How do I prevent burning when searing in batches?
Often, recipes require you to brown meat or pan sear meat. When working with large amounts, how do you prevent any of the bits that stick from burning?
A practical example: I marinaded chicken breast fillets with Chinese five spice. Whilest pan frying on a cast iron, pieces of chicken got stuck. Since I had to cook in multiple batches the pieces that got stuck eventually got burnt and ruined any possibility of using the fond (of course, you probably wouldn't use this fond, but this happens with beef too).
I want the cast iron to be hot for a nice browning but raising the temperature inevitably makes any stuck pieces of chicken burn even faster. Oil helps to a point but I don't want to use too much. Cleaning the cast iron becomes a pain because now there's charred patches that are rather hard to properly make out on the black surface. Any ideas?
Best Answer
Using slightly lower heat helps, but if you have several batches to do, mostly it's best to scrape/wipe out the pan between batches. I would not use cast iron in this case, as you point out, it is difficult to clean quickly. The fond can be scraped onto a plate and used at the end, alternately, the fond from the last batch can be used.
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Quick Answer about "How do I prevent burning when searing in batches?"
Add a touch of oil, and start the next batch. This will prevent fond from building up and burning without excessively cooling your cooking surface, and you get to keep the flavor.How do you sear without burning?
High temperatures are needed to get a truly caramelized, deep-brown sear on the surface of the meat. Use a stainless steel or a cast iron skillet for this kind of cooking; avoid nonstick skillets. Add a few teaspoons of vegetable oil (which has a higher smoke point) and set the pan set over high heat.How do you reduce smoke when searing?
Choose an oil with a higher smoke point than olive oil; go for canola, safflower, avocado or peanut oil. (See: 7 Common Cooking Oils and When to Use Them) Then, lightly coat your fish, meat, tofu or vegetables you plan to sear with oil instead of coating the pan.How do you stop cooking scorching?
Quick Tips to Avoid Burning Your FoodHow do you keep butter from burning when cooking steak?
Use a wooden spoon to keep stirring; this will help prevent the butter from burning. Remove the pan from the heat as soon as you see it is starting to burn. This means you also need to get the food straight out of the pan, as it will continue to cook with the residual heat in the pan.How To Perfectly Sear Anything Ft. ChefSteps
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Answer 2
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I find that when I'm searing anything in batches to avoid using cast iron as things tend to stick (unless the cast iron is "seasoned" and thus super non-stick!). I'll either use non-stick, or if I want to use the fond (for a soup or braise, etc.) I'll use an enameled cast iron dutch oven. If things get burn-y, the slicker surfaces are easier to wipe out too!
Answer 3
Add vinegar and use a spatula to scrape. Then, trow it away in a sink and carefully use a paper towel to remove excesss.
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