Pan frying

Last updated February 12, 2021

Pan frying or pan-frying is a form of frying food characterized by the use of minimal cooking oil or fat (compared to shallow frying or deep frying), typically using just enough to lubricate the pan.^[1] In the case of a greasy food such as bacon, no oil or fats may need to be added. As a form of frying, the technique relies on oil or fat as the heat transfer medium,^[1] and on correct temperature and time to not overcook or burn the food.^[2] Pan frying can serve to retain the moisture in foods such as meat and seafood.^[3] The food is typically flipped at least once to ensure that both sides are cooked properly.^[4]

Specifics

Pan frying takes place at lower heat than sautéing.^[5]^[6] This is because the food to be pan fried – such as chicken breasts, steak, pork chops, or fish fillets – is not cut into small pieces before cooking. It requires a lower heat so that the exterior of the food does not overcook by the time the interior reaches the proper temperature, and to keep foods in a moister state.^[5] However, the oil should always be hot enough to ensure that the moisture in the food can escape in the form of steam; the force of the steam escaping keeps the oil from soaking into the food.^[7] The same amount of oil is used as for sautéing – just enough to glaze the pan.

Equipment

Generally, a shallower cooking vessel is used for pan frying than for deep frying; however, using a deep pan with a small amount of oil, butter or bacon grease does reduce spatter. A denser cooking vessel is better than a less dense pan because the added mass will improve temperature regulation. An electric skillet can be used analogously to an electric deep fryer, and many of these devices have a thermostat to keep the liquid (in this case, oil) at the desired temperature.

Breading

Foods to be pan fried are sometimes covered with a batter or breading.^[8]^[9] Batters consist of dried ingredients such as flour or cornstarch in conjunction with liquids such as milk, water or other beverages. Breading can be as simple as dusting the food in flour or, more commonly, what is called the "standard breading procedure",^[8] which involves first dusting the food in flour (taking care to shake off the excess), then dipping it in beaten eggs, and finally putting it into bread crumbs (or some other form of outer coating).^[8] The food is seasoned with salt and pepper prior to applying any coating. Allowing the food to rest for 15–30 minutes before frying but after applying the breading enables the coating to stick to the food with greater tenacity.

Related Research Articles

Cooking Preparing food for consumption with the use of heat

Cooking or cookery is the art, science, and craft of using heat to prepare food for consumption. Cooking techniques and ingredients vary widely across the world, from grilling food over an open fire to using electric stoves, to baking in various types of ovens, reflecting unique environmental, economic, and cultural traditions and trends.

Deep frying is a cooking method in which food is submerged in hot fat, most commonly oil, as opposed to the shallow oil used in conventional frying done in a frying pan. Normally, a deep fryer or chip pan is used for this; industrially, a pressure fryer or vacuum fryer may be used. Deep frying may also be performed using oil that is heated in a pot. Deep frying is classified as hot-fat cooking method. Typically, deep frying foods cook quickly: all sides of a food are cooked simultaneously as oil has a high rate of heat conduction.

Sautéing or sauteing is a method of cooking that uses a relatively small amount of oil or fat in a shallow pan over relatively high heat. Various sauté methods exist.

Stir frying is a Chinese cooking technique in which ingredients are fried in a small amount of very hot oil while being stirred or tossed in a wok. The technique originated in China and in recent centuries has spread into other parts of Asia and the West.

Cookware and bakeware are types of food preparation containers, commonly found in a kitchen. Cookware comprises cooking vessels, such as saucepans and frying pans, intended for use on a stove or range cooktop. Bakeware comprises cooking vessels intended for use inside an oven. Some utensils are considered both cookware and bakeware.

Scrambled eggs is a dish made from eggs stirred, whipped or beaten together while being gently heated, typically with salt, butter and sometimes other ingredients.

