The everyday sauté

Filipinos love sautéing. It is part of almost every day’s work in the kitchen of every household. So how can a mundane, everyday cooking process be improved? Would it be like building a better mousetrap?

“First of all, your ingredients should be cut properly,” says Chef Ariel Manuel of Lolo Dad’s Brasserie in Makati City, Philippines as he shares some of his valuable cooking tips. “When you chop ingredients, they should be properly chopped. When you slice, they should be properly sliced.”

In culinary terms, chopping entails cutting food ingredients into fine, medium, or coarse irregular pieces. Slicing on the other hand means to cut food into flat, thin pieces.

Food that is sautéed is browned while preserving its texture, moisture and flavor.

“You have to give it color,” Chef Ariel adds. “Check to see when the garlic turns golden brown.”

Sautéing is a method of cooking food that uses a small amount of fat in a shallow pan over relatively high heat. It is a classical French culinary term which literally means “to jump.” A traditional sauté is when food is cooked in a hot pan with little oil.

“Make sure the temperature of the pan and oil is proper,” Chef Ariel adds. “Place the ingredients once you see the smoke but before the oil sizzles.”

And what kind of oil does this master chef use?

“It depends on what you are cooking with the sautée,” he says. “Sometimes olive oil or regular cooking oil. Normally I use canola or corn oil.”

Yes, even a simple process like sautéing can turn into a culinary masterpiece. Yet, with words we won’t do justice to Chef Ariel’s cuisine. It is much better tasted at the restaurant than read here.