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What Is The Purpose of Sautéing Foods?
 The
objective of sautéing foods is to produce a flavorful exterior with the
best possible texture and color. The proper color and texture will vary,
of course, depending upon the food you are sautéing. Red meats and game
should have a deep-brown exterior. White meats, such as veal, pork, and
poultry, should have a golden or amber exterior.
Lean white fish will be pale gold when
sautéed as skinless fillets, whereas steaks of firm fish, such as tuna,
will take on a darker color. Onions can be sautéed to a variety of stages:
limp and translucent, crisp and deep brown, or a rich mahogany with a
melting texture.
Because sautéing is a rapid technique and
does not have the tenderizing effect of some of the moist-heat methods,
any food to be sautéed must be naturally tender. This technique cooks food
rapidly in a small amount of fat over relatively high heat. The juices
released during cooking form the base for a sauce made in the same pan and
served with the sautéed item.
The sauce serves two purposes:
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It captures the food's flavor that is lost
during cooking.
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It introduces additional flavor (an
important factor because tender foods often have a subtle flavor). It
counteracts the dryness resulting from the sautéing process.
Stir-frying, generally associated with Asian
styles of cooking and successfully borrowed by innovative Western chefs,
shares many similarities with sautéing. Foods to be stir-fried are
customarily cut into small pieces and cooked rapidly in a small amount of
oil.
Sautéed Lamb with
Eggplant in Sauce Recipe
 Ingredients:
2 large eggplants, ends cut off, thickly
sliced
45 ml/3 tablespoons olive oil
8 lamb cutlets, trimmed
2 cloves garlic, crushed
6 large tomatoes, blanched, skinned and
thickly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Sauce:
2 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped
150 ml natural yogurt
Freshly ground black pepper
Garnish:
1 lemon, sliced
Sprigs of mint
Method:
Sprinkle salt over the eggplant and leave
for 20 minutes. Rinse the eggplant and dry with absorbent kitchen paper.
Heat 30 ml/2 tablespoons olive oil in a wok over a very high heat and add
the lamb cutlets. When brown, lower the heat and continue cooking until
the meat is tender - about 5 minutes on each side. Remove from the wok,
drain on absorbent kitchen paper and keep in a warm oven.
Add the remaining oil to the wok and fry the
eggplant slices with the garlic until they are lightly browned on both
sides. (If the oil dries out, add a little more). When they are cooked,
push them up the side of the wok and add the tomato slices. Stir-fry for a
few moments and season with salt and pepper.
Place the vegetables on a dish and arrange
the cutlets over the vegetables. Garnish with lemon slices and sprigs of
mint. Prepare the sauce by stirring the mint into the yogurt. Grind some
black pepper over it and serve in a small bowl.
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Happy Cooking,
Carol |
