# i see pro-chefs..splashing hot cooking oil over cooking food with spoon..........



## boomchakabowwow (Mar 6, 2014)

you know the move.

searing food in grease..tilt pan, to pool up oil..take spoon and splash the cooking food with the oil..

why? does it cook the food differently? what does it do that is so different that simply flipping the food over?

i'm guessing there is a French word that describes this technique. i never do this as a home cook..should i learn it?


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## ecchef (Mar 6, 2014)

I think it's a Chinese technique.


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## ThEoRy (Mar 6, 2014)

Basting. It's not just oil, there's lots of butter involved.


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## boomchakabowwow (Mar 6, 2014)

ecchef said:


> I think it's a Chinese technique.


 Seriously? I'm Chinese. And apparently clueless.


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## Namaxy (Mar 6, 2014)

ThEoRy said:


> Basting. It's not just oil, there's lots of butter involved.



This. Good example is when you sous vide protein. Just before service cook on high heat with butter, thyme etc.


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## WildBoar (Mar 6, 2014)

It helps cook the product from the top as well, crisps the skin, etc. 350+ deg F oil poured overtop of you repeatedly will do that. I have seen it done while deep frying meats in the wok for Chinese dishes, and also for western-style pan frying..


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## jamaster14 (Mar 6, 2014)

boomchakabowwow said:


> you know the move.
> 
> searing food in grease..tilt pan, to pool up oil..take spoon and splash the cooking food with the oil..
> 
> ...



its referred to as basting....

the difference between basting and "just flipping it over" is that flipping it over would be applying much more heat. your getting the heat from the bottom of the pan as opposed to the heat of the oil and the butter. you've likely already flipped whatever meat over once, and this is just finishing it. crisping it up a bit and giving it a nice crust and added flavor.


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## skiajl6297 (Mar 6, 2014)

Great way to finish proteins in a pan, add butter, and flavor - and to caramelize the outside or a steak for example (including sides that don't touch pans). A little more flavor and crustiness is never a bad thing on a steak, particularly one cooked in a pan.


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## Fritzel (Mar 6, 2014)

It's called butter basting. It allows the flavor to soak all the way through the meat and also keeps it very moist.


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## boomchakabowwow (Mar 6, 2014)

i was hoping for a fancy french word..

haha.

maybe Le basting?
thanks..so it is a flavor vehicle, and crisp maker. got it.


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## jamaster14 (Mar 6, 2014)

boomchakabowwow said:


> i was hoping for a fancy french word..
> 
> haha.
> 
> ...



baste originates from the french word 'bastir' which means to build (in this case, flavor)


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## chefcomesback (Mar 6, 2014)

Baptise in butter is the term in my kitchen


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## longhorn (Mar 6, 2014)

In French this is called arroser (that being the infinitive form of the verb). It literally means to spray or to water, but can also be used as "to drink to" oddly enough.


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## tkern (Mar 6, 2014)

There is a term that I can't remember the spelling but is pronounced "P'wah lay"


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## Salty dog (Mar 6, 2014)

It's the cool thing that chefs do to make them cool looking. There is no other reason. Except they saw it on TV.

Sorry I have little respect for most of the DBs that call themselves cooks these days.

Yep I said that. Grow a pair.


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## jared08 (Mar 6, 2014)

Salty dog said:


> It's the cool thing that chefs do to make them cool looking. There is no other reason. Except they saw it on TV.
> 
> Sorry I have little respect for most of the DBs that call themselves cooks these days.
> 
> Yep I said that. Grow a pair.



Thats a rather bold statement.


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## Salty dog (Mar 7, 2014)

Hell yeah it is. (Yep, I got a buzz on) These tattoo'd beard wearing light weights can talk to me in 20 years.


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## ecchef (Mar 7, 2014)

boomchakabowwow said:


> Seriously? I'm Chinese. And apparently clueless.



No offense intended. I've only seen this done regularly with oil in Chinese cuisine, so I'm just guessing.

tkern... poêle.


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## ecchef (Mar 7, 2014)

Salty dog said:


> Hell yeah it is. (Yep, I got a buzz on) These tattoo'd beard wearing light weights can talk to me in 20 years.



+1 Scott.


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## Chuckles (Mar 7, 2014)

Good stuff. It is cool looking. And a great way to get your sleeve tattoo into the close up action shot. 


Kids these days. I tell ya. With the hair and the cloths. Don't get me started on that hippity hoppity music they're listening to anymore. 