Sesame oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from sesame seeds. Besides being used as a cooking oil, it is used as a flavor enhancer in many cuisines, having a distinctive nutty aroma and taste. The oil is one of the earliest-known crop-based oils. Worldwide mass modern production is limited due to the inefficient manual harvesting process required to extract the oil. In Akkadian language it is called as Ellu

Bread crumbs or breadcrumbs consist of crumbled bread of various dryness, sometimes with seasonings added, used for breading or crumbing foods, topping casseroles, stuffing poultry, thickening stews, adding inexpensive bulk to soups, meatloaves and similar foods, and making a crisp and crunchy covering for fried foods, especially breaded cutlets like tonkatsu and schnitzel. The Japanese variety of bread crumbs is called panko.

The smoke point, also referred to as the burning point, is the temperature at which an oil or fat begins to produce a continuous bluish smoke that becomes clearly visible, dependent upon specific and defined conditions. Smoke point values can vary greatly, depending on factors such as the volume of oil utilized, the size of the container, the presence of air currents, the type and source of light as well as the quality of the oil and its acidity content, otherwise known as free fatty acid (FFA) content. The more FFA an oil contains, the quicker it will break down and start smoking. The lower in FFA, the higher the smoke point. It is important to consider, however, that the FFA represents typically less than 1% of the total oil and consequently renders smoke point a poor indicator of the capacity of a fat or oil to withstand heat.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to food preparation:

Fried chicken Dish consisting of chicken pieces which have been coated in a seasoned batter and pan-fried, deep fried, or pressure fried

Southern fried chicken, also known simply as fried chicken, is a dish consisting of chicken pieces that have been coated with seasoned flour or batter and pan-fried, deep fried, pressure fried, or air fried. The breading adds a crisp coating or crust to the exterior of the chicken while retaining juices in the meat. Broiler chickens are most commonly used.

Lard is a semi-solid white fat product obtained by rendering the fatty tissue of the pig. It is distinguished from tallow, a similar product derived from fat of cattle or sheep.

Fried potatoes are a dish – or component of other dishes, such as Bauernfrühstück – essentially consisting of potatoes which have been fried, or deep-fried, in hot cooking oil, often with the addition of salt and/or other seasonings. They are often served as a side dish.

Shallow frying is an oil-based cooking technique. It is typically used to prepare portion-sized cuts of meat, fish, and patties such as fritters. Shallow frying can also be used to cook vegetables.

Frying is the cooking of food in oil or another fat. Similar to sautéing, pan-fried foods are generally turned over once or twice during cooking, using tongs or a spatula, while sautéed foods are cooked by "tossing in the pan". A large variety of foods may be fried.

Seasoning (cookware) Process of treating the surface of cooking vessels with oil

Seasoning or curing is the process of treating the surface of a cooking vessel with heated fat or oil in order to produce a corrosion-resistant and stick-resistant coating. It is required for cast-iron cookware and carbon steel, which otherwise rust rapidly when heated in the presence of oxygen and water, even in small quantities such as in drippings from dry meat. In addition, food tends to stick to unseasoned iron and carbon steel cookware. Some cast-iron and carbon steel cookware is pre-seasoned by manufacturers, but most needs to be seasoned by the users.

An air fryer is a small countertop convection oven designed to simulate deep frying without submerging the food in oil. A fan circulates hot air at high speed, producing a crisp layer via browning reactions such as the Maillard reaction. Some reviews have found that regular convection ovens or convection toaster ovens produce better results.

Cooking oil is plant, animal, or synthetic fat used in frying, baking, and other types of cooking. It is also used in food preparation and flavouring not involving heat, such as salad dressings and bread dippings like bread dips, and may be called edible oil.

Sautéed mushrooms is a flavorful dish prepared by sautéing edible mushrooms. It is served as a side dish, used as an ingredient in dishes such as coq au vin and beef bourguignon, in foods such as duxelles, as a topping for steaks and toast, and also as a garnish.

