Sauteeing Vegetables

[Texas Crude]

Let me preface this by saying that on 10 point experience scale, I'm somewhere between Cup-o-Soup and cheese crisps.

 

Last week I was staying at a hotel where they had a pasta station set up for lunch, where you choose your noodle, sauce, and about a dozen different vegetables and they sautee it right there for you in about 2 minutes.  I think this is a healthy meal I could get my kids to eat, but I can't figure out how to cook it!

 

We tried tonight, but it took much longer than the 3 minutes (closer to 15) and the vegetables were still too crunchy!  Does anyone know how to cook like those pasta station dudes do?  Does anyone even know what I'm talking about lol?

 

If you can help, I'd appreciate it (even more if you can explain in baby steps)!  They made it look so easy!

[Mjx]

When you sautee vegetables (or anything else), the pan has to be hot enough, and whatever you're sauteeeing has to be prepped to the right size, to achieve the right level of doneness, which will depend on both the specific ingredient, and you personal preferences. But a properly heated pan is a must.

[Darienne]

Interesting question and interesting answer.  So many recipes instruct that you saute the onions, or whatever, for 3 minutes before adding the next ingredient.  And I find that I am always sauteing the whatever for much longer before it gets to the correct point for adding the next ingredient.  This suggests that my pan is not hot enough when I start out.

Thanks.

[ahpadt]

Are you sure the veggies they had there weren't pre-cooked (blanched)?

[nickrey]

Interesting question and interesting answer.  So many recipes instruct that you saute the onions, or whatever, for 3 minutes before adding the next ingredient.  And I find that I am always sauteing the whatever for much longer before it gets to the correct point for adding the next ingredient.  This suggests that my pan is not hot enough when I start out.

Thanks.

It's heat. Commercial ranges sautee wonderfully well within three minutes. If you're using a home range, you'll need to adjust. See also Mjx's comment because it isn't going to work well if you have comparatively low heat and crowd the pan.

[weinoo]

Are you sure the veggies they had there weren't pre-cooked (blanched)?

I'd be pretty certain that most of the vegetables, especially stuff like carrots, asparagus, string beans, and even leafy greens were blanched and shocked.

 

What vegetables do you want to make your pasta with?

[ahpadt]

I'd be pretty certain that most of the vegetables, especially stuff like carrots, asparagus, string beans, and even leafy greens were blanched and shocked.

 

Depends on how you cut them, obviously. Sometimes when I make carbonara, I add thinly sliced leeks or asparagus when the bacon is nearly done.

[Anna N]

Sorry but I don't see how you can get raw vegetables to a crisp edible state in 3 mins without burning them (at home) unless you have made very fine brunoise. I'm betting with others that they were blanched and shocked. For the benefit of the OP that simply means bringing a large pot of water to a full boil, adding enough salt to make it taste just salty, cleaning and cutting the vegetables, putting them into the boiling water for from one-three minutes (depending on the vegetable- carrots will take longer than broccoli) then dropping them into a large pan of ice water to stop the cooking. You then want to drain them well, wick off as much moisture as possible with a towel and then quickly fry them in a hot pan with a little oil. They could even be pre-blanched, dried and stored, covered in the fridge before hand and fried at serving time.

[SobaAddict70]

Let me preface this by saying that on 10 point experience scale, I'm somewhere between Cup-o-Soup and cheese crisps.

 

Last week I was staying at a hotel where they had a pasta station set up for lunch, where you choose your noodle, sauce, and about a dozen different vegetables and they sautee it right there for you in about 2 minutes.  I think this is a healthy meal I could get my kids to eat, but I can't figure out how to cook it!

 

We tried tonight, but it took much longer than the 3 minutes (closer to 15) and the vegetables were still too crunchy!  Does anyone know how to cook like those pasta station dudes do?  Does anyone even know what I'm talking about lol?

 

If you can help, I'd appreciate it (even more if you can explain in baby steps)!  They made it look so easy!

In addition to what Anna said above, you'll need to make sure that the vegetables are all cut the same size. If they're cut (or chopped or diced) the same size, they'll all cook at the same rate.

[SobaAddict70]

I'm making sautéed greens tonight (rocket arugula and chard, to be specific); I can do a demo in baby steps    if you like.  Just kidding; there will be pix to accompany the post and I'll try to be detailed in the descriptions.  The recipe is infinitely adaptable to most vegetables.

[Anna N]

I'm making sautéed greens tonight (rocket arugula and chard, to be specific); I can do a demo in baby steps    if you like.  Just kidding; there will be pix to accompany the post and I'll try to be detailed in the descriptions.  The recipe is infinitely adaptable to most vegetables.

