Is it normal that i fry foods using the highest setting on the stove?

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2 Comments

I start with the stove as hot as it will get to sear my food on the outside, then lower the temperature to cook it through. My grandmother is furious with me because I have turned my skillet black(it's a cheap one from a big box store, so it's basically disposable - she's just angry on principle). I thought that was how it was done. Am I crazy? Why does the flame go that high if I can't use it like that?

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77% Normal
Based on 75 votes (58 yes)
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Comments ( 2 )
  • Terence_the_viking
    11 years ago

    Bed of flames.

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  • dappled
    11 years ago

    Depends what you are cooking. If you're cooking something that could potentially dry out (i.e. meat) then searing it first keeps the moisture in when you then lower the temperature so, yeah, you're doing it right.

    You wouldn't necessarily cook everything that way, though. For instance, sausages. You actually want them to lose moisture (or particularly, fat) and you have to be careful not to burn them.

    Also, you may want something to be seared but remain uncooked in the middle (Ahi tuna springs to mind), so you would flash fry that at the highest heat for a matter of seconds.

    All depends on how you want something to be cooked. I don't eat meat and very rarely feel the need to fry things. But if I'm making a vegetable curry, it tends to be on a low heat and each vegetable and spice gets added at different times (they have different cooking times), and you also quickly get to a point where you add water/sauce, so you're technically not frying any more.

    If you're enjoying your food the way you are cooking it, I don't see the problem. The speed/heat you fry something is purely to make it taste good.

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