Saute & Stir Fry: Info & Tips

Saute & Stir Fry with Canola Oil

Canola oil's light texture is the perfect choice for sautéing or stir-frying. Stir-frying means quickly searing small pieces of food in a large pan or wok over high heat. Searing meat, vegetables and sauces at high heat seals in flavors and nutrients, caramelizes sugars and evaporates excess juices.

Preparation is Everything:

One of the most important steps in stir-frying or sautéing is to prepare all of the ingredients before starting to cook. In fact, the preparation often takes more time than the cooking. Here are some other tips:

• Read the recipe and assemble ingredients in the order in which they are to be added to the wok.
• Trim meat of visible fat, cut into strips. Partially freezing the meat for one hour allows for easier slicing.
• Marinate meat or other ingredients. Be sure to fully drain the marinade before cooking as the excess juice will stew rather than sear the meat.
• Combine sauce ingredients ahead of time and begin cooking side dishes, such as rice or noodles before starting to stir-fry.
• Do not cook more dishes than you can handle.
• Cut vegetables and meat uniformly to ensure fast, even cooking.
• Blanching vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower and asparagus before stir-frying ensures quick and even cooking. Grated carrot cooks much quicker than sliced carrot.
• Ingredients such as eggplant, mushrooms and fish tend to absorb more oil and may require slightly more oil for cooking.