When to heat oil in dutch oven?
I have an enameled cast iron dutch oven. I thought the pamphlet that came with it said not to heat the cast iron dry -- I could be imagining things, though.
Part One
So, am I supposed to put the oil in the dutch oven and then put it on the (cold) stove and then turn on the stove to low heat and then to medium? If I do this, will the oil evaporate -- I thought I experienced that once?
Or am I supposed to preheat the dutch oven (starting on low and then going to medium) and then throw in the oil and heat it?
I'm asking this question because I don't want to ruin my le creuset french oven.
Part Two
And how do you know when the oil is hot enough? This recipe says until it is almost smoking, but how do you know when it is about to smoke? And don't all oils have different smoke points. This recipe calls for vegetable oil, which I assume can be canola.
Best Answer
Part one:
Yes, put oil in first then put on a low/med heat. Generally cast iron should be heated gently, depending on your stove it should probably take about 5 minutes to get to a good temperature. The oil shouldnt evaporate - I've never experienced this. As to the type of oil - I use various depending on circumstance vegetable or olive usually.
Part two:
I generally shake the pan gently - when the oil becomes more less viscous (more runny) then it is at a good temperature to start cooking. You can also put something like a small piece of onion or bread into the oil - if it starts bubbling and generally cooking then its good to go. Some people use a couple of drops of water to see when it spits but I dont like doing this partly due to the safety factor and also due to the fact itll splatter over the stove top.
It depends a little on what you are cooking - if you are looking to brown some meat for example you'd probably want it a little hotter than if you were just going to make vegetable soup.
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Quick Answer about "When to heat oil in dutch oven?"
Depending on the recipe, the oil typically needs to be heated to between 325-375°F. The best way to gauge this is with a deep fry or candy thermometer. Once the food is done, carefully remove the crunchy results from the hot oil safely without breaking the crispy crust.How long does it take to heat oil in Dutch oven?
Once you are within the 350 to 400-degree range, you can start frying. But what if you don't have a thermometer? If you are using medium heat on your Dutch oven, it should take around ten minutes for the oil to heat up. After ten minutes, you can then test the temperature of the oil.Should I preheat my Dutch oven?
Most no knead bread recipes call for preheating the Dutch oven while the oven heats up. Not only do we not recommend heating an empty Dutch oven, but it can be challenging to wrangle the wet dough carefully into an extremely hot pot. But we found that preheating is really not necessary to achieve a delicious loaf.How long should you heat oil before cooking?
Do not add oil, butter, meat or anything until that pan is properly heated. That should take a good 5 to 8 minutes.When should you heat oil?
Get your pan hot. Some cooks recommend heating the pan before putting oil in. Others put the oil into a cold pan and heat both together. Either way, you want to get both nice and hot before food goes in. If the oil isn't hot enough, the food will soak it up instead of sizzling in it, and it won't taste as good.Deep Frying at Home is a GREAT IDEA | A response to Adam Ragusea
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Answer 2
For sauteing, I think you should heat the pan dry over moderate heat, and then add the oil. Add whatever you are cooking as soon as the oil is hot, and then turn down the heat. That will avoid filling your kitchen with smoke, and preserve the quality of the oil until you are actually cooking.
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