It sounds like WWII when you add oil to a hot pan. It scares me.
It scares me more to add oil to a pan and then heat it to a very high heat such as needed when using a wok for quick cooking. Oil ignites easily at high temperatures so adding it just before cooking is safer.
That is how I was taught and that is how I do it and it works.
Also, if you add the oil at the same time you turn on the heat, the oil could easily burn or catch fire by the time the pan has heated up sufficiently. An added bonus is that food absorbs less fat using this method as well.
I have never had any formal training. Most cookbooks say heat oil in pan. I don't recall ever reading heat pan, then add oil. To me it seems safer to evenly heat them together and not poor oil into a hot pan.
I've tried all 3 types you mentioned. So, more oil you reckon? That could be. I thought I used a decent amount, but perhaps I am being unreasonably stingy...
Well, more oil in your food might not be the best of choices either. A cheat way possibly could be adding a little water while cooking (somewhat simmer stage, NOT at the beginning) may reduce the food sticking? (Saw them cook this way in Mongolie Grill before)
I have never had any formal training. Most cookbooks say heat oil in pan. I don't recall ever reading heat pan, then add oil. To me it seems safer to evenly heat them together and not poor oil into a hot pan.
Listen to what he says at the 25 to 30 second mark.
1 story building across the street (southeast) of the Dragon. Has produce and all sorts of things. I probably wouldn't buy any food there as am a gweilo who is skiddish about food safety. https://goo.gl/maps/rYPphyi2XMo
Quote:
Originally Posted by redforever
It scares me more to add oil to a pan and then heat it to a very high heat such as needed when using a wok for quick cooking. Oil ignites easily at high temperatures so adding it just before cooking is safer.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pseudoreality
I have never had any formal training. Most cookbooks say heat oil in pan. I don't recall ever reading heat pan, then add oil. To me it seems safer to evenly heat them together and not poor oil into a hot pan.
There is all kinds of different thoughts in this respect when it comes to sticking food. At the end of the day, most cooks & chefs will heat the wok or pan first, then add the oil, so I do it that way.
Well, more oil in your food might not be the best of choices either. A cheat way possibly could be adding a little water while cooking may reduce the food sticking? (Saw them cook this way in Mongolie Grill before)
Here's the video you're looking for to explain the difference stages.
ALWAYS make sure there is no water in your hot pan before adding oil.
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Here's the video you're looking for to explain the difference stages.
ALWAYS make sure there is no water in your hot pan before adding oil.
Err... I actually meant after the cooking starts and the food is starting to simmer, not before (yes I agree with you, that would be a horrible disaster).
I was taught this "oil trick" at a young age. I always thought my father was just being weird and particular but did it anyways, even after all these years. Somehow I thought it had something to do with the cooking of food/texture by being able to use less oil using this method and never bothered looking it up. I knew my food seemed to come out better if I did this though vs seeing others not doing it. I had no idea it aided non-stick.
Here's the video you're looking for to explain the difference stages.
ALWAYS make sure there is no water in your hot pan before adding oil.
This is a terrible trick for precisely that reason you warned. All it takes is one of those decent sized blobs of water to be left in the pan to cause (not just spattering) but some of the oil to get vaporized with the steam, which will ignite a hell of a lot easier. This is why you don't put water on oil fire.
You could flick a few dribbles of water into the pan, maybe, just to ensure they float, but you're better just feeling the heat, then adding the oil and letting it heat (if needs a few more seconds) until it starts shimmering, or wisps of smoke appear.
This is a terrible trick for precisely that reason you warned. All it takes is one of those decent sized blobs of water to be left in the pan to cause (not just spattering) but some of the oil to get vaporized with the steam, which will ignite a hell of a lot easier. This is why you don't put water on oil fire.
You could flick a few dribbles of water into the pan, maybe, just to ensure they float, but you're better just feeling the heat, then adding the oil and letting it heat (if needs a few more seconds) until it starts shimmering, or wisps of smoke appear.
Hmm... I was always taught that if I were to use water to test the heat, that I was to take a wet towel to completely wipe away the water and allow it to fully evaporate prior to putting in oil. (Usually a wet towel rag thing). Furthermore, the wok we used had a specific "white ish color" to the metal when it was ready for oil so we never really used the water trick after a while.
If I didn't wipe off water because no towel or whatever, I was to turn off the heat just prior to adding oil and swirling it. (Heat is generally off for like 5-10 seconds maybe). If I see smoke, don't turn the heat back on immediately, take away from heat source and swirl it a little more, wait for it to cool then turn heat back on and put it on the heat source.
Possibly my explanation is a little off, but the methods I describe are used by my relatives as well and I have never in my life witnessed oil fires.
Possibly my explanation is a little off, but the methods I describe are used by my relatives as well and I have never in my life witnessed oil fires.
Is this method incorrect?
Well as long as you're ensuring there is no water in the pan still its fine. But in general its not advisable as a method to the general public since anytime you're mixing high heat, water, and oil, there is a risk of things going wrong. If you know the risks and what you're doing then its fine. I just wouldn't go recommending it to everyone on the internet like that video suggests, since there are a lot of dumb people out there.
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Err... I actually meant after the cooking starts and the food is starting to simmer, not before (yes I agree with you, that would be a horrible disaster).
I was taught this "oil trick" at a young age. I always thought my father was just being weird and particular but did it anyways, even after all these years. Somehow I thought it had something to do with the cooking of food/texture by being able to use less oil using this method and never bothered looking it up. I knew my food seemed to come out better if I did this though vs seeing others not doing it. I had no idea it aided non-stick.
It's not just the non stick part, a hot pan with close to smoking oil Sears the meat closed immediately, that keeps in the flavour
