Culinary Technique – Pan Frying or Stir-frying

Vegetables can be cooked in a pan, in the oven or using a wok. We use butter, olive oil or other types of oil as cooking fat. A wok allows us to cook our vegetables very quickly at very high temperatures, so they remain crunchy. This is actually also possible using a regular pan, but it’s more difficult to stir-fry the food unless the pan is deep, like a sauté pan. Before stir-frying, the vegetables should be chopped into small pieces so they can cook quickly and stay juicy. Pan cooking is not the same as browning. You can or brown your vegetables by quickly searing them in cooking fat, and then incorporate them into your recipe. Browning modifies taste: carrots become a bit sweeter, onions are glazed and the flavour they bring to each preparation is enhanced.