Pan Frying
Pan frying is a cooking method that cooks foods in hot oil. The food, generally small or tender pieces of meats, seafood, or vegetables, often gets coated in bread crumbs or batter before it’s fried. Pan-fried foods should be crispy on the outside and moist and juicy in the middle.
Equipment
The best pan to use is a high-sided sauté pan to keep the oil from splashing or splattering as you cook.
Ingredients
The main ingredient for a pan-fried dish should be portion-sized or smaller and is often breaded before cooking for a crispy exterior. Good choices for pan frying include:
- Pork loin
- Chicken or turkey breast
- Fish
- Shellfish
- Vegetables
Mise en Place for Standard Breading Procedure
Vegetables and meats are often coated in breading before pan frying to give them a crispy outer crust. Applying breading can be a messy business, so chefs use an orderly procedure. First, coat the food lightly with flour, then dip it in beaten eggs (sometimes mixed with a bit of milk), then dip it in the breading mixture.
Breading ingredients include:
- Bread crumbs
- Crushed up crackers
- Crushed up corn flakes
Pan Frying Step by Step
Cut the chicken breasts in half and season with salt and pepper. Dip the chicken in the flour, then the egg, then the bread crumbs.
Heat the pan and the oil before adding the food. As a rule, there should be enough oil in the pan to come half to two-thirds of the way up the side of the food. Carefully place the chicken in the oil. When the bottom is golden brown, turn the chicken over and cook the other side. Continue to cook until the other side is golden brown and completely cooked; a thermometer inserted into the center should read 165°F.