Does it matter what order ingredients are sauteed in?
If I am making a stew say, does it matter if I dump in onions, garlic, bell pepper, tomato all at once or one by one?
My speculated reasons are:
- Giving enough space for each ingredient will allow it to dry out and the maillard reaction or caramelization to take place
- Ingredients have different 'hardness' so will take shorter or longer to break down. To get a similar consistency, each ingredient needs to be added at the right time
Best Answer
Your first suggestion is only partially valid. Let's say you add your onions first as many would do. After that your stew as a whole will most likely be too wet to get a maillard reaction going for subsequent additions. For me, the order of additions to a stew is roughly determined as such:
- Put the ingredient that you most want to caramelize in first (usually meat or onions, but never garlic)
- If you have ingredients that transfer their flavour more easily to fat than water, always put them in early, because once your stew becomes more watery that flavour will no longer be transferred
- Put items that rely on their fragrance in late (For instance fresh basil)
- Bell peppers always go in late for me, but that is partially because I always peel them
- Give everything a cooking time that allows the ingredients to transfer their flavour to the stew while also maintaining some texture (basically your second point)
In the end it all comes down to adjusting your process so that everything you add to your stew is able to do what it's there for, which might be adding flavour, texture, colour, wetness or anything that takes your fancy.
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What comes first in sautéing?
To set the record straight and clear misconceptions, however, the general rule is that onions cook first. Garlic tends to scorch quickly, especially if you have a habit of saut\xe9ing on the hotter side of the pan.What order do you saute vegetables in?
To avoid overcooking and undercooking different vegetables, add those with longer cooking times first, and put others in later.What are the rules of sautéing?
Saute for 30 seconds on each side. Remove from the pan. Add more butter and oil if needed. Reheat pan for 30 seconds.What goes first onion or garlic?
Garlic cooks (and burns) quickly. As in very quickly. On the other hand, the onions need more time to cook, sweat, and become translucent. This vast difference in cooking times is why we suggest you add and cook the onions first before adding the garlic.The Order Of Ingredients On A Label Means More Than You Think
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Answer 2
Stewing is not sautéing. Stewing is very forgiving. Brown your meats. Cook your veg, add the meat and stock and simmer slow for 10-12 hours.
Boil and add potatoes at the last hour. Season with salt and pepper at the end so that you get the salt just right. Salt is the most important skill of a cook.
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