To cook quickly and lightly in as little oil as possible in a fry pan or skillet. Usually you are just trying to soften something.

Quickly fry vegetables or meat in a small amount of fat over moderate heat.

Fry in a Little Fat

to cook briefly in a small amount of fat in a skillet until soft and glossy.

Cook food quickly in a small amount of oil in open pan on top of stove. More delicate technique than frying.

To brown or cook in a small amount of fat (see fry).

saw-TAY] In French, saute means "to jump." That describes this method of cooking in which food is cooked quickly in a small amount of butter or oil. The food "jumps" as it is either rapidly stirred or shaken over heat.

To cook food quickly in a small amount of oil or other fat in a skillet or sauté pan.

To cook in a pan over very high heat using a very small amount of fat as the cooking medium. Pan-frying uses a similar process but the food is cooked in more fat.

Cooking on a stove in a small amount of oil or butter until tender.

fry briefly over high heat; "saute the onions"

fried quickly in a little fat

Essentially pan-frying with a very thin layer of oil or fat. Think mushrooms or vegetables.

to lightly and quickly fry foods in butter.

A term implying "tossing" or a brisk cooking process. The food is sauted or tossed in shallow fat by moving the pan quickly backward and forward on a high flame.

To fry in hot, shallow oil, tossing the food to prevent it from sticking.

To cook briskly in a small amount of fat, usually in a skillet on top of the stove. Same thing as pan-fry.

To cook and/or brown food in a small quantity of hot oil.

To cook food quickly in a small amount of fat or oil, until brown, in a skillet or saute pan over direct heat. The saute pan and fat must be hot before the food is added, otherwise the food will absorb oil and become soggy.

To cook food in a saute pan over direct heat with a little fat. The objective is to cook the food quickly and with enough space and movement to allow most of the excess moisture to evaporate. It's not a saute if the food is simmering in its own juices. By the way, saute means "jump" in French and is named for the tossing technique used to keep the food moving and evenly cooked.

To fry food lightly over fairly high heat in a small amount of fat in a shallow, open pan.

To cook and brown food in hot fat.

To cook food in a small amount of fat over moderate heat, with stirring to prevent it from sticking to the pan or burning.

To cook quickly in a very hot pan using a small amount of fat or oil. This technique requires that food to be turned over frequently to allow it to cook evenly. (In meat recipes, the term "sauté" means to cook by browning.) A professional chef will saute using a characteristic wrist and hand movement to "throw" the ingredients up into the air and have them land back in the pan on the other side. Home cooks can simply turn the pasta and vegetables frequently with a wooden spoon, so that all the food gets flavored by the oil, butter, or sauce in the pan, and all surfaces are covered by a golden crust.