References

1 2 McGinnis, S.M. (2006). Field Guide to Freshwater Fishes of California: Revised Edition. California Natural History Guides. University of California Press. p. 445. ISBN 978-0-520-23728-5 . Retrieved April 22, 2017.
↑ Boskou, D.; Elmadfa, I. (2016). Frying of Food: Oxidation, Nutrient and Non-Nutrient Antioxidants, Biologically Active Compounds and High Temperatures, Second Edition. Frying of Food: Oxidation, Nutrient and Non-Nutrient Antioxidants, Biologically Active Compounds and High Temperatures, Second Edition. CRC Press. p. 293. ISBN 978-1-4398-0683-8 . Retrieved April 22, 2017.
↑ Publishing, DK (2005). The Cook's Book: Techniques and tips from the world's master chefs. DK Publishing. p. 198. ISBN 978-0-7566-6560-9 . Retrieved April 22, 2017.
↑ Kho, K.L.; Horton, J. (2015). Phoenix Claws and Jade Trees: Essential Techniques of Authentic Chinese Cooking. Potter/TenSpeed/Harmony. p. 160. ISBN 978-0-385-34469-2 . Retrieved April 23, 2017.
1 2 Gisslen, W.; Griffin, M.E.; Bleu, Le Cordon (2006). Professional Cooking for Canadian Chefs. John Wiley & Sons. p. 313. ISBN 978-0-471-66377-5 . Retrieved April 22, 2017.
↑ Brown, A.C. (2014). Understanding Food: Principles and Preparation. Cengage Learning. p. 105. ISBN 978-1-285-95449-3 . Retrieved April 22, 2017.
↑ "The Difference Between Saute, Pan Fry and Stir Fry". The Reluctant Gourmet. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
1 2 3 Gisslen, W. (2010). Professional Cooking, College Version. John Wiley & Sons. p. 152. ISBN 978-0-470-19752-3 . Retrieved April 23, 2017.
↑ Marcus, J.B. (2013). Culinary Nutrition: The Science and Practice of Healthy Cooking. Elsevier Science. p. 140. ISBN 978-0-12-391883-3 . Retrieved April 23, 2017.

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[McGinnis_2006-1] 1 2 McGinnis, S.M. (2006). Field Guide to Freshwater Fishes of California: Revised Edition. California Natural History Guides. University of California Press. p. 445. ISBN 978-0-520-23728-5 . Retrieved April 22, 2017.

[Boskou_Elmadfa_2016-2] Boskou, D.; Elmadfa, I. (2016). Frying of Food: Oxidation, Nutrient and Non-Nutrient Antioxidants, Biologically Active Compounds and High Temperatures, Second Edition. Frying of Food: Oxidation, Nutrient and Non-Nutrient Antioxidants, Biologically Active Compounds and High Temperatures, Second Edition. CRC Press. p. 293. ISBN 978-1-4398-0683-8 . Retrieved April 22, 2017.

[Publishing_2005_p._198-3] Publishing, DK (2005). The Cook's Book: Techniques and tips from the world's master chefs. DK Publishing. p. 198. ISBN 978-0-7566-6560-9 . Retrieved April 22, 2017.

[Kho_Horton_2015-4] Kho, K.L.; Horton, J. (2015). Phoenix Claws and Jade Trees: Essential Techniques of Authentic Chinese Cooking. Potter/TenSpeed/Harmony. p. 160. ISBN 978-0-385-34469-2 . Retrieved April 23, 2017.

[Gisslen_Griffin_Bleu_2006-5] 1 2 Gisslen, W.; Griffin, M.E.; Bleu, Le Cordon (2006). Professional Cooking for Canadian Chefs. John Wiley & Sons. p. 313. ISBN 978-0-471-66377-5 . Retrieved April 22, 2017.

[Brown_2014-6] Brown, A.C. (2014). Understanding Food: Principles and Preparation. Cengage Learning. p. 105. ISBN 978-1-285-95449-3 . Retrieved April 22, 2017.

[7] "The Difference Between Saute, Pan Fry and Stir Fry". The Reluctant Gourmet. Retrieved 27 February 2016.

[Gisslen_2010-8] 1 2 3 Gisslen, W. (2010). Professional Cooking, College Version. John Wiley & Sons. p. 152. ISBN 978-0-470-19752-3 . Retrieved April 23, 2017.

[Marcus_2013-9] Marcus, J.B. (2013). Culinary Nutrition: The Science and Practice of Healthy Cooking. Elsevier Science. p. 140. ISBN 978-0-12-391883-3 . Retrieved April 23, 2017.

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