Brilliant. Tis why we exist. To help one another.

[Mjx]

In addition to what Anna said above, you'll need to make sure that the vegetables are all cut the same size. If they're cut (or chopped or diced) the same size, they'll all cook at the same rate.

 

I find that isn't the case, since something dense, like carrots, takes far longer too cook than something with a softer/looser structure, like mushrooms or bell pepper. Even if you're sauteeing just root vegetables, if you cut them all the same size, some will be far less cooked through than others (which is fine, if you're okay with that).

[SobaAddict70]

I find that isn't the case, since something dense, like carrots, takes far longer too cook than something with a softer/looser structure, like mushrooms or bell pepper. Even if you're sauteeing just root vegetables, if you cut them all the same size, some will be far less cooked through than others (which is fine, if you're okay with that).

I should have been more specific. When I wrote that, I assumed it was just one type of veg; that obvi doesn't hold true if it's a bunch of different veg. If it were a bunch of different veg, I'd probably start with the denser veg first, then add the rest at different times, ending with the least dense a few minutes prior to service.

I should also mention that when I prepare sautéed veg, I typically simmer them in lightly salted water for a few minutes, before sautéing. You'll see that later tonight.

ETA some recipes skip the simmer step and that's okay. You might need to adjust the total cooking time; the recipe (if you're following one) will mention for how long and when it's done.

Edited June 12, 2014 by SobaAddict70 (log)

[Mjx]

I should have been more specific. When I wrote that, I assumed it was just one type of veg; that obvi doesn't hold true if it's a bunch of different veg. If it were a bunch of different veg, I'd probably start with the denser veg first, then add the rest at different times, ending with the least dense a few minutes prior to service.

 

When you have an assortment of vegetables, do you ever steam or microwave some of the harder ones first?

[SobaAddict70]

When you have an assortment of vegetables, do you ever steam or microwave some of the harder ones first?

It depends on whatever it is I'm making.

Sometimes I'll dry-sauté, a technique common to Indian vegetable cooking where you cook the veg with very little liquid in the pan. In order to carry that off successfully, I usually prep the veg (like say for instance carrots), so that they're sliced as thinly as possible.

Other times, I'll simmer first, then sauté. When I do that, I'll prep each veg separately. For the purposes of this demo tonight, I'm keeping things simple so the OP and anyone else who's following along whose skills aren't "advanced" can relate.

I don't have a microwave (and even if I had access to one, I wouldn't use it).

Very occasionally, I will steam something like potatoes whole, then peel them and dice or slice them before sautéing.

Edited June 12, 2014 by SobaAddict70 (log)

[weinoo]

Or one can do the Chinese technique (or maybe it's not a Chinese technique?) by starting the sauté in a hot pan with a little oil or butter, adding a little liquid, covering the pan for 2 minutes and then finishing the sauté in the uncovered pan.

[Lisa Shock]

Don't forget that you can add the sauce to the veg and bring it up to a simmer before adding the pasta, or just serve poured over hot pasta, that will also help cook the vegetables.

 

It'd like to pint out that I make a dish that is similar, but steams the veg rather than sauteing. I use my bamboo steamer and put the veggies in it to steam over the pasta water. If you prep the steamer first, the veg can be warming up over the pre-heating pasta water, and they will be done before the pasta. I also put sauce in a pint canning jar in the steamer to heat up. One burner and very little fuss.

[quiet1]

Don't forget that you can add the sauce to the veg and bring it up to a simmer before adding the pasta, or just serve poured over hot pasta, that will also help cook the vegetables.

 

It'd like to pint out that I make a dish that is similar, but steams the veg rather than sauteing. I use my bamboo steamer and put the veggies in it to steam over the pasta water. If you prep the steamer first, the veg can be warming up over the pre-heating pasta water, and they will be done before the pasta. I also put sauce in a pint canning jar in the steamer to heat up. One burner and very little fuss.

Okay, the steamer canning jar trick is a good one, I'm stealing that.

[Texas Crude]

Wow -- thanks for all of the replies!  It sounds like I have 2 solutions to explore

 

1)  Get a hotter pan.  We have a calphalon pan which my wife told me can't be used with high heats, so I only used it at medium on the electric range.

 

2)  Pre-boil (shock / blanche) the vegetables to get em' soft... then really just use the sautee pan to heat em' up.

 

As a reference, this is the video I was basing everything off of (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFslUauyGDY).  It doesn't look like anything is precooked -- would you agree with this?  Is it really just a matter of getting a hotter pan, or am I over simplifying this?

