This little tip is welcome when cooking your food in a pan.
Tired of fried eggs that stick to the bottom of the pan, omelettes that won’t come off even with a spatula, or grilled vegetables that turn to mush when you serve them? Yes, getting a clean plating can be a challenge, especially with a stainless steel pan, but science can help you! All you need to do is apply a well-known principle to the letter and turn it into a handy little everyday tip.
This phenomenon relies on water, the keystone of the Leidenfrost effect, the scientific name for this phenomenon. To best apply it, start by heating your stainless steel pan. You can check if it is hot enough by pouring a few drops of water into it. If the water evaporates immediately, forming small drops that slide and bounce on the surface, it means that the pan has reached the ideal temperature for cooking without the food sticking. At this point, you can add a thin layer of oil. The oil, in addition to its role as a barrier, helps maintain this separation between the food and the surface of the pan.
The Leidenfrost effect occurs when the surface of the pan is much hotter than the boiling temperature of water. When drops of water are poured onto a hot enough pan, they do not evaporate immediately. Instead, they form small drops that dance and bounce on the surface, creating a thin layer of steam that acts as a cushion between the pan and the liquid. “Most foods have a high water content. If you place them on a very hot surface, the water in the area of contact with the pan will evaporate instantly, creating a thin layer of steam between the pan and the food, and this will prevent it from sticking,” confirmed Catalan researcher Carolina Ripollès Ávila this summer, interviewed by RAC 1 radio. This cushion of steam prevents the water from evaporating quickly and, by extension, prevents the food from sticking to the pan! When science turns to magic in the kitchen…
Whether it’s eggs, meat or vegetables, this technique allows you to cook serenely without fear of seeing your ingredients stick unpleasantly to the pan. The humidity naturally present in food creates an effect similar to that observed with water, thus helping to maintain this protective layer of steam. Be careful, for this trick to work; the use of fat remains crucial. Even with the Leidenfrost effect, oil plays an important role in preventing the water from escaping too quickly, which could otherwise cause sticking. In addition to being a valuable ally for your pan, oil also obviously contributes to the flavor and texture of the food you are cooking.