One of the top ways to eat healthier is to cook without oil. Whether you’re interested in doing it for health reasons—like reducing fat intake—or you're just looking for a challenge to start the new year off, it's easier to do than you might think according to Chef Yara Herrera, a New York City-based chef.
Chef Herrera began cooking this way when her mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. “It really affected the way she ate, and it really made me go crazy over how much oil was in certain things in the store.”
Chef Herrera mentioned that cooking with oil is traditional, but perhaps not necessarily correct. “It’s the same way of thinking that every French chef has to be a white male and wear the white toque,” she laughs. “Cooking without oil is a challenge, it’s exciting, and it’s delicious if you know how to do it correctly.” Here's how.
Sautéing & Stir Frying
“People think that when you sauté something, you have to have oil,” Chef Herrera says, “but this isn’t necessarily true.” Instead, Chef recommends using a really great Non Stick Saute Pan, and substituting the oil for either stock or water.
Because you need some sort of liquid agent, the stock or water are a fine substitute when using a non stick pan, as you don’t have to worry about your food sticking to the pan. Just add a tablespoon or two of stock or water to your saute pan to add flavor and moisture for the veggies to cook in.
Similarly, the same technique applies for a stir fry. “If you’re making fried rice,” Chef says, “you can add stock instead of oil, and get a nice crisp on your rice and add a ton of flavor without oil.”
Caramelizing
“Caramelizing can happen without oil,” Chef Herrera says, “it’ll just take a little longer.” For example, if you're cooking onions using non stick cookware, it will naturally start to sweat, and release its moisture into the pan. Over time and with frequent turning, they (and any other veg you're working with) will start to brown, and there will be leftover browned bits (also called fond) that you can deglaze from the pan to add a ton of flavor.
“It requires you watch it a little more, but you’ll end up with a better result and better culinary instincts, too,” she says.
Browning
“When you’re browning something without oil, the star of the show is one-hundred percent the pan,” Chef Herrera says. “You need a really good non stick pan if you want to accomplish this.”
“For example, if you wanted to pan fry something breaded, most of the time, people use oil,” Chef says. “But instead, we’ll use a non stick frying pan and end up with a similar result.”
In order to achieve a good browning, Chef uses a wetter breading and different binding agents like eggs or an egg substitute (if you’re vegan).
Use the Right Tools
Using the right tools like the right size pan when cooking—with or without oil—is essential. If you're unsure what this looks like, we (and Chef Herrera) recommend starting with a medium-sized 10" frying pan, as this is typically large enough to accommodate a wide number of methods and ingredients. Chef Herrera says using the right pan is "really helpful, because you can move whatever you’re trying to brown around the pan in order to apply consistent and high heat.”
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