Sautéing

Sauté is the French name for a type of cooking we’re all very familiar with. Put simply, it means using a hot pan and a little oil or butter to fry food very quickly. It’s also a cooking technique tailor-made for seafood. Here are some of our favorite—and expert-approved—tips to get you sautéing seafood like a pro.

Pro Tips

Here’s our favorite tips to help you cook seafood with a crispy exterior and sweet, moist flesh:

1. Make sure your seafood reaches room temperature first.
2. Pat dry, so it doesn’t steam on the bottom.
3. Make sure your pan is hot first. Then swirl in some oil, and add your fish.
4. Don’t overcrowd your pan.

Equipment

Here’s what you need:

• Sauté pan large enough to hold several fillets
• Tongs
• Spatula

Best seafood for sauteing

Cuts: fish fillets under 1½” in thickness

Fish: Flounder, Sand Dab, Snapper, Sole, Speckled Trout, Tilefish, Trout, Whitefish, Whiting

Other seafood: Shucked Oysters, Scallops, large Shrimp