i see pro-chefs..splashing hot cooking oil over cooking food with spoon..........

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boomchakabowwow

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you know the move.

searing food in grease..tilt pan, to pool up oil..take spoon and splash the cooking food with the oil..

why? does it cook the food differently? what does it do that is so different that simply flipping the food over?

i'm guessing there is a French word that describes this technique. i never do this as a home cook..should i learn it?
 
Basting. It's not just oil, there's lots of butter involved.
 
It helps cook the product from the top as well, crisps the skin, etc. 350+ deg F oil poured overtop of you repeatedly will do that. I have seen it done while deep frying meats in the wok for Chinese dishes, and also for western-style pan frying..
 
you know the move.

searing food in grease..tilt pan, to pool up oil..take spoon and splash the cooking food with the oil..

why? does it cook the food differently? what does it do that is so different that simply flipping the food over?

i'm guessing there is a French word that describes this technique. i never do this as a home cook..should i learn it?

its referred to as basting....

the difference between basting and "just flipping it over" is that flipping it over would be applying much more heat. your getting the heat from the bottom of the pan as opposed to the heat of the oil and the butter. you've likely already flipped whatever meat over once, and this is just finishing it. crisping it up a bit and giving it a nice crust and added flavor.
 
Great way to finish proteins in a pan, add butter, and flavor - and to caramelize the outside or a steak for example (including sides that don't touch pans). A little more flavor and crustiness is never a bad thing on a steak, particularly one cooked in a pan.
 
It's called butter basting. It allows the flavor to soak all the way through the meat and also keeps it very moist.
 
i was hoping for a fancy french word..

haha.

maybe Le basting?
thanks..so it is a flavor vehicle, and crisp maker. got it.
 
i was hoping for a fancy french word..

haha.

maybe Le basting?
thanks..so it is a flavor vehicle, and crisp maker. got it.

baste originates from the french word 'bastir' which means to build (in this case, flavor)
 
Baptise in butter is the term in my kitchen


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
In French this is called arroser (that being the infinitive form of the verb). It literally means to spray or to water, but can also be used as "to drink to" oddly enough.
 
It's the cool thing that chefs do to make them cool looking. There is no other reason. Except they saw it on TV.

Sorry I have little respect for most of the DBs that call themselves cooks these days.

Yep I said that. Grow a pair.
 
It's the cool thing that chefs do to make them cool looking. There is no other reason. Except they saw it on TV.

Sorry I have little respect for most of the DBs that call themselves cooks these days.

Yep I said that. Grow a pair.

Thats a rather bold statement.
 
Hell yeah it is. (Yep, I got a buzz on) These tattoo'd beard wearing light weights can talk to me in 20 years.
 
Good stuff. It is cool looking. And a great way to get your sleeve tattoo into the close up action shot.


Kids these days. I tell ya. With the hair and the cloths. Don't get me started on that hippity hoppity music they're listening to anymore.

:clown:
 
There is a term that I can't remember the spelling but is pronounced "P'wah lay"

the spelling you can't remember is "poêler", for a french native this simply means pan frying a "poêle" just being a pan. It's funny how the meaning seems different in US. Yet I concur this is called "arroser" in french and i don't think this is odd use is to drink to as you basically water yourself although usually not with water ;)
 
For me the basting part of pan searing does two things. Firstly it allows you to slow down and even out the cooking process. We start the cooking over high heat to create that great maillard reaction seared flavor. Then we lower the heat, add whole butter and baste. This way the butter browns but doesn't burn and the lower heat starts to even out the heat distribution which facilitates that crucial resting process that is so important to serving juicy, evenly cooked meat. I like Cast Iron for this. Secondly, it is a great opportunity to infuse your cooking fat with flavors that would scorch at the high heat required for searing. Whole garlic cloves, crushed but unpeeled, thyme branches, rosemary, bay leaves, black pepper, and spice blends like curry powder, ras al hanout, baharat, vadouvan, z'atar, or whatever you like are great for this part of the process. The lower heat blooms the perfume of the herbs and spices without scorching them. For me rubbing with the spices before searing tends to burn the spices and keep the meat from developing it's full flavor. As with all cooking processes it is all about heat control.
 
