The pan-flipping trick thingy

[Fat Guy]

One day recently I decided to take twenty minutes out of my busy schedule (I believe this particular block of time came directly out of my afternoon nap) to master the technique of stirring/flipping stuff around in a pan through wrist-action rather than with the aid of a spoon, spatula, or related tool.

OH MY GOD. What was I waiting for? This is such an easy thing to do -- if you need the whole twenty minutes to master it, well, I don't want to insult anybody, but I'd be surprised -- I can't believe I didn't bother to get with the program sooner.

Not only is this method exceptionally convenient, it actually flips the stuff better than a spatula. The semi-random action statistically seems to net out to a situation where every piece in the pan gets pretty equal treatment on all sides.

To get this down, experiment with some sort of cheap, non-messy ingredient someplace where a spill won't matter -- like on your countertop over a cutting board; no need for an actual stove at this point. Start by pushing and pulling the pan away from and towards you without doing any flipping. Note the speed necessary to get the ingredients moving just so they don't spill over the edge. Now, when you're ready to make it happen, just push a little more quickly and, just as the stuff is about to fly up and out of the pan, do an immediate reversal of the pan's direction. This will cause the stuff to go upwards and back into the pan. Voila. There is really very little risk of losing any stuff once you get this right.

[mynamejoe]

Next lesson is to keep two pans going at the same time, grasshopper. Only then can you leave the temple.

A good thing to practice with is dry toasted bread.

edited to add some actually useful info to this post

[tommy]

i actually tried this early on in my culinary career, mostly to impress mrs. tommy. much to my surprise, it worked! it's simply one of the coolest and bestest things you can do with your wrist...in mixed company.

[mynamejoe]

The most important part about knowing how to do this is mastering the look of nonchalance while flipping things. Makes it look even more impressive. I had a member of a country club I once worked at ask me in awe "how do you do that", while I was flipping omelets. I told her that you had to know in your mind that the omelet would land back in the pan before you flipped. The zen of it was apparently beyond her, and she walked away looking very confused. It was a smart-ass thing to say, but it's true.

[nyfirepatrolchef]

for some inexplicable reason I got into thehabit or felt the need to tip the pan down on the *push* stroke and up on the *pull* stroke. Seems to make it easier for me to keep more of the stuff in the pan.

[Oreganought]

Flipping Stunts

Here are some entertaining flipping stunts that may be used to liven up an otherwise monotonous career choice.

The simple flip: this, of course, is simply flipping the food contained within the saute pan, off the pan's outer rim (furthest from the handle), and hopefully having all its contents land back within the pan's outer rims. Seen as impressive by most, but mere child's play to a true saute cook.

The reverse-simple flip: a slight variation of the simple flip, only the food is flipped off the inner edge nearest the handle. However, this is not the common flip for most American saute cooks, and is mostly seen in Chinese Wok cooking, but don't quote me on that. For all I know it could be one of those unusual lefty things. I'm right handed, myself.

The double flip: the simple flip performed simultaneously with saute pans in both hands.

The double-switch flip: complicated, but unbelievably easy if practiced enough. There are two ways to perform this method. The first method involves flipping both pan's contents into the air, and simply crossing the now empty pans before their contents return back down again. The second method is much harder: this involves actually crossing the pan's contents without actually switching either pan, and hoping the two pan's contents do not collide in mid-air before landing gracefully into each adjacent pan. This is very hard.

WARNING: learning this trick may not be good for your kitchen's food cost [3]. Attempt this trick at your own discretion, or if you just hit the lottery, and plan to quit anyway.

The triple flip: this is performed with two pans in one hand, and a single pan in the other. The simple flip is used for all hands involved.

Note: it is always best to have your dominant hand hold the pair of pans, while your least dominant hand holds the remaining one.

The etcetera flip: done with four or more saute pans. As the number of pans increases, it will become more difficult. If anyone says that they can flip four or more pans, they are either ambidextrous and really good; have a friend helping them out; or they're, most likely, lying. Take your pick.

The "accidentally flipping it onto the floor and then picking it back up again" flip: just kidding folks! Kitchen people would never dream of doing such a cruel and unsanitary thing. Unless we're really, really super weeded [4]. No, not really. I'm kidding again

[Fat Guy]

Excellent taxonomy of flips. Thank you.

I never know which topics are going to bring out the wildest responses. I was watching the new topics yesterday and thought for sure we had a 300-post thread coming up with the favorite-Chinese-food-takeout-containers thread, but so far not much. This one, I figured it was just going to be an announcement by me, with maybe Bigbear saying "welcome." Amazing place this eGullet.

