But in sauteeing the amount of cooking oil is very small correct?

 

[marmalady]

Yes, you should replenish the oil if you're doing a second batch, but use your judgement and only use as much as you need to get to the original amount of oil; most of the time, you'll still have some left after the first batch.

 

[ironchef]

When sauteeing, you'll usually need to add more oil, or it's even better to use a paper towel and tongs to wipe up the old oil and add new oil. What happens is that after you saute the first batch of food, the oil loses it's viscocity and breaks down. That's why most times, the second batch never browns as well as the first batch of food.

 

[BreezyCooking]

No problem with adding more. I usually end up adding another dollop of oil &/or butter during sauteeing. Just do it a drizzle/really small amount at a time to avoid reducing the pan temperature as much as possible.

 

[Claire]

I, too, add a little oil/butter with each pan full if needed. It doesn't take much. You just want to keep the pan lubricated so things don't stick.

 

[urmaniac13]

When sauteeing, you'll usually need to add more oil, or it's even better to use a paper towel and tongs to wipe up the old oil and add new oil. What happens is that after you saute the first batch of food, the oil loses it's viscocity and breaks down. That's why most times, the second batch never browns as well as the first batch of food.

this is a good point to remember and I do the same thing. As you have already noticed, when you are sautèeing you only need small amount of oil. Add the oil just enough to cover the surface of the vessel (move it around in angle to spread it over while you are heating), make sure the oil is hot before you add the food, also important is to use a big enough vessel (skillet, pan, wok), don't get it too full so you can move the food around as they get cooked.