Is this a good example of the technique we're talking about?

[video=youtube;AmC9SmCBUj4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmC9SmCBUj4[/video]
 
the spelling you can't remember is "poêler", for a french native this simply means pan frying a "poêle" just being a pan. It's funny how the meaning seems different in US. Yet I concur this is called "arroser" in french and i don't think this is odd use is to drink to as you basically water yourself although usually not with water ;)

Not to argue with the current terminology, I know escoffier uses the term to denote cooking solely through basting.
 
To the OP's point: I ordered a whole steamed fish (cod) I think at a Canton Seafood place here in Houston (unfortunately, the restaurant is now closed). It was an eccentric little place, but the food was amazing. One of the better travelled of my friends said this place was spot on authentic in most of its dishes. Authentic or not, I ordered the whole steamed black cod with crispy skin. They wheeled out a cart with this fish on it, like it was a trophy. Then up ran a guy with boiling oil in a pot, while the waiter started spooning the hot oil onto the skin of the fish. Snap-crackle-pop was all I heard, while oil-shrapnel hit me in the face, and dotted my clothes. I wish I could describe the look on the waiters face -- a grimace of pain and pride. You could actually see the skin crisping and bubbling in some spots. You could hear some murmurs of worry from those close-by, as if they were witnessing something unreasonably dangerous. (they were). I wanted to say something, or dive out of the way, but it looked and smelled so good, I thought I'd take the heat. When he was done, he said something that only body language told me was something like "enjoy!". Well, enjoy I did. The fish was great, the skin was crispy, and smelled like toasted sesame oil (so did my jacket). The fish also had nice bits of meat in the cheeks, which were delicious. Easily, this was one of the best dishes I've ever had, and have the scars to prove it.

Cheers,

Jack
 
I'm not a professional cook, nor do I play one on television, but I baste my steaks all the time (four a week, at least), especially right before I throw it on a plate to rest. Can someone explain to me why what I'm doing is wrong and why it's something that is only done to be 'cool looking'? (looking at you Salty)
 
For me the basting part of pan searing does two things. Firstly it allows you to slow down and even out the cooking process. We start the cooking over high heat to create that great maillard reaction seared flavor. Then we lower the heat, add whole butter and baste. This way the butter browns but doesn't burn and the lower heat starts to even out the heat distribution which facilitates that crucial resting process that is so important to serving juicy, evenly cooked meat. I like Cast Iron for this. Secondly, it is a great opportunity to infuse your cooking fat with flavors that would scorch at the high heat required for searing. Whole garlic cloves, crushed but unpeeled, thyme branches, rosemary, bay leaves, black pepper, and spice blends like curry powder, ras al hanout, baharat, vadouvan, z'atar, or whatever you like are great for this part of the process. The lower heat blooms the perfume of the herbs and spices without scorching them. For me rubbing with the spices before searing tends to burn the spices and keep the meat from developing it's full flavor. As with all cooking processes it is all about heat control.
this post reminds me that my wife and I need to line up a sitter and hit Zaytinya for dinner sooner rather than later...
 
Hell yeah it is. (Yep, I got a buzz on) These tattoo'd beard wearing light weights can talk to me in 20 years.

Haha... I'd be scared to eat their food for fear of finding facial hair in my food.

The media had propelled some of these young chefs into stardom way too fast.

Shoot I think that my chef instructor in culinary school should be on tv. Old school German Classic/euro trained Master Chef. These 2 words still haunt me to this day..."Schnell, Schnell!!!!"


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Is this a good example of the technique we're talking about?

Basically, yes. I rolled my eyes at his teflon pan selection and using a bread knife as a slicer, but basically, yeah, that's it.

I'm not a professional cook, nor do I play one on television, but I baste my steaks all the time (four a week, at least), especially right before I throw it on a plate to rest. Can someone explain to me why what I'm doing is wrong and why it's something that is only done to be 'cool looking'? (looking at you Salty)

You aren't doing anything wrong. I think this method makes for a better steak. Frankly I don't understand the aversion to it or the association of it to young/tattooed/bearded chefs.
 

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