Sautéing is a dry heat cooking method in which heat is conducted by a small amount of fat. This type of cooking firm’s meat without breaking down connective tissue. Sautéing is not recommended for tougher cuts of meat or high in connective tissue.

Sautéing is best suited for boneless, naturally tender, and single serving size, sliced or diced pieces of meat, poultry or fish.

This weeks recipes at the end of the post…

Use meats of highest quality in order to produce good results when sautéing. The cuts should be uniform in size and shape in order to promote even cooking.

The sauces that almost always accompany the sautéed meats provide much of the seasoning. Some of the meats are dusted with flour before cooking to seal in the juices and promote even browning.

The sauces are usually made directly in the sauce pan, using the Fond (French for “stock” or “base”) the concentrated juices; drippings and bits of food left in pans after foods are roasted or sautéed, it is used to flavor sauces made directly in the pans in which the foods were cooked.

The steps involved in order of preparation when sautéing are;

Sautéing the meat:

1. Heat a sauté pan and add enough oil or clarified butter to just cover the bottom. The pan should be large enough to hold the meat in a single layer. A pan that is too large may cause the fat or meat to burn.
2. Cut the meat into cutlets, scallops, medallions, etc. Season the meat and dredge with flour if desired.
3. Add the meat to the sauté pan in a single layer. Do not over crowd the pan.
4. Adjust the temperature so that the meats exterior browns properly without burning and the interior cooks.
5. Larger cuts of meat can be finished in an oven. Either place the sauté pan in the oven or transfer the meat to another pan. The later allows a sauce to be made in the original pan as the meat continues to cook.

Making the sauce:

1. Hold the meat in a warm spot while preparing the sauce. When the meat is removed from the pan, leave a small amount of fat as well as the fond. Add the aromatics such as garlic, shallots, mushrooms and sauté them.
2. Deglaze the pan with wine or stock. Scrap the pan, loosening the fond and allow to dissolve in the liquid. Reduce the deglazing liquid by approximately three-fourths.
3. Add the ingredients that do not require cooking, such as herbs and spices. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
4. Return the meat to the pan for a moment to reheat and coat with the finished sauce.
5. Place meat on serving platter and spoon sauce over meat, do not drench with the sauce.

Types of cuts:

• Cutlet-a relatively thick, boneless slice of meat.
• Scallop-a thin, boneless slice of meat.
• Emince-a small, thin boneless piece of meat.
• Medallion-a small, round, relatively thick slice of meat.
• Mignonette-a medallion.
• Noisette-A small, usually round portion of meat cut from the rib.
• Chop-a cut of meat, including part of the rib.
• Paillard-a scallop of meat pounded until thin, usually grilled.

*Important to remember: When you flip your food sauteing remember to tilt the pan away from you to avoid splatter.

Pan-Frying Pan-fried poultry should be juicy. Its coating or batter should be crispy, golden brown, not excessively oily and free from any breaks that allow fat to penetrate. Both the poultry and the coating should be well seasoned.

The most common pan-fried poultry is fried chicken. Young tender birds cat into small pieces produce the best results.

Pan-fried poultry is usually floured, breaded or battered before cooking. Typically, the seasonings are added to the flour, breading or batter before the poultry is coated.

The fat used in cooking the poultry should always be hot before the poultry is added.

Procedure for pan-frying poultry;

1. Heat enough fat in a heavy sauté pan to cover the item to be cooked one-fourth to halfway up its side.
2. Add the floured, breaded or battered item to the hot fat, being careful not to splash. The fat must be hot enough to sizzle and bubble when the item is added.
3. Turn the item when the first side is proper color; it should be half cooked at this point. Larger items may need to be turned more than once to brown them properly on all sides.
4. Remove the browned poultry from the pan and drain it on absorbent paper.

