The first thing you need to sauté your onions and bell peppers is the correct
pan. You do not want to use a heavy skillet or a fry pan; rather it is best to
use a traditional sauté pan. This provides you with a flat bottom so the
ingredients will not crowd each other, and it has low straight sides so you can
toss the food around without it flying all over the kitchen. A good long handle
is also important too so that you may toss the ingredients and so that your hand
will not be burned from the heat.
The second thing you need to sauté your vegetables perfectly is the right type of fat. Chefs debate over whether to use butter or oils because both have their advantages and disadvantages. Butter burns much more quickly and at a lower temperature than oil, but if you use butter, the food will taste better and will have a nice golden color to it. Oil, on the other hand, does not burn as quickly, but the flavor is not as rich and the vegetables will have less color.
Now, we can almost start to sauté the vegetables, but one more step is needed, so this step is critical. YOU NEVER PLACE VEGETABLES IN COLD BUTTER/OIL IN A COLD PAN, the vegetables will not cook correctly. You also do not want to put the butter/oil in the pan and heat the butter/oil and the pan together because the butter/oil will start to degrade before the pan is hot enough. This means that you heat the pan first (except for a non-stick pan, because there is research that non-stick pans may release toxins if they are heated when empty) and then add the butter/oil to the pan.
Once the butter/oil is heated (MED-HIGH HEAT), both will turn a pale brown, and oil will shimmer, you can place your room temperature vegetables into the pan (NEVER cold ingredients). The butter/oil will start to splatter a little bit, but that is perfectly normal. The vegetables that you cut up should not only be room temperature, but the vegetables should be uniform in size and shape. Make sure the dice is perfect on the onion, or if you are making fajitas, you want the onions and peppers to be a nice 1-2x (1/2) inch in size.
If you are sautéing bell peppers, you should probably allow around 10 minutes (based on their size) to soften the pepper. For onions, only 6-7 minutes is needed (again, depending on the size of the vegetable). You do not want, however, the vegetables to just sit in the pan though; you should continuously toss the vegetables. This means shaking or moving the pan across the burner or in the air. Once the vegetables have turned soft and golden brown, they are done and ready to be eaten.
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The second thing you need to sauté your vegetables perfectly is the right type of fat. Chefs debate over whether to use butter or oils because both have their advantages and disadvantages. Butter burns much more quickly and at a lower temperature than oil, but if you use butter, the food will taste better and will have a nice golden color to it. Oil, on the other hand, does not burn as quickly, but the flavor is not as rich and the vegetables will have less color.
Now, we can almost start to sauté the vegetables, but one more step is needed, so this step is critical. YOU NEVER PLACE VEGETABLES IN COLD BUTTER/OIL IN A COLD PAN, the vegetables will not cook correctly. You also do not want to put the butter/oil in the pan and heat the butter/oil and the pan together because the butter/oil will start to degrade before the pan is hot enough. This means that you heat the pan first (except for a non-stick pan, because there is research that non-stick pans may release toxins if they are heated when empty) and then add the butter/oil to the pan.
Once the butter/oil is heated (MED-HIGH HEAT), both will turn a pale brown, and oil will shimmer, you can place your room temperature vegetables into the pan (NEVER cold ingredients). The butter/oil will start to splatter a little bit, but that is perfectly normal. The vegetables that you cut up should not only be room temperature, but the vegetables should be uniform in size and shape. Make sure the dice is perfect on the onion, or if you are making fajitas, you want the onions and peppers to be a nice 1-2x (1/2) inch in size.
If you are sautéing bell peppers, you should probably allow around 10 minutes (based on their size) to soften the pepper. For onions, only 6-7 minutes is needed (again, depending on the size of the vegetable). You do not want, however, the vegetables to just sit in the pan though; you should continuously toss the vegetables. This means shaking or moving the pan across the burner or in the air. Once the vegetables have turned soft and golden brown, they are done and ready to be eaten.
on January 5, 2011, 4:26 pm
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