1. Ensure whatever you are frying is completely dry: Pat meat with kitchen paper, leave scallops on paper for an hour, let noodles drain for an hour.
2. Don't crowd the pan or your food will steam, not fry.
3. Don't toss and poke your food or it will cool and won't brown
4. Don't use a non-stick pan (except for cooking eggs).
5. Use peanut oil or sunflower oil. Don't use olive as its burning point is too low.
About browning
• Browning is called the Maillard reaction. It is not 'sealing' the meat. Juices don't leak out of meat while you're cooking it, they retreat to the centre (which is why you rest the meat - to let the juices even out again).
• Browning can only happen at high temperatures (above the boiling point of water, which is why if your food is wet it won't brown).
• Browning is all about adding flavour.
Basic Sauce/Gravy
1. Get the pan hot, add the oil, turn the heat down slightly and add the meat.
2. Leave the meat to build up a good brown crust.
3. Turn the meat onto a different part of the pan.
By the time you have finished browning the meat on all sides, you want the pan to be covered with brown sticky bits.
4. If you don't have enough meat to build up a good crust, throw in some trimmings, bones or chopped chicken wings.
5. Tip out the trimmings or bones out into a seive and gently dab off any excess oil from the pan with kitchen paper.
6. Add a mirepoix of chopped celery, carrot, onion and garlic - about 20% of the volume of the meat. Fry gently so it softens and browns too.
7. Add the trimmings again (if using) and deglaze with wine, water, brandy, cider or whatever suits your dish.
8. Add an inch or so of water to make a simple jus, or stock to make a richer sauce, and reduce. Hey presto - fab gravy.
2. Don't crowd the pan or your food will steam, not fry.
3. Don't toss and poke your food or it will cool and won't brown
4. Don't use a non-stick pan (except for cooking eggs).
5. Use peanut oil or sunflower oil. Don't use olive as its burning point is too low.
About browning
• Browning is called the Maillard reaction. It is not 'sealing' the meat. Juices don't leak out of meat while you're cooking it, they retreat to the centre (which is why you rest the meat - to let the juices even out again).
• Browning can only happen at high temperatures (above the boiling point of water, which is why if your food is wet it won't brown).
• Browning is all about adding flavour.
Basic Sauce/Gravy
1. Get the pan hot, add the oil, turn the heat down slightly and add the meat.
2. Leave the meat to build up a good brown crust.
3. Turn the meat onto a different part of the pan.
By the time you have finished browning the meat on all sides, you want the pan to be covered with brown sticky bits.
4. If you don't have enough meat to build up a good crust, throw in some trimmings, bones or chopped chicken wings.
5. Tip out the trimmings or bones out into a seive and gently dab off any excess oil from the pan with kitchen paper.
6. Add a mirepoix of chopped celery, carrot, onion and garlic - about 20% of the volume of the meat. Fry gently so it softens and browns too.
7. Add the trimmings again (if using) and deglaze with wine, water, brandy, cider or whatever suits your dish.
8. Add an inch or so of water to make a simple jus, or stock to make a richer sauce, and reduce. Hey presto - fab gravy.
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