[cakewalk]

But can you flip in time to music? And if so, which music is best?

[Varmint]

But can you flip in time to music? And if so, which music is best?

Based on Tommy's comment above about his use of his wrist, I'd fathom a guess that his choice of music would be "Turning Japanese" by the Vapors.

[Suzanne F]

In restaurant school, the first "flip" we did was fried eggs. My chef-instructor watched me, and told me to flip it. And again. And again. And again, UNTIL HE TOLD ME TO STOP -- and then he left the kitchen. I cursed his name, but after a few minutes, I could do it (same egg, btw). Once you master it, you'll never want to stop! Even more thrilling than a perfect brunoise.

[=Mark]

While attending a cooking demonstration a few years ago the chef said that in his opinion the best ingredient to use to practice the saute flip was Cheerios dry cereal.

[mynamejoe]

While attending a cooking demonstration a few years ago the chef said that in his opinion the best ingredient to use to practice the saute flip was Cheerios dry cereal.

Sounds like that would work better than toast.

Those of you that haven't mastered this yet, don't feel too bad. I took a job at a newly-opened German restaurant a couple of years ago. The guy that they had hired as sous chef couldn't do the pan-flipping trick thingy. Then, the chef I had formerly worked for (an incredibly talented man) came by and worked with us for a couple of days while his country club kitchen was closed. Sous chef sees him doing the pan flip, and is inspired to teach himself. We spent weeks cleaning up errant bits of food from behind the stove.

[Jinmyo]

I was first taught to do this with a dice of onions in olive oil in a fairly full 12" skillet. I advise anyone learning this to use a piece of toast and then work up to dry beans.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

mynamejoe posted on Jul 25 2002, 12:25 AM

The most important part about knowing how to do this is mastering the look of nonchalance while flipping things. Makes it look even more impressive. I had a member of a country club I once worked at ask me in awe "how do you do that", while I was flipping omelets. I told her that you had to know in your mind that the omelet would land back in the pan before you flipped. The zen of it was apparently beyond her, and she walked away looking very confused. It was a smart-ass thing to say, but it's true.

I don't think the casual reader appreciates the absolute truth of your post. Pan-flipping, along with turning baked goods from their pans and unmoulding both hot and chilled foods requires more "Little Engine that Could" attitude than it does expertise.

[nyfirepatrolchef]

if Im cooking in my own kitchen...theres music...I try to keep in time to Scottish Pipes & Drums or USMarine Corps Cadence tapes.

[Jinmyo]

Just bringing this thread up from the depths.

[Chad]

I taught myself the pan flip trick thingy. I refer to it as my cool chef move . I have discovered, however, that some pans are much better than others for the trick. A 12" Lodge cast iron pan, for instance, will nearly break your wrist trying it one-handed.

Sloped sides help some, too. I've found that the high, straight sides of a 5qt saute pan don't help as much as the sloped sides of a similarly sized fry pan.

Alton Brown in his book recommends putting 10 black beans and one white bean in a pan and practicing flipping until you can control exactly where in the pan the white bean will land. I have not progressed that far yet.

Chad

[Peter B Wolf]

Six inch round Tupper-Ware lids or the removed tin lids from Coffee cans work well and easy.

Please note: with the Tupper-Ware lids: NO heat needed

Edited August 30, 2003 by Peter B Wolf (log)

[elyse]

My first was a mirepoix. I was a hostess in a restaurant in Providence, and the cook wanted to test me (probably to make me look silly). I lost nothing from the pan in two flips, and then continued my duties.

[oraklet]

Just bringing this thread up from the depths.

what made you do it? how did you find it?

[KateW]

One thing I never mastered at Ruby Tuesday was putting chicken tenders in a bowl of whatever sauce you wanted them coated in, and with one hand, holding the bowl and using that "push/pull" technique. I could do it ok with two hands, and not very well at all with one hand.

I try to do it with a pan with semi-better results. I'm working on it

[tommy]

Just bringing this thread up from the depths.

what made you do it? how did you find it?

jinymo knows all. it's tucked away somewhere, and that's just what it is. enjoy.

[elyse]

Kate, I personally find it much more difficult to do it with a bowl full of slippery stuff than a pan.

[fifi]

This is something I have always wanted to learn to do. I have some black beans and intend to work on this while trapped by a tropical storm. Thanks, Jin, for bringing this back up to the top.

[Jinmyo]

You're welcome, fifi.

It's an easy and useful little trick. And because it can give one a good sense of confidence can actually improve one's cooking.

oraklet, I was down in the depths and there it was. And what I've said just above is why I did it.