A Word From the Kitchen - Saute

Saucyman likes words. Words are a bit of a mealtime ritual too - Saucyguests can rarely share food without arguing about meaning and definition. Dinnertime consists of food, drink and conversation - then someone will say something - the dictionaries get broken out, reference books are consulted, opinions stated, sides taken, arguments presented and rebutted. Usually, little is resolve but much is discussed. Considering the enthusiasm words receive around these parts, it only makes sense the number one viewed post to date has been on the pronunciation of the paella specific term, socarrat.

If American English is a big sponge, absorbing words and terms from all over the world as part of its dialect, the language of the kitchen is the ultimate polyglot, a freakin' UN of words and terms: Some words are borrowed from different languages, numerous words are used only to describe kitchen activities and many cooking terms are archaic - like recipes they get frozen in place while the rest of the language or cuisine evolves.

My brother, Carl will be periodically contributing to a new Saucyman feature of his design called A Word From the Kitchen. In addition to owning a copy of the OED - magnifying glass and all, Carl is an accomplished writer, a lover of food, a damn fine cook and constantly chides me to be more careful with my word choices. At the end of the week we will get a little insight from Carl's poetry colleague, Michael Dickman helping us figure out just what is a pastry anyway.

For now, here are some words on the word, Sauté.


Sauté

The dictionaries agree sauté comes from the French sauter, but they differ, ever so slightly, in their opinions of how sauter should be translated. It seems there are two acceptable choices for pulling sauter out of its French home and carrying it over into English. One choice is jump and the other leap. Not much of a difference, but if you follow the French root, just for a little while, other meanings suggest themselves. Another suitable option for translating sauter could easily be dance.

Sauté is to fry, over medium heat, in a small amount of butter or fat. The term, jump-fry, must refer to the action of flipping the contents up and out of the pan as a way to stir and rotate while cooking. Think of it in contrast to stir-frying, which uses high-heat, and a tool to constantly stir, so as not to burn.

When sautéing, remember to give your neighbors room to dance. If you crowd the pan with, say, too many green beans, they will release too much moisture and too much moisture leads to steam and steaming is a whole other cooking process. So, don’t stuff the pan. And if you don’t feel safe making the contents leap out, just use a wooden spoon or tongs to stir them occasionally. Don’t worry― your finished dish can still be called a sauté.

- Carl Adamshick