Sautee literally means to jump.
You go to an open kitchen restaurant or chef attended station at a party and you
see the chef toss some pasta up in the air and it seems to float before it lands
gracefully back where it started. These chefs are no different then you, accept that
they had a lot of experience doing it. You stir yours, that is ok, but if you want to try
start slowly. You will get there after a few dirty stove top cleanups.
A proper dry sautee results in the caramelization of an item which delivers 3 desired results to
the food:
1. Food has an exterior finish that is crisp and that ranges from light gold
to dark golden brown in color
2. Food's flavor is enhanced because the caramelization transforms the
sugars.
3. Foods interior flavors are protected and the juices in tact.
How to achieve a proper dry sautee:
1. 2 - 3 T. oil heated to just before the smoking point
2. a dry product is placed into the hot pan.
3. turn item or toss as they caramelize.
4. achieve good caramelization but don't over caramelize or
burn
Depending on what you are doing sautee could end with just these steps. However
often times, you may continue adding ingredients to these sauteed items. This turns
your sautee into more of a wet process. EX. you sautee some floured shrimp, and
garlic then you add, lemon juice, white wine, butter and pasta . You have just made
shrimp scampi. Lets break down this example in technique.
1. you have floured shrimp that you sautee in your hot pan,
2. you add your garlic just before shrimp are golden and done, about 3
minutes. You remove the shrimp and set aside
3. you add lemon juice, white wine, and butter, you let it simmer for a
minute. You season.
4. You add the pasta, then toss the sauce and pasta together, mixing and
heating the combination. (you can stir if you want to)
5. Then you add shrimp heating all together
6. You serve
These are the same results achieved in searing, meat, poultry or seafood as well as a
standard breading technique.
Standard Breading procedure:
Prepare your product. Rinsed, sliced or marinated. etc
1.To bread you need to dip your product in seasoned
flour first.
2.Then you need to dip your product in Egg wash
(whole eggs beaten)
3.Then you need to dip the same product in seasoned
Bread crumbs.
4. Follow the above instruction to caramelize product,
then finish in the oven.
Uses: breading for chicken parmesan, chicken fingers, breaded
fish, chicken fried steak, crab cakes, chicken fingers
then follow the instructions how to achieve
Coat with flour:
this is another common breading procedure
1. season flour,
2. coat your prepared protein in seasoned flour
3. follow the how to achieve process
Uses: veal marsala, shrimp scampi, chicken piccatta, chicken
marsala. See the link for these sauces marsala,
This is an example of many items that are sauteed in this fashion.
Wild Mushroom and Pappardelle Pasta: serves 6
16 oz. sliced assorted wild mushrooms
20 oz. Pappardelle pasta
2 oz. EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 oz. lemon juice
1 oz. white wine
2 oz. chicken stock
3 T. butter
4 oz. grape tomatoes, sliced in 1/2
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 T. chopped parsley
1. heat olive oil in sautee pan, add sliced mushrooms,
sautee until mushrooms are slightly
browned, add minced garlic.
2. remove mushrooms sautee tomatoes for 2 - 3
minutes, add chichen stock.
3. return mushrooms, add lemon juice, white wine,
butter 4. add pasta, toss until, hot, and
completely coated with sauce
5. serve topping with feathered parmesan cheese,
chopped parsley
Variations: sautee shrimp before mushrooms, or add cooked
lobster meat to step 3, top the pasta dish with
bolognese sauce
Linguini with Clams: serves 2
12 oz. linguine
14 each count neck or mahogany clams
2 oz. lemon juice
4 oz. chicken stock
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 oz. white wine
2 oz. EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
1 tsp. minced garlic
2 T. butter
8 oz. asparagus tops
salt and pepper to taste
1. heat oil in pan, add asparagus,add washed clams,
garlic, chicken stock, cover. When the
clam shells begin to open
2. add lemon juice, wine, pepper flakes, simmer 2
minutes
3. add pasta, toss to heat, and serve
Chicken an Gnocchis with English peas: serves 4
20 oz. cooked gnocchis
16 oz. cooked chicken meat, pulled
8 oz. green peas
4 oz. red peppers, julienne sliced
6 oz. wild mushrooms washed and sliced
4 oz. yellow peppers, julienne sliced
8 oz. chicken stock
12 oz. cream reduced by 1/2
2 oz. EVOO
1 tsp. roasted garlic
2 oz. white wine
8 oz. parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
1. heat oil, add peppers, mushrooms, develop
caramelization.
2. add chicken stock, wine, reduce by 1/2., add
reduced cream roasted garlic, simmer.
Adjust seasonings
3. add cooked chicken, ghocchis, toss to heat., add
peas. reduce to velvet creamy, adjust with
parmesan cheese.
4. Serve top with Parmesan cheese and parsley