Though it’s less dense than liquid water and
so makes less frequent contact with the food,
steam compensates for this loss in efficiency
with a gain in energy. It takes a large amount
of energy to turn liquid water into a gas, and
conversely gaseous water releases that same
large amount of energy when it condenses
onto a cooler object. So molecules of steam
don’t just impart their energy of motion to the
food; they impart their energy of vaporization
also. This means that steaming does an
especially quick job of bringing the surface of
the food up to the boiling point, and an
effective job of keeping it there.
Pan-Frying and Sautéing: Conduction
Frying and sautéing are methods that heat
foods for the most part by conduction from a
hot, oiled pan, with temperatures between 350
and 450ºF/175–225ºC that encourage Maillard
browning and flavor development. The fat or