Sauté & Pan-Frying Recipes:

Sautéed Chicken Breast “Chardonnay”
Serving Size : 4
INGREDIENTS:

• 4 Chicken breasts
• Salt & Pepper, to taste
• Flour as needed

For the Sauce:

• 1 1/2 oz Clarified Butter
• 2 oz Shallots, fine dice
• 12 oz Mushroom, sliced
• 4 oz White Wine (Chardonnay)
• 6 oz Chicken Stock
• 6 oz Heavy Cream
• Parsley, chopped
• Salt & Pepper, to taste

PROCEDURE:

1. Season the sauté pan with the clarified butter.
2. Dry the chicken breast with paper towels, season with salt and pepper, dredge them in flour, and shake off the excess.
3. Sauté the chicken in the clarified butter presentation side down until golden brown; turn and sauté the other side.  Remove to a baking pan and finish in the oven at 350°.
4. Pour off the excess fat, leaving about 2 tablespoons in the pan.  Add the mushrooms and sauté them for 3-5 minutes, add shallots.
5. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and reduce by half, add the chicken stock and reduce by half.  Add the heavy cream and reduce the sauce until thickened, season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. To serve, coat the chicken breast with the sauce and garnish with the chopped parsley.

Sautéed Red Peppers
Serving Size : 4
INGREDIENTS:

• 4 Red peppers
• 1/2 oz Butter
• Salt & Pepper, to taste

PROCEDURE:

1. Roast the red peppers until completely blackened over a moderate gas flame.  Enclose the peppers in plastic wrap and let them steam to loosen the skin.
2. Peel and wipe off the charred skin, cut them into strips about ¼”-wide by 3″-long.
3. Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat, sauté the peppers until hot, season to taste.

Brussels Sprouts
Serving Size: 4
INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed
• 1 oz Butter
• 1 oz Onions, diced
• 1 oz Bacon, diced
• Salt & Pepper, to taste

PROCEDURE:

1. Prepare and parboil the brussels sprouts in boiling salt water until tender, drain and chill until needed.
2. Heat butter in a saucepan, render the bacon, add the diced onions and sauté until translucent.  .
3. Add the brussels sprouts and sauté until hot, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Sautéed Beef Tenderloin “Maitre d’ Hotel”
Serving Size : 4
INGREDIENTS:

• 4 Beef Medallion (Tenderloin)
• Salt & Pepper, to taste
• Clarified Butter, as needed
• 4 oz Maitre d’ Hotel Butter, prepared

PROCEDURE:

1. Prepare “Maitre d’ Hotel” butter, shape into a sausage, rolled in parchment paper or pipe through a star tip into rosettes and refrigerate.
2. Prepare the beef medallions and set aside (refrigerate).
3. Heat the sauté pan with clarified butter. Sauté the beef medallion “a la minute” to desired doneness, season with salt and pepper.
4. Plate the cooked medallion and top with the “Maitre d’ Hotel” butter.

Maitre d’Hotel Butter:
INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 pound Butter, softened
• 2 tblsp Parsley, chopped, washed
• 1/2 oz Lemon juice
• Salt and white Pepper, to taste

PROCEDURE:

1. Work the butter, parsley, lemon juice and seasoning with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until smooth and well combined.
2. Pipe into rosettes, using a pastry bag, or roll in parchment paper. Refrigerate or freeze until needed.

Allumette (“Matchstick”) Potatoes
Serving Size : 4
INGREDIENTS:

• 2 pounds Russet Potatoes, raw
• Salt & Pepper to taste

PROCEDURE:

1. Peel potatoes and wash, using the mandolin, cut fine julienne and place them in cold water, wash thoroughly under cold running water to remove the starch.
2. Drain and dry the potatoes on paper towels before placing them in the fryer.
3. Fry the potatoes in a 350° fryer in two steps, first let the potatoes get soft and form a skin, remove them from the oil and recuperate the temperature, second shake the basket, place them back into the oil and crisp the potatoes giving them the color of straw.
4. Drain them on paper towels and season with salt and pepper before serving.

Sautéed Spinach
Serving Size : 4
INGREDIENTS:

• 2 bunches Spinach, raw, fresh
• 1 oz Butter
• 1/2 tblsp Garlic, minced
• Salt & Pepper, to taste

PROCEDURE:

1. Clean and wash spinach 2 times, and dry fully.
2. Melt butter in skillet over medium heat and sweat the garlic.  Add spinach in small bunches and sauté until wilted and hot.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Pan Fried Chicken with Pan Gravy
Servings: 4
INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Frying chicken (2 1/2 – 3 lbs.), cut in 8 pieces
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp Garlic powder
• 1 tsp Onion powder
• 1/2 tsp Dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp Dried basil
• 8 oz Flour
• 6 fl oz Buttermilk
• 1 pint Frying oil, more if needed
• 2 oz Onion, small dice
• 8 oz Chicken stock
• 4 oz Heavy cream

