Sautée

Sautée

To sautée is to cook on the stovetop in a pan or a shallow pot with low amount of oil. Heating the pan first and then adding the oil and ingredients and cooking until they are softened, golden brown, or both. It is a cooking method without addition of moisture. Often food is also sautéed before other methods for increasing and enhancing the taste of the ingredients.

Sautée is from the French verb Sauter which means to jump. It refers to how food reacts to the heat and oil.

Best practices include cutting ingredient the same size. But also contemplating how fast certain ingredients cook if you are cooking them together then vary the size of those ingredients that cook slower to be smaller. It is important to heat the pans or skillets first over high or medium heat. And it is advised to pat dry wet ingredients before placing them in the hot pan.