Wipe meats and fish before cooking
When you want to cook meat or fish, there's a very simple yet very important step to take before you even start: It's to dry, or wipe, each side of the meat or fish, sometimes called "dabbing" or "sponging".
But why? And how? Let me explain.
But why? And how? Let me explain.
9,330 4.5/5 (4 reviews)
Keywords for this post:CookingDryingDryingMeatFishKitchen towelPaper towelPaper towelLast modified on: April 14th 2024
Wipe meats and fish before cooking
When we're about to cook meat, we often take it out of the fridge, where it was wrapped in paper.
If it's been waiting a while, you've probably already noticed that it's moist, sometimes even almost wet, which is normal, as meat naturally exudes a little muscle fluid when it's resting.
The same goes for fish and scallops, which naturally become moist and slightly sticky when they wait a little too long before cooking.
This moisture isn't a problem in itself, but it can be a bit of a hindrance to cooking, because if you put the meat directly into the hot pan (for example), the moisture will, with the heat of the pan, create a little film of steam between the meat and the bottom (of the pan).
On the one hand, this film will reduce the cooking heat, thus increasing cooking time, but above all it will slow down caramelization (the famous Maillard reactions), and unfortunately your meat won't brown as well, and won't taste as good.
As you can see, it's no big deal, but the solution is so simple that it would be a shame to do without it: simply dry the meat well, dabbing it with a cloth or paper towel, before seasoning and cooking.
The same goes for fish and scallops: simply pat dry with kitchen paper before seasoning and cooking.
It's a reflex that restaurant chefs have: they systematically dry all their meats and fish before cooking them.
It's in our interest to follow their example...
To sum up: You should always dry meat or fish by dabbing it with a paper towel or tea towel before cooking, to ensure better cooking and coloring.
If it's been waiting a while, you've probably already noticed that it's moist, sometimes even almost wet, which is normal, as meat naturally exudes a little muscle fluid when it's resting.
The same goes for fish and scallops, which naturally become moist and slightly sticky when they wait a little too long before cooking.
This moisture isn't a problem in itself, but it can be a bit of a hindrance to cooking, because if you put the meat directly into the hot pan (for example), the moisture will, with the heat of the pan, create a little film of steam between the meat and the bottom (of the pan).
On the one hand, this film will reduce the cooking heat, thus increasing cooking time, but above all it will slow down caramelization (the famous Maillard reactions), and unfortunately your meat won't brown as well, and won't taste as good.
As you can see, it's no big deal, but the solution is so simple that it would be a shame to do without it: simply dry the meat well, dabbing it with a cloth or paper towel, before seasoning and cooking.
The same goes for fish and scallops: simply pat dry with kitchen paper before seasoning and cooking.
It's a reflex that restaurant chefs have: they systematically dry all their meats and fish before cooking them.
It's in our interest to follow their example...
To sum up: You should always dry meat or fish by dabbing it with a paper towel or tea towel before cooking, to ensure better cooking and coloring.
Lasts posts
XO Cognac Explained: Meaning, Aging, and Flavor Profile
XO Cognac always goes beyond the labels on the bottle: it is often associated with tradition and quality. You get to appreciate the artistry, character and ageing process when you understand what defines this smooth Cognac. The section below tackles everything about XO Cognac, from complex flavour...January 28th 2026795 Sponsored article
Butter vs. grease
We often read in a recipe where a pastry is put into a mould that, just before pouring, the mould should be buttered or greased. But what's the difference between these 2 terms?December 1st 20252,5405
Getting out of the fridge early
Very often when you're cooking, you need to take food or preparations out of the fridge, to use them in the recipe in progress. There's nothing tricky about this: you just take them out of the fridge and use them, usually immediately, in the recipe. But is this really a good method?November 24th 20251,6545
Who's making the croissants?
When you look at a bakery from the outside, you naturally think that in the bakery, the bakers make the bread, and in the laboratory, the pastry chefs make the cakes. It's very often like that, with each of these professions having quite different ways of working, but sometimes there's also one...November 23th 20251,495
Oven height
When we put a dish or cake in the oven, we naturally tend to put it on the middle shelf, and that's what we usually do. But in some cases, this position and height can be a little tricky, so let's find out why.October 8th 20254,9685
Other pages you may also like
The 3 kinds of meringue
Meringue – what could be simpler? Just beaten egg whites with sugar added. This makes a fairly stiff mixture which can then be cooked in a cool oven to create those lovely, light confections. But in the world of professional patisserie, meringue comes in three different kinds. Even if the...June 14th 201365 K4.5
The baker always gild twice
I've already told you about gilding, the beaten whole egg that is spread with a brush on anything that needs to brown in the oven: puff pastry, pastries, etc. and that professionals use a lot, I'm going to come back to this to clarify a bit how to do it, and give you a professional tip.June 9th 201936 K4.2
A few tips for effective kneading at home
When you have to knead dough for bread or some other recipe, you may well use a food processor or the type of machine known as a stand mixer. The best-known brands are Kenwood and KitchenAid. They are useful tools, but here are a few tips to help you get the best out of them.June 23th 2021285 K 23.8
Coarsely chopped herbs
Although we are in the middle of winter as I write these lines, you should not hesitate to make salads at this time, it is actually quite simple, rather fast, and so pleasant. A while ago, I already told you that a salad is a salad, but a salad with herbs is immediately something much better:...January 9th 202115 K4.9
How to avoid lumps
You've probably come across this unpleasant phenomenon where, when you try to incorporate an ingredient (usually a solid or powder) into a preparation (usually a liquid), the mixture doesn't mix properly and you end up with little "balls" or little lumps of the solid part that refuse to mix with the...October 9th 202023 K4.8
Post a comment or question
Follow this page
If you are interested in this page, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the page is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.