What do you consider is the difference between frying and sauteing?
Saute? Fry? What's the difference?
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Rocklobster
Master Chef
I consider sauteing as cooking things on med high heat, stirring or moving the ingredients around, usually in preparation to add more stuff to incorporate everything into one dish.
I consider frying as a method to cook something then take it out of the oil or butter and eat it like that, usually on high(ish) heat. Usually promoting some kind of browning or crisping, Like an egg or piece of meat, etc....
But, then again, what do I know??:p
I consider frying as a method to cook something then take it out of the oil or butter and eat it like that, usually on high(ish) heat. Usually promoting some kind of browning or crisping, Like an egg or piece of meat, etc....
But, then again, what do I know??:p
Last edited:
roadfix
Chef Extraordinaire
I always thought it was just a fancy term for frying.
One you can use EVOO and the other you can't.
I'm pretty sure they are either interchangeable or overlap some... possibly a lot. At least to me. Sauteed foods I may tend to move around more in the pan more.
GLC
Head Chef
The difference is the source of heat working on the food.
I think of saute as cooking something using primarily the direct heat of the pan in contact with the food, any fat that is used being present to lubricate the pan, since it usually refers to smaller pieces of food that will be moved about and would otherwise tend to stick.
Frying, then, is cooking by contact with hot fat, essentially a high heat alternative to boiling, those temperatures being impossible with water.
The terms are sometimes blurred. A "fried" steak is usually actually sauteed, rather than cooked by immersion in hot oil. Bacon, however, cooking in a pan, is truly fried, since it quickly generates the fat that does the cooking. And I think it will always be "fried" egg, remembering that classic fried eggs are cooked in considerably more fat than you often see today.
I think of saute as cooking something using primarily the direct heat of the pan in contact with the food, any fat that is used being present to lubricate the pan, since it usually refers to smaller pieces of food that will be moved about and would otherwise tend to stick.
Frying, then, is cooking by contact with hot fat, essentially a high heat alternative to boiling, those temperatures being impossible with water.
The terms are sometimes blurred. A "fried" steak is usually actually sauteed, rather than cooked by immersion in hot oil. Bacon, however, cooking in a pan, is truly fried, since it quickly generates the fat that does the cooking. And I think it will always be "fried" egg, remembering that classic fried eggs are cooked in considerably more fat than you often see today.
Kayelle
Chef Extraordinaire
At first I thought it was the amount of fat, but you "fry an egg" and "saute sliced mushrooms" in the same amount of fat. Maybe it's moving the food around for saute? One would never say I'm going to saute an egg. Hmmm, just one more thing to confuse me. Thanks a bunch Taxi. 
justplainbill
Executive Chef
For us the difference is well over $100 between the cost of our 6 quart saute pan and our 14" frying pan.
Oldvine
Sous Chef
I usually think of sauteing when I'm going to end up with some sauce around little pieces like mushrooms or onions. If I'm frying something, I think it's going to end up sort of, hopefully, with some crispy areas.
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
This is my understanding of the difference.
+1
To me saute' suggests more constant motion. More of a verb.
While fry seems more stationary. When frying an egg or chicken leg it tends to stay in the same spot until it's time to turn it.
.40
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
This is also true. It goes along with the base definition.
buckytom
Chef Extraordinaire
One you can use EVOO and the other you can't.
lol, weisenheimer.
to me, it's all about the amount of fat, the temp, and some overlap.
RPCookin
Executive Chef
OP
OP
Thank you for the link. That confirms what I thought the difference was. I also learned the term "shallow fry".
buckytom
Chef Extraordinaire
shallow fry is how i do fried chicken. sort of a braise, but using high temp oil, lol, just to confuse things more.
That's how I do fried chicken, too... when I'm not picking it up at the grocery store
They make some good fried chcken.And not to add to the confusion
When I start my chicken & biscuits tonight I will be sweating the veggies in EVOO... not to be confused with sauteing. I don't want brown.
RPCookin
Executive Chef
That's how I do fried chicken, too... when I'm not picking it up at the grocery store
And not to add to the confusion
When I start my chicken & biscuits tonight I will be sweating the veggies in EVOO... not to be confused with sauteing. I don't want brown.
Sweating is low temp, and when we did it in cooking school, we put a circle of parchment paper over the veggies, creating a little steam room to contain and condense the water vapor and return it to the pan.
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
I think the difference between the two is more related to the amount of oil rather than the size of the food pieces being cooked.
e.g. If I cook a chicken breast half in a glaze of oil, I'm pan frying. What am I doing if I cut it in half first? Is it still pan frying or is it sauteing? What if I cut it into three pieces? ...or four, or more. How many pieces does it have to be before it changes from fry to sauté? It just doesn't make sense to me.
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