Learn To Cook: How To Do The Saute Snap

The saute snap, taking a saute pan full of food and flipping it with a flick of the wrist, is a convenient way to get even browning without turning each thing individually. In this clip from the America's Test Kitchen Cooking School, Bridget Lancaster demonstrates this key technique. For more tips and techniques check out our Secrets to Sauteing Lesson.

What is the America's Test Kitchen Online Cooking School? We've taken our nearly 20-years of experience in the Test Kitchen, our favorite recipes from Cook's Illustrated magazine, and your favorite chefs from our two public television shows and wrapped it all up to create a cooking school unlike any other. The America's Test Kitchen Cooking School provides personalized culinary instruction from the comfort of your own kitchen. There are no prerequisites, so anyone can join.

Learn more at:

[youmuhmuhmuhmuhmuhmakemeha]

You may want to practice with a cold pan and common beans or rice. No fire, no fear, no time limit and no waste (.

[keetrandling]

"Now, you may lose a mushroom or two, that's OK..." in true Julia Child style! Way to go, Bridget, I love that it wasn't perfect, makes it easier on the rest of us!
Now, to the camera crew: a side-shot in slow-mo would've been helpful. Maybe next time?

[fitsadee]

Just started doing that myself, ... sorta came naturally while I was doing a nice spicy sautéed meal. Couple of pieces went down for me too. One thing I've noticed is that having the bottom of the pan quite rough (like if you used a powder that formed at the base) it may have been the reason my food didn't have that nice slipping motion.

[KaMingLong]

I remember trying to learn this watching a show hosted by Julia Child. She said a good way to practice this is with a normal saute pan (not on the heat of course) put beans on it and practice. My first time was terrible, beans where EVERYWHERE!

[anarchodandyist]

I'd love to have trolled my head chef with turning over mushrooms with tongs.

[yukimeyc]

She's funny when she said it's ok to lose a mushroom or two

[BlueStratDude]

Definitely more challenging to do that on sticky stainless steel and she totally pulled it off.

[maroonbells]

You can practice with a slice of bread in a cold pan. That way you don't have bits and pieces flying around when you're first practicing.

[mysnellvilleblog]

I was never taught this but I do it. I didn't know it had a name.

[smievil]

some of my frying pans looks more like a low pot.
some woks looks easier than frying pans, don't have one though.

[meshalalshehri]

I'm a master snapping let's say .. 

[vecernicek]

Come on, you can't loose mushrooms like that!

[elephantgrass]

"That's ok, you can cheat like me". It's not cheating. Cheating would be letting someone else do it.