 

Obviously the pasta is pre boiled, but I'd guess he took it out of the water a few minutes before it would otherwise have been done?  These guys make it look so easy!

[weinoo]

Do me a favor - don't watch commercials to learn how to cook.  

 

You're better of watching Cookin' with Coolio.

 

Seriously, read eG, take a beginner's cooking class, buy a good book about techniques, and go to town.

[Texas Crude]

Do me a favor - don't watch commercials to learn how to cook.  

 

You're better of watching Cookin' with Coolio.

 

Seriously, read eG, take a beginner's cooking class, buy a good book about techniques, and go to town.

 

 

Is it the same Coolio that sang "Gangsta's Paradise"?!?  I remember they played that at my 7th grade dance -- first time I danced with a girl!

[quiet1]

Wow -- thanks for all of the replies!  It sounds like I have 2 solutions to explore

 

1)  Get a hotter pan.  We have a calphalon pan which my wife told me can't be used with high heats, so I only used it at medium on the electric range.

 

2)  Pre-boil (shock / blanche) the vegetables to get em' soft... then really just use the sautee pan to heat em' up.

 

As a reference, this is the video I was basing everything off of (

).  It doesn't look like anything is precooked -- would you agree with this?  Is it really just a matter of getting a hotter pan, or am I over simplifying this?

 

Obviously the pasta is pre boiled, but I'd guess he took it out of the water a few minutes before it would otherwise have been done?  These guys make it look so easy!

I agree about not trying to learn from a commercial, but one thing you can see there since you looked at it anyway - the onions looked to be much more finely chopped than the peppers. Also, he said the unit he was using has 100 heat settings and he was on 90+ every time the camera showed the display with a number, so that is probably not medium. I'm going to guess that in that finished dish the onions were fine enough to have somewhat softened and lost the raw taste, the shrimp heated, and the peppers still had some crunch. Plus the sauce was being held warmed. So you need to be sure your expectations fit what you can actually do. You aren't going to go from raw or near raw to softened and nicely browned vegetables with that lovely sweetness you get from slower cooking in 3 minutes. In my experience eating from pasta stations, a lot of the flavor is coming from the sauce they add, which has taken longer to prepare and had time to develop flavors.

[SobaAddict70]

This isn't the only way to make sautéed greens, but it's the method I rely on most often.

Besides arugula and chard, you can use the technique with spinach, broccoli rabe, escarole, chicory and cauliflower, for example.

Have a bowl of ice water (not shown) at the ready. That should be your first step, so once the veg is done, you can shock it without too much of a delay.



This is a Dutch oven with a little over a quart of lightly salted water that's being brought to a boil. By "lightly salted", I mean just enough sea salt so that when you taste the water, it's slightly salty. I'm omitting exact measurements here because everyone's taste is different. The best way for you to determine what's right is to taste as you go. I probably used about 1 tablespoon sea salt.

Once the water has started to boil, add your greens.



This is about half a head of green chard and half a large bunch of rocket arugula that have been trimmed. Simmer for 3-4 minutes...



...until the greens have softened considerably. I could have cooked them longer than this, but I like my greens to have a bit of color.

Transfer the greens with a slotted spoon to your bowl of ice water.



Soak the greens for about a minute, then drain the bowl and squeeze out as much water as you can from the cooked greens.



Chop the greens coarsely. By "coarsely", I mean that "roughly" (the opposite of "finely chopped"). It should look something like this:



Next, take a garlic clove and lay it underneath your knife or cleaver...



...place your hand flat against the blade (or you can do like I did); the point is you're going to use the pressure provided by the heel of your palm to crush the garlic clove so that the peel becomes loose. At top right, you can see a clove I've already peeled using this method. Takes less than 10 seconds to do.





Once the peel comes off, chop the garlic coarsely. Depending on the size of the garlic cloves, you should end up with anywhere from 1-2 tablespoons of rough-chopped garlic.

Add about 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil to a cold pan. Add the garlic. Warm the oil in the pan over medium heat. If you do it this way instead of adding the garlic to already heated oil, the garlic will infuse the oil with its flavor. Note the size of the pieces. That's what I mean by "rough" or "coarsely" chopped.



You'll be frying the garlic until it begins to turn a pale gold.



This is about right. If you go past this point, you run the risk of burning the garlic which will make it bitter.



