“Toss” cooking food in skillet (or wok)

[boomchakabowwow]

Gah, I suck at it. I feel more natural with the stirring implement in my right hand. Spatula, spoon, etc.

That leaves my left hand to toss the skillet or wok. I’m awkward and clumsy. I’m decent if I use my right.

for reference, I just recently perfected turning over and egg in a skillet not too long ago.

I was trying to think of a practice ingredient. Uncooked rice or beans? Trying to get some muscle memory going.

people appear to do it like second nature. Me, not so much.

 

[Xenif]

Slightly wet towel, when you get good, two of them

 

[dsk]

onions. just move forward/back like ur stabbing something till it's easy

 

[ian]

Gah, I suck at it. I feel more natural with the stirring implement in my right hand. Spatula, spoon, etc.

That leaves my left hand to toss the skillet or wok. I’m awkward and clumsy. I’m decent if I use my right.

for reference, I just recently perfected turning over and egg in a skillet not too long ago.

I was trying to think of a practice ingredient. Uncooked rice or beans? Trying to get some muscle memory going.

people appear to do it like second nature. Me, not so much.

Seem to remember Julia Child telling everyone to practice with beans in preparation for making French omelettes. Maybe I’m making this up, though.

Why practice separately, though, unless it’s for time critical things like eggs? Just practice when you’re making your food. If you’re sauteeing something hot, flip it.

Just kidding: I recommend practicing flipping over thin flounder filets in lots of oil.

 

[M1k3]

Seem to remember Julia Child telling everyone to practice with beans in preparation for making French omelettes. Maybe I’m making this up, though.

Why practice separately, though, unless it’s for time critical things like eggs? Just practice when you’re making your food. If you’re sauteeing something hot, flip it.

Just kidding: I recommend practicing flipping over thin flounder filets in lots of oil.

Hot oil? With no apron or shirt on?

 

[stringer]

I teach people to make omelettes by having them practice flipping a piece of bread in the pan. Just a few times can really help make the mental connection between visually how the bread moves when it flips and physically how the pan feels in your hand when you have the motion right. But definitely practice using your off hand for your pan hand so your dominant hand can be free for utensils/tongs/opening the oven/grabbing squeeze bottles etc.

 

[GreyBoy]

Beans are great! Haha but, they are food, so I used to practice with a bunch of random things together: a bottle cap or two, a matchbook, cinnamon stick, pen caps, stale potato chips, etc. I think it might actually be better practice because I had to focus on the size and shape of the things.

 

[ian]

Hot oil? With no apron or shirt on?

Shirt ok. No pants or underwear, though, of course.

 

[M1k3]

We had a culinary student work over the summer. We had him start with some Navy beans in our most dented pan. Then started adding random stuff. Garlic cloves, cherry tomatoes, wadded up chits, etc. He got the hang of it, mostly, by the end of shift.

 

[Paraffin]

Disclaimer: the following comment more about wok technique than anything you might want to do in a pro kitchen like omelettes:

I don't get the "wok tossing" thing unless you're trying to impress someone who's watching. I can move food faster in a wok with two steel paddles than I ever could tossing it, and a lot of what I cook is in a wok too big to toss anyway. I do have a single long handle Yamada wok, but I don't use it for tossing. It's just for smaller cooks than I'd do with my larger two-handle woks.

Now, "swirling" in a wok, that's another thing. I do a lot of that, lifting by one handle and swirling raw egg so it coats the upper sides of the wok for fast cooking, or swirling oil or ingredients for an even coat against the lower part of the wok. More of a slight lift and circular movement than a "toss." Easier to do with larger, heavier woks.

 

[minibatataman]

Seems like this would work too

 

[boomchakabowwow]

Seems like this would work too

Whoa!

cheesebals!