:clown:


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## Bitter (Mar 7, 2014)

tkern said:


> There is a term that I can't remember the spelling but is pronounced "P'wah lay"



the spelling you can't remember is "poêler", for a french native this simply means pan frying a "poêle" just being a pan. It's funny how the meaning seems different in US. Yet I concur this is called "arroser" in french and i don't think this is odd use is to drink to as you basically water yourself although usually not with water


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## ChefCosta (Mar 9, 2014)

For me the basting part of pan searing does two things. Firstly it allows you to slow down and even out the cooking process. We start the cooking over high heat to create that great maillard reaction seared flavor. Then we lower the heat, add whole butter and baste. This way the butter browns but doesn't burn and the lower heat starts to even out the heat distribution which facilitates that crucial resting process that is so important to serving juicy, evenly cooked meat. I like Cast Iron for this. Secondly, it is a great opportunity to infuse your cooking fat with flavors that would scorch at the high heat required for searing. Whole garlic cloves, crushed but unpeeled, thyme branches, rosemary, bay leaves, black pepper, and spice blends like curry powder, ras al hanout, baharat, vadouvan, z'atar, or whatever you like are great for this part of the process. The lower heat blooms the perfume of the herbs and spices without scorching them. For me rubbing with the spices before searing tends to burn the spices and keep the meat from developing it's full flavor. As with all cooking processes it is all about heat control.


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## Johnny.B.Good (Mar 9, 2014)

Is this a good example of the technique we're talking about?

[video=youtube;AmC9SmCBUj4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmC9SmCBUj4[/video]


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## convis (Mar 9, 2014)

Bitter said:


> the spelling you can't remember is "poêler", for a french native this simply means pan frying a "poêle" just being a pan. It's funny how the meaning seems different in US. Yet I concur this is called "arroser" in french and i don't think this is odd use is to drink to as you basically water yourself although usually not with water



Not to argue with the current terminology, I know escoffier uses the term to denote cooking solely through basting.


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## jackslimpson (Mar 11, 2014)

To the OP's point: I ordered a whole steamed fish (cod) I think at a Canton Seafood place here in Houston (unfortunately, the restaurant is now closed). It was an eccentric little place, but the food was amazing. One of the better travelled of my friends said this place was spot on authentic in most of its dishes. Authentic or not, I ordered the whole steamed black cod with crispy skin. They wheeled out a cart with this fish on it, like it was a trophy. Then up ran a guy with boiling oil in a pot, while the waiter started spooning the hot oil onto the skin of the fish. Snap-crackle-pop was all I heard, while oil-shrapnel hit me in the face, and dotted my clothes. I wish I could describe the look on the waiters face -- a grimace of pain and pride. You could actually see the skin crisping and bubbling in some spots. You could hear some murmurs of worry from those close-by, as if they were witnessing something unreasonably dangerous. (they were). I wanted to say something, or dive out of the way, but it looked and smelled so good, I thought I'd take the heat. When he was done, he said something that only body language told me was something like "enjoy!". Well, enjoy I did. The fish was great, the skin was crispy, and smelled like toasted sesame oil (so did my jacket). The fish also had nice bits of meat in the cheeks, which were delicious. Easily, this was one of the best dishes I've ever had, and have the scars to prove it.

Cheers,

Jack


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## cheezit (Mar 11, 2014)

I'm not a professional cook, nor do I play one on television, but I baste my steaks all the time (four a week, at least), especially right before I throw it on a plate to rest. Can someone explain to me why what I'm doing is wrong and why it's something that is only done to be 'cool looking'? (looking at you Salty)


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## shankster (Mar 11, 2014)

Arroser...


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## WildBoar (Mar 11, 2014)

ChefCosta said:


> For me the basting part of pan searing does two things. Firstly it allows you to slow down and even out the cooking process. We start the cooking over high heat to create that great maillard reaction seared flavor. Then we lower the heat, add whole butter and baste. This way the butter browns but doesn't burn and the lower heat starts to even out the heat distribution which facilitates that crucial resting process that is so important to serving juicy, evenly cooked meat. I like Cast Iron for this. Secondly, it is a great opportunity to infuse your cooking fat with flavors that would scorch at the high heat required for searing. Whole garlic cloves, crushed but unpeeled, thyme branches, rosemary, bay leaves, black pepper, and spice blends like curry powder, ras al hanout, baharat, vadouvan, z'atar, or whatever you like are great for this part of the process. The lower heat blooms the perfume of the herbs and spices without scorching them. For me rubbing with the spices before searing tends to burn the spices and keep the meat from developing it's full flavor. As with all cooking processes it is all about heat control.


this post reminds me that my wife and I need to line up a sitter and hit Zaytinya for dinner sooner rather than later...


