Days Remaining to Finish Cooking Class: 72 Average Grade: 97 %
This unit it all about No-Oil Sautéing (Dry Sautéing), Pan Tossing, The Caramelization/Maillard Reaction and No-Oil Roasting.
Whew, say all of that 5x fast!
The lesson that was really fascinating to me was the one that covered dry sautéing. Learning the technique on how to dry sauté was very cool because cooking without the use of any kind of oil or butter is a little scary! Up until now, I have approached it with much scepticism. Who wants to burn their food, right?
All you need to dry saute your food is a stainless steel pan and a little water. An 1/8 of a teaspoon, to be exact. It’s a bit tricky trying to figure out how hot your pan needs to be and what you are looking for, but I had the benefit of watching a video that showed every stage.
As the pan heats up, add 1/8 t. of water to the hot pan every 10-15 seconds and watch what it does, as this will determine when the pan is hot enough. If the pan is not hot enough, the water will scatter and sizzle, then dissipate. When it is hot enough however, the water will scatter around the pan, bouncing around into tiny balls, and you will see them all come together and ball up into one large ball. This is what is called the “Mercury Ball Stage.” It took my stove 5+ minutes to get it to the right temperature. I had my temperature set at the #6 hash mark, which is just one mark past the medium heat setting.
Here’s what it looks like when the temperature is close but not quite ready yet …………..
For me, it was very exciting learning this technique. (It took me several tries to achieve this stage but when you see it first hand it’s pretty cool.)
Here’s what the Mercury Ball Stage looks like …………………….
Now you’re ready to add the aromatics.
My assignment, using this technique, was to make Garlic Mushrooms using this dry saute method. After the pan reached the correct temperature, I added the aromatics (onion and garlic), first the onion, stirring constantly so they don’t burn. Then you turn the heat down. (I forgot to turn the heat down, right away for my assignment, but it still worked out.)
When the onions start to brown, add the garlic and give it a good stir, then add the mushrooms. The goal is to get the mushrooms to show the beautiful brown color and the beginning of the caramelization process starting on the bottom of the pan.
These mushrooms do have a beautiful color……
I did get 100% on this task ……….. jusss saayin’ ……….
At this point I added the Marsala Wine and reduced it down. This is where the liquid loosens the crispy, brown stuff that’s stuck to the bottom of the pan. As you stir the liquid around it mixes the flavor from the bottom of the pan into the onions and mushrooms. Ohhhhh, my 🙂
Once completed you have many serving options. You could present it as an appetizer with bite-size garlic toast. Serve it on top of grilled steak or chicken. Top off your meat or bean burger. I think it would be scrumptious added to my homemade pizza crust recipe with a sprinkling of vegan parmesan cheese!
The assignment was to make the caramelized onions and mushrooms, using the dry sauce technique, and use them in a dish of my choice. I decided to make a gluten-free pasta and top it off with freshly cut chives from my garden. My husband loved it, that is, after he added his hot sauce! He is always complimentary of my cooking but, then again, there is one constant………. the hot sauce.
“Hot sauce must be hot. If you don’t like it hot, use less.” – David Tran
xoxo, Katy
*Original post from 5/22/17