You can totally skip this step and it will be okay. I added 1 anchovy fillet to the pan. The anchovy will disintegrate after about a minute and become part of the sauce. When you're acting as a chef and a food photographer without help, some things will slip by the wayside. I probably overcooked the garlic a tad, but that's okay, y'all aren't eating my cooking.  ]

If you want to omit the anchovy, add the greens immediately once the garlic has turned color. On the other hand, if you decide to add the anchovy, mash the anchovy fillet with the back of a wooden spoon or spatula, then add the greens once the anchovy has disintegrated, about 30 to 40 seconds.



Season to taste with a little salt and pepper.

Sauté the greens until they're cooked through, about 3-4 minutes.

Remove from heat, then serve at once. Drizzle each serving with a little extra-virgin olive oil if you like.





Sautéed arugula and chard, with garlic and anchovy

Time: About 35-40 minutes, including prep. I typically overestimate the time needed in the event someone is less dexterous in the kitchen. Also, if you have help, it doesn't take as long.

[Texas Crude]

This isn't the only way to make sautéed greens, but it's the method I rely on most often.

Besides arugula and chard, you can use the technique with spinach, broccoli rabe, escarole, chicory and cauliflower, for example.

Have a bowl of ice water (not shown) at the ready. That should be your first step, so once the veg is done, you can shock it without too much of a delay.

This is a Dutch oven with a little over a quart of lightly salted water that's being brought to a boil. By "lightly salted", I mean just enough sea salt so that when you taste the water, it's slightly salty. I'm omitting exact measurements here because everyone's taste is different. The best way for you to determine what's right is to taste as you go. I probably used about 1 tablespoon sea salt.

Once the water has started to boil, add your greens.

This is about half a head of green chard and half a large bunch of rocket arugula that have been trimmed. Simmer for 3-4 minutes...

...until the greens have softened considerably. I could have cooked them longer than this, but I like my greens to have a bit of color.

Transfer the greens with a slotted spoon to your bowl of ice water.

Soak the greens for about a minute, then drain the bowl and squeeze out as much water as you can from the cooked greens.

Chop the greens coarsely. By "coarsely", I mean that "roughly" (the opposite of "finely chopped"). It should look something like this:

Next, take a garlic clove and lay it underneath your knife or cleaver...

...place your hand flat against the blade (or you can do like I did); the point is you're going to use the pressure provided by the heel of your palm to crush the garlic clove so that the peel becomes loose. At top right, you can see a clove I've already peeled using this method. Takes less than 10 seconds to do.

Once the peel comes off, chop the garlic coarsely. Depending on the size of the garlic cloves, you should end up with anywhere from 1-2 tablespoons of rough-chopped garlic.

Add about 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil to a cold pan. Add the garlic. Warm the oil in the pan over medium heat. If you do it this way instead of adding the garlic to already heated oil, the garlic will infuse the oil with its flavor. Note the size of the pieces. That's what I mean by "rough" or "coarsely" chopped.

You'll be frying the garlic until it begins to turn a pale gold.

This is about right. If you go past this point, you run the risk of burning the garlic which will make it bitter.

You can totally skip this step and it will be okay. I added 1 anchovy fillet to the pan. The anchovy will disintegrate after about a minute and become part of the sauce. When you're acting as a chef and a food photographer without help, some things will slip by the wayside. I probably overcooked the garlic a tad, but that's okay, y'all aren't eating my cooking.  ]

If you want to omit the anchovy, add the greens immediately once the garlic has turned color. On the other hand, if you decide to add the anchovy, mash the anchovy fillet with the back of a wooden spoon or spatula, then add the greens once the anchovy has disintegrated, about 30 to 40 seconds.

Season to taste with a little salt and pepper.

Sauté the greens until they're cooked through, about 3-4 minutes.

Remove from heat, then serve at once. Drizzle each serving with a little extra-virgin olive oil if you like.

Sautéed arugula and chard, with garlic and anchovy

Time: About 35-40 minutes, including prep. I typically overestimate the time needed in the event someone is less dexterous in the kitchen. Also, if you have help, it doesn't take as long.

 

I'm going to give this a try this weekend -- thank you very much!

 

Follow up question -- do you think the places like pasta stations and stir fry shops pre-cook their broccoli and carrots in a similar fashion to your first steps, or do they really manage to Wok them up in just a few minutes?

 

Trying to decide how much advance prep I need to do vs on the spot cooking.

[gfweb]

Nice demo Soba!

For me, I'd more finely dice the garlic and get less color on them. I despise burned garlic.

 

Tex, I can't imagine that the veg at a pasta station isn't par(tially) cooked. Esp broccoli which is so fluffy only a small part of it actually touches the pan.