About Stir-Frying and Pan-Frying

Stir-Frying

Stir-frying is associated with Asian cooking styles.

A wok is the traditional tool for stir-frying, because of its construction and shape. The wok concentrates heat in the bottom of the pan. The sides of the pan have varying degrees of heat, creating zones that allow a variety of foods to be prepared in a single pan, without overcooking or undercooking any single item.

Foods must be cut properly, usually into small strips, dice, or shreds. They are added to the pan in sequence, with foods requiring the longest cooking time added first, and those that cook very quickly or are simply added for flavor and texture added at the last moment.

Rather than turning the food once, you should keep stir-fried foods constantly in motion. Push them up to the sides of the wok out of the most intensely heated part of the pan. This makes room for items to be added to the bottom of the wok in their turn.

Sauces are frequently part of stir-fried dishes. They are generally combinations of intensely flavored liquids and oils such as soy sauce and sesame oil, occasionally thickened with a small amount of diluted arrowroot or cornstarch.

Pan-Frying

The objective of pan-frying is to produce a flavorful exterior with a crisp, brown crust, which acts as a barrier to retain juices and flavor. Because the product itself is not browned, the flavor will be different than if the item had been sautéed. The proper color depends upon the type of item, the coating that is used and, to a certain extent, the item's thickness.

The color of relatively thin and delicate meats, fish, shellfish, and poultry should be golden to amber. Thicker pieces may take on a deeper color, resulting from the longer cooking time. In all cases, the product should not be extremely pale, As with sautéing, a lack of color indicates that improper heat levels or the incorrect pan size were used.

Only naturally tender foods should be pan-fried and, after cooking, the product should still be tender and moist. Excessive dryness means the food was allowed to overcook, was cooked too far in advance and held too long, or was cooked at a temperature higher than required.

Although this technique shares similarities with sautéing, it has some important differences. Whereas a sautéed item is often lightly dusted with flour and quickly cooked over high heat in a small amount of oil, a pan-fried food is usually coated with batter or breaded and cooked in a larger amount of oil over less-intense heat. The product is cooked more by the oil's heat than by direct contact with the pan. In pan-frying, the hot oil seals the food's coated surface and thereby locks the natural juices inside instead of releasing them. Because no juices are released and a larger amount of oil is involved, an accompanying sauce is made separately.