secrets of sautéing


Sauter is the French word for jump, leap and skip. When you sauté, the oil in the frying pan is heated at high temperatures, it is so hot that anything added to the oil or any liquid introduced will send a flame leaping into the air and food seems to jump around in the pan.

For most sautéing, you will need the following items on hand:

  1. A good quality sauté pan, 10-12 inches, aluminum or stainless steel are good, no Teflon or coated pans. They’ll scratch and you can’t use intense heat on them, they can be toxic. I use a professional 10 inch aluminum sauté pan, costs can range from $25 - $50 or more.

  2. A two quart sauce pan, approximately 6-8 inches deep.

  3. A pair of metal tongs with cool touch handle

  4. A rubber, heat resistant spatula

  5. A wire whip

  6. A medium sized pot (for cooking pasta) and a pasta strainer that fits within it

  7. 2 - 4 oz. Metal ladle

  8. A bottle of extra-virgin olive oil (quart or half gallon), this is the first squeezing
    of the olive and the purest is also the most flavorful and healthful

  9. Bottle of white wine (Chablis or Chardonnay) inexpensive ones are OK

  10. Bottle of red wine (Burgundy or  Cabernet) inexpensive ones are OK

  11. Bottle of real lemon juice (keep refrigerated)

  12. Small bottle of clam juice (keep refrigerated)

  13. Small bottle of garlic chili sauce (I use Sriracha brand)

  14. Salt

  15. Black pepper

  16. White pepper

  17. Granulated garlic (not powder or salt)

For best results, use fresh ingredients, buy these the same day you are ready to sauté. In Italian cuisine, the following are used throughout my recipes :

  • Fresh basil, it should be dark green in color, no black or yellow leaves. (I never use • dry basil, it’s a whole different taste and flavor.)

  • Fresh Italian Parsley, large flat leaves, dark green in color, regular curly parsley • can be used if Italian is not available.

  • Fresh oregano, I use it mostly in my tomato sauce, dry oregano leaves are OK.

  • Grated Parmesan cheese

  • Red and green bell peppers

  • Fresh mushrooms (white button or criminis)

  • Red and yellow onions (Italians use mostly red onions, I use them in all sautés) 

  • Fresh garlic, produce sections of most supermarkets usually sell small tubs of ready peeled garlic cloves. If you don’t mind the work and want to save money, buy heads of garlic and peel them yourself. Once chopped or processed, keep in olive oil and refrigerate. It will hold for a long time.

  • Small can or jar of anchovies (the ones in glass jars are best, because you can take what you need and refrigerate the rest)

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    Sautéing can be fun, but it can also be hazardous to your health and home. When I sauté in my restaurant, I have the benefit of a powerful exhaust system with a large fan on the roof that sucks the smoke out quickly. Unless you have a strong home exhaust system, creating flames and heavy smoke is not recommended, you could start a fire. suggest when you’re ready to introduce wine or any other liquid into hot oil, pour it in slowly and stir it in to keep flaming to a minimum. I know it’s fun to shoot a flame into the air, but I’ve had my mustache, eyebrows and nose hairs involuntarily trimmed by fire, it hurts.

    You will not be able to master sautéing techniques overnight, but the more you practice, the more comfortable you’ll be with it. Like every art it requires some time and effort. There will be a period of trial and error (too much or too little heat, burnt garlic, too much liquid, overcooked or under cooked pasta) this is inevitable, but once you are confident of your sauté skills, you’ll be able to impress friends and family with your expertise. So, get your aprons on and let’s cook.