View source for Sautéing

{{Short description|Cooking method}}
{{Redirect|Sautee|the town in Georgia, United States|Sautee Nacoochee, Georgia}}

[[File:Leek-Sauté.JPG|thumb|[[Leek]]s being sautéed]]
'''Sautéing''' or '''sauteing'''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/saute|title=saute – Wiktionary|website=en.wiktionary.org|language=en|access-date=2018-09-01}}</ref> ({{IPAc-en|UK|ˈ|s|əʊ|t|eɪ|ɪ|ŋ}}, {{IPAc-en|US|s|oʊ|ˈ|t|eɪ|ɪ|ŋ|,_|s|ɔː|-}}; {{ety|fr|sauté}}, {{IPA|fr|sote|lang}}, 'jumped', 'bounced', in reference to tossing while cooking)<ref name="Online Etymology Dictionary">{{cite web|title=Saute|url=http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/saute|publisher=Douglas Harper|access-date=23 July 2012}}</ref> is a method of cooking that uses a relatively small amount of [[Cooking oil|oil]] or [[fat]] in a shallow pan over relatively high heat. Various sauté methods exist.

==Description==
Ingredients for sautéing are usually cut into small pieces or thinly sliced to provide a large [[surface area]], which facilitates fast cooking.  The primary mode of heat transfer during sautéing is conduction between the pan and the food being cooked. Food that is sautéed is [[Browning (food process)|browned]] while preserving its texture, moisture, and flavor. If meat, chicken, or fish is sautéed, the sauté is often finished by [[deglazing (cooking)|deglazing]] the pan's residue to make a [[sauce]].{{cn|date=March 2025}}

Sautéing may be compared with [[pan frying]], in which larger pieces of food (for example, chops or steaks) are cooked quickly in oil or fat, and flipped onto both sides. Some cooks make a distinction between the two based on the depth of the oil used, while others use the terms interchangeably.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.alanskitchen.com/Terms/Saute.htm|title=Sautéing|publisher=Alan's Kitchen}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-saute-pan-fry-and-stir-fry.html|title=How to Sauté (Pan Fry) and Stir-Fry|publisher=For Dummies}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.reluctantgourmet.com/the-secret-to-great-saute/|title=The Secret To Great Saute|date=18 January 2013 |publisher=The Reluctant Gourmet}}</ref>

Sautéing differs from [[searing]] in that searing only browns the surface of the food.

Certain oils should not be used to sauté due to their low [[smoke point]].<ref>Jennifer Good (4/17/2012). [http://jonbarron.org/diet-and-nutrition/healthiest-cooking-oil-chart-smoke-points "Healthiest Cooking Oil Comparison Chart with Smoke Points and Omega 3 Fatty Acid Ratios"]. ''The Baseline of Health Foundation''.</ref><ref>Harinageswara Rao Katragadda et al. (2010), "Emissions of volatile aldehydes from heated cooking oils", Food Chemistry
1 May 2010, Vol.120(1):59–65, {{doi|10.1016/j.foodchem.2009.09.070}}</ref> [[Clarified butter]], [[rapeseed oil]] and [[sunflower oil]] are commonly used for sautéing;<ref>Lydia Bell (16 July 2014). [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/wellbeing/diet/10970070/Why-olive-oil-should-be-kept-out-of-the-frying-pan.html "Why olive oil should be kept out of the frying pan"]. ''The Telegraph''.</ref> whatever the fat, it must have a smoke point high enough to allow cooking on medium-high heat, which is the temperature at which sautéing is done. For example, although [[Butter|regular butter]] would impart more flavor, it would also burn at a lower temperature and more quickly than other fats due to the presence of milk solids. Clarified butter is more fit for this use.

==Methods==
In a sauté, all the ingredients are heated at once and cooked quickly. To facilitate this, the ingredients are rapidly moved around in the pan, either by the use of a utensil or by repeatedly jerking the pan itself. A sauté pan must be large enough to hold all of the food in one layer, so steam can escape, which keeps the ingredients from [[stewing]] and promotes the development of [[fond]]. Most pans sold specifically as sauté pans have a wide flat base and low sides, to maximize the surface area available for heating.  The low sides allow quick evaporation and escape of steam.  While [[skillet]]s typically have flared or rounded sides, sauté pans typically have straight vertical sides. This keeps the ingredients from escaping as the pan is jerked or stirred.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.reluctantgourmet.com/saute-pan-choosing-and-buying-the-right-saute-pan/|title=Saute Pans – Choosing and Buying the Right Saute Pan|date=4 June 2012 |publisher=The Reluctant Gourmet}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.cooksillustrated.com/equipment/overview.asp?docid=10594|title=Sauté Pans|magazine=Cook's Illustrated|access-date=2009-05-23|archive-date=2020-02-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200226210249/https://www.cooksillustrated.com/equipment/overview.asp?docid%3D10594|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Only enough fat to lightly coat the bottom of the pan is needed for sautéing; too much fat will cause the food to fry rather than just to slide, and may interfere with the development of [[fond]]. The food is spread across the hot fat in the pan, and left to brown, turning or tossing frequently for even cooking. The sauté technique involves gripping the handle of the sauté pan firmly and using a sharp elbow motion to rapidly jerk the pan back toward the cook, repeating as necessary to ensure the ingredients have been thoroughly jumped. Tossing or stirring the items in the pan by shaking the pan too often, however, can cause the pan to cool and make the sauté take longer.

<gallery class="center" caption="Sautéing" widths="220px" heights="160px">
File: Sautee onions and peppers.jpg|Sautéing onions and peppers
File: Baby bella mushrooms being sautéed.jpg|[[Sautéed mushrooms]]: baby Bella ([[Agaricus bisporus|portobello]]) mushrooms being sautéed
File: US Navy 100610-N-9327W-084 Culinary Specialist 3rd Class Nicholas Roby, from Louisville, Ky., tosses sautéed vegetables in the commanding officer's galley aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Nassau (LHA 4).jpg|Sautéed vegetables being tossed in a sauté pan
File:Flambé in a sauté pan.jpg|[[Flambé]]ing in a sauté pan
</gallery>

==See also==
{{portal|Cooking|Food}}
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Pan frying]]
* [[Saucier]]
* [[Stir frying]]
* [[Sweating (cooking)]]
* [[Tempering (spices)]]
{{div col end}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{commons-inline}}
* {{Cookbook-inline|Sautéing}}

{{Cooking techniques}}

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[[Category:Cooking techniques]]
[[Category:Culinary terminology]]