Yahoo Lifestyle How to Make Any Pan a Nonstick Pan, According to a Chef
One of the great things about cooking is that you're always learning. New-to-you recipes, ingredients and techniques can help make what comes out of your kitchen more delicious and make you a more efficient, effective cook.
Luckily, most cooks—amateurs and pros alike—love to share their favorite tips, tricks and hacks. And we were reminded of that fact when we sat down with Emmy-winning journalist, talk show host and author Tamron Hall. Our chat focused on her cookbook, A Confident Cook: Recipes for Joyous, No-Pressure Fun in the Kitchen, which she wrote with her dear friend (and pro chef) Lish Steiling.
The book is packed with great recipes, of course, but we also loved that it includes what is essentially a transcript of some of the cooking conversations between Hall and Steiling. The book really reflects the back-and-forth, in-the-moment kitchen conversations between a novice home cook and a pro—and Hall asks lots of questions that many home cooks have. The book is packed with lots of valuable info, but one of the best tips that we picked up from the book was a note about how to make sure any skillet you're cooking in is non-stick (even if it's not a nonstick pan).
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How to Make Any Pan a Nonstick Pan, According to a Chef
During our conversation, we asked Hall about any light bulb moments that happened during the making of the book and she called out this nonstick pan trick.
"Hot pan, hot oil," said Hall. "You heat your pan and then you put in your fat and it instantly turns the pan into a nonstick. "If you would like to buy a nonstick, go for it. But the reality is you don't need to. Just heat your pan, add the oil, feel that heat pouring off the hot fat and there it is. Put in your chicken or whatever you're preparing. That was a big moment for me."
Previously, Hall mentioned that she'd often add the oil to a cold pan and then turn on the heat—and potentially get distracted and end up with a pan of smoking hot oil on the stove. We can relate to that!
This topic comes up in the cookbook as well, where the conversation between Hall and Steiling is written down, Q&A style, so readers can come back to it as needed.
"Tamron: You keep saying that I have to heat my pan and then heat the oil for another 30 seconds. Why is that?
Lish: Rule of thumb is hot pan, hot oil, then the ingredients. This not only ensures that fabulous sizzle when things hit the pan, but it prevents items from sticking. You want to make sure your pan and oil are hot and your ingredients are dry. Voila, no sticking."
As we read through the book, we noticed that "hot pan, hot oil" was repeated in many recipes, helping to drive the point home. It's an easy-to-remember cooking tip that can be applied to so many dishes—eggs, chicken, fish, pork chops—and a great reminder that sharing your kitchen knowledge helps make everyone's cooking that much better.
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