PROCEDURE:

1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the herbs and spices to 6 ounces of the flour.
2. Dip the chicken pieces in the buttermilk, place in refrigerator for 30 minutes.  Dredge the chicken in the seasoned flour.
3. Pan-fry the chicken in 1/4 to 1/3 inch of oil until done, approximately 40 minutes, turning so that it cooks evenly. Reduce the heat as necessary to prevent the chicken from becoming too dark. Alternatively, remove the chicken when well browned, drain it and finish cooking in the oven.
4. To make the pan gravy, pour off all but 2 ounces of oil from the pan, carefully reserving the fond.  Add the diced onions and sauté until translucent. Add 2 ounces of flour and cook to make a blond roux.  Whisk in the chicken stock and cream, and simmer approximately 15 minutes.

Creamed Corn
Servings: 4
INGREDIENTS:

• 4 ears Corn
• 1 oz Whole butter
• 2 oz Onion, small dice
• 3 oz Heavy cream
• 1 tblsp Basil leaves, chiffonade
• Salt and white pepper, to taste

PROCEDURE

1. Cut the kernels from the ears.  Sauté the onions in butter without browning.  Add the corn and sauté until hot and the corn is almost completely cooked.
2. Add the cream. Bring to a boil and reduce slightly. Remove from heat.  Add the basil and season with salt and white pepper.

Mashed Potatoes
Serving Size: 4
INGREDIENTS:

1. 1½ pounds Potatoes, peeled, quartered
2. 2 oz Butter, softened
3. 3 oz Milk or cream, scalded
4. Salt & Pepper to taste

PROCEDURE:

1. Peel, wash, quarter and place the potatoes in cold salt water, bring to a boil and simmer for approximately 20 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
2. Drain and dry the potatoes in the oven, run them through the ricer.
3. Mix in the butter, milk or cream, and seasonings.

Sautéed Fish Almandine
Serving Size: 4
INGREDIENTS:

• 4 Fish Fillets

For the Marinade:

• 1 tblsp Lemon Juice
• 3 tblsp White wine
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• 4 tblsp Clarified Butter
• 4 tblsp Flour

For the Sauce:

• 2 oz Whole Butter
• 2 oz Almonds sliced
• Reserved marinade from above
• 2 tblsp Parsley, chopped

PROCEDURE:

1. Prepare the fish fillets, season and marinate with the lemon juice, wine and refrigerate for not more than 30 minutes.
2. Heat the sauté pan with a thin layer of clarified butter. Remove the fish fillets from the marinade, dry with paper towels.  Reserve the marinade. Dredge them in flour, shaking off the excess. Sauté the fish fillets in the clarified butter skin side down until golden brown; turn and sauté the other side. Remove the fish to a plate and keep warn.
3. Pour off the excess fat.  Add the whole butter and almonds to the pan and sauté to a light hazelnut (“noisette”) color.
4. De-glaze the pan with the reserved marinade and bring to a simmer.  Add the chopped parsley and remove from the heat.
5. Coat the fish with the sauce and serve immediately.

Parsley Potatoes
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS:

• 2 lb. Potatoes
• 2 oz Butter, melted
• 2 tblsp Parsley, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste

PROCEDURE:

1. Peel and wash the potatoes, place them in cold water.  Cut into desired shape.
2. Place them in cold water , add salt and bring to a simmer, until tender, drain and toss in melted butter and parsley, serve immediately.
3. Notes:  Potatoes can be tossed with Maitre d’ Hotel Butter

Sautéed Zucchini
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb. Zucchini
• 2 tblsp Butter
• Salt & pepper to taste

PROCEDURE:

1. Wash and cut the zucchini to desired shape.  Tournéed zucchini is a very traditional accompaniment to the dish.
2. Par boil in salted water until the zucchini is almost done.  Drain and shock in ice water to stop the cooking.
3. To serve, melt the butter in a sauté pan.  Toss in the zucchini to reheat.  Season with salt and pepper.

Please leave me a comment and let me know what you think. Juan