Handbook of Kitchen Management
Table of Contents
- Preface
- A Guide to Kitchen Hygiene
- A Guide to Kitchen Ergonomics
- Work Must Be Economical
- A Guide to Cookware
- Prevent Food from Sticking to Cookware
- A Guide to Food Packaging
- A Guide to Food Containers
- A Guide to Kitchen Knives
- A Guide to Cutting techniques
- A Guide to Sharpening Knives
- A Guide to Cutting Boards
- A Guide to Washing Food
- What's Next?
Prevent Food from Sticking to Cookware
The trait of being non-sticky is often a deal maker when buying cookware. The alternatives to non stick cookware do not score well in the area of non-stickiness. However, there are some tips and tricks to reduce stickiness in metal and alloy utensils. These tips are purely from experience and can be used individually or in combination with each other.
- Oil the food first
- Pre-season the pan
- Add food before the oil heats up
Oil the food first
If you are frying food such as fish, meat or potatoes, add a teaspoon of oil to them and mix them right before frying. This will coat them with a thin layer of oil that will prevent hard sticking to the pan. Also, a quick jiggle of the food on first contact with the pan will further decrease the chances of sticking.
Pre-season the utensils
Utensils pre-seasoned with oil will have near non-sticky properties out of the box. Some utensil like cast iron pans and pots already come pre-seasoned. Others can be seasons after every wash as follows.
- Heat the pan till the water vaporises.
- Add a few drops of oil to the pan.
- Rub it all over the surface using a clean cotton cloth.
- Continue heating the pan by tilting and rotating the pan for consistency until the oil smokes and dries.
- Turn off the burner and let the pan cool down. The pan will now have a shiny surface with good enough non-sticky properties for cooking.
- Repeat the process after every wash if required.
Add food before the oil heats
If you are cooking something that does not require high heat at contact point, place the food on the pan while the oils heats up. Jiggle the food furthermore and you would have almost eliminated the stickiness of the utensil. This is similar to the first process discussed, in the sense that food is coated with a layer of oil before it actually starts cooking/frying.
Corrections?
We base our writings on science and reasoning, but we could be victims of cognitive biases whilst doing our research. If there are any inaccuracies in our writings, please do let us know.