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## Sabong1 (Mar 11, 2014)

Salty dog said:


> Hell yeah it is. (Yep, I got a buzz on) These tattoo'd beard wearing light weights can talk to me in 20 years.



Haha... I'd be scared to eat their food for fear of finding facial hair in my food. 

The media had propelled some of these young chefs into stardom way too fast. 

Shoot I think that my chef instructor in culinary school should be on tv. Old school German Classic/euro trained Master Chef. These 2 words still haunt me to this day..."Schnell, Schnell!!!!"


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## JohnnyChance (Mar 11, 2014)

Johnny.B.Good said:


> Is this a good example of the technique we're talking about?



Basically, yes. I rolled my eyes at his teflon pan selection and using a bread knife as a slicer, but basically, yeah, that's it.



cheezit said:


> I'm not a professional cook, nor do I play one on television, but I baste my steaks all the time (four a week, at least), especially right before I throw it on a plate to rest. Can someone explain to me why what I'm doing is wrong and why it's something that is only done to be 'cool looking'? (looking at you Salty)



You aren't doing anything wrong. I think this method makes for a better steak. Frankly I don't understand the aversion to it or the association of it to young/tattooed/bearded chefs.


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## cheezit (Mar 11, 2014)

Johnny.B.Good said:


> Is this a good example of the technique we're talking about?
> 
> [video=youtube;AmC9SmCBUj4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmC9SmCBUj4[/video]



I know Gordon Ramsey can cook a steak, but they could [read: should] have showed the fruits of his labor. Otherwise you assume he botched the job


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## ChefCosta (Mar 12, 2014)

Thankya Wildboar! Drop me a PM anytime so I can make your reservation.


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## Sherski (Mar 24, 2014)

ecchef said:


> No offense intended. I've only seen this done regularly with oil in Chinese cuisine, so I'm just guessing.
> 
> tkern... poêle.



You can try this at home, it's really just 120ml of peanut oil and 30ml of sesame oil (there are different kinds of sesame oil, try to get your hands on toasted white sesame) brought up to just before it starts smoking. That amount is more than adequate for adorning a 1-2kg (2.2-4.5lbs) Red Snapper. But what makes the difference is if spring onions, thinly sliced ginger and thinly julienned red chillis are present on the fish so the aromats are shocked just enough to release what my mom would describe as one of the best smells in the universe.


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## Cookiemonster (Apr 2, 2014)

Johnny.B.Good said:


> Is this a good example of the technique we're talking about?
> 
> [video=youtube;AmC9SmCBUj4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmC9SmCBUj4[/video]



It is. But oh dear, cooking steaks in an non-stick pan and than cutting them with a bread knife :slaphead:


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## kungpao (Apr 6, 2014)

jackslimpson said:


> To the OP's point: I ordered a whole steamed fish (cod) I think at a Canton Seafood place here in Houston (unfortunately, the restaurant is now closed). It was an eccentric little place, but the food was amazing. One of the better travelled of my friends said this place was spot on authentic in most of its dishes. Authentic or not, I ordered the whole steamed black cod with crispy skin. They wheeled out a cart with this fish on it, like it was a trophy. Then up ran a guy with boiling oil in a pot, while the waiter started spooning the hot oil onto the skin of the fish. Snap-crackle-pop was all I heard, while oil-shrapnel hit me in the face, and dotted my clothes. I wish I could describe the look on the waiters face -- a grimace of pain and pride. You could actually see the skin crisping and bubbling in some spots. You could hear some murmurs of worry from those close-by, as if they were witnessing something unreasonably dangerous. (they were). I wanted to say something, or dive out of the way, but it looked and smelled so good, I thought I'd take the heat. When he was done, he said something that only body language told me was something like "enjoy!". Well, enjoy I did. The fish was great, the skin was crispy, and smelled like toasted sesame oil (so did my jacket). The fish also had nice bits of meat in the cheeks, which were delicious. Easily, this was one of the best dishes I've ever had, and have the scars to prove it.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Jack



I'm in Houston and I'm dying to know what restaurant this was!


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## jackslimpson (Apr 7, 2014)

kungpao said:


> I'm in Houston and I'm dying to know what restaurant this was!



It was Canton Seafood, in that strip center at Kirby and Richmond. It was where Kata Robata is now. The real consolation is that Kata Robata is a great sushi place. 

Cheers,

Jack


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