It’s time again for this Two Spoonfuls girl to get herself into the kitchen!

Today we’re going to explore the technique of Searing,

with some guidance from our culinary mentor, Alton Brown.

What is searing?

Searing is a method of cooking during which heat (usually high) is applied to a food’s surface, creating a flavorful brown crust on the outside.

Myth:

Searing “seals in flavors” or “seals in juices”. According to Alton, searing is a means of creating a delicious brown crust, but is not a way to seal anything in.

Need proof?  Check this out:

The best searing surface:

Cast Iron. There are many surfaces (copper, stainless steel, etc..) that can be used for searing. I’m calling Cast Iron the best one because it can get very hot, it provides even heating, it stays hot, it’s economical (I bought my cast iron pan at a hardware store, nothing fancy), and it also provides small amounts of dietary iron to foods cooked on it. The only maintenance a cast iron pan needs is to be seasoned or “cured” once a year with solid vegetable shortening, to seal it against rust.

What you’ll need:

Good air flow (there may be a little smoke.)

Some kind of splatter guard (there’s going to be some sizzling going on here.)

A pair of tongs for flipping.

A spray bottle of oil, or some Pam.

Salt for seasoning.

A flat surfaced food item to be seared.

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In I’m Just Here For The Food, Alton gives half a dozen recipes using his searing method.

Which is:

1. Decrease the difference in temperature between the pan and your ingredient

by setting your food on the counter up to 30 minutes before searing.

2. Don’t be afraid to get the pan hot.

3. Season your food with salt while your pan heats.

4. Have your mise-en-place ready, because the searing will go quickly.

5. Cook the nicest side of the food first – it will brown the quickest and look the best when flipped.

6. When you put the food in the pan – leave it alone. Don’t move it around.

7. If you’re searing meat, let it rest for 5 minutes under foil once it’s out of the pan.

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Last night I made dinner using Alton’s Seared Portobello Mushrooms* and my own Cheesy Polenta.

(* I really don’t want to make Mr. Brown angry, so I’m not going to copy his recipe here. I will tell you that the only ingredients are portobello mushroom caps, olive oil, salt and pepper, and that by using the searing method above, you too can re-create this easy and tasty dish.)

Searing sliced portobello for a nice golden brown.

Seared Portobello mushrooms with onions, Cheesy Polenta and side salad.

This dinner is easy to make and fairly economical.

Two portobello mushrooms were about $3.

I doubled the mushrooms so that I could have leftovers for a second dinner tonight.

After the mushrooms were done searing, I added chopped onions to the pan, with a sprinkle of salt, and cooked them until golden. The next time I make this dish, I’ll add chopped chive or parsley at the end – just for a little extra color.

For the polenta, I used approx. $0.35 worth of cornmeal from the grocery bulk section.

Polenta is a filling, inexpensive food that pairs nicely with many other foods.

Here’s a copy of my Easy Cheesy Polenta for you to download!

Now, how about we make something for dessert?