Frying Pan
One of the most commonly used items of cookware, the frying pan covers a wide range of utilities; it is great for simply browning food or for frying and searing too. The traditional flat frying pan has flared sides and is completely lidless; however, modern culinary practice sometimes adds a lid for the preparation of certain dishes, but on such occasions we are no longer talking about a frying pan but about a sauté pan.
Traditionally made of cast iron, the modern frying pan is presently manufactured of special materials such as stainless steel. Aluminum and Teflon are two other special combinations that are used for the making of the best frying pan models; the structure is incredibly important owing to the fact that it has to accumulate and spread heat evenly ensuring proper cooking.
Though it may seem one of the easiest types of cooking, frying may also require skill for the making of certain exquisite dishes. First of all, the quality of the food very much depends on the features of the frying pan: how well does it conduct heat? Then, how much oil should there be added in the frying pan? Cast iron models are known to cook very well, particularly since they are usually really non-stick. As for the amount of vegetable oil, there are a few tricks about the functions of this fatty layer.
The oil layer in the frying pan is the contact environment between the pan and the food; when it gets to the right temperature, the oil will ensure an even and rapid cooking process not to mention that it significantly increases flavor and color. In case you are using the frying pan for cooking fish or chicken, you'll need to add oil so as to almost cover the entire pan. However, when used for pancakes, the frying pan will only be coated with a thin oily film.
According to old traditional practice, any cast iron frying pan should not be washed but wiped clean since it is believed that the complete removal of the greasy layer will actually mean the destruction of the anti-stick finish. Furthermore, if not dried immediately after washing, any frying pan made of cast iron will be exposed to rust and degradation. Therefore, if you are in favor of the traditional cast iron material, extra care should be taken to preserve the pans in an adequate cooking condition.