Sauteing is an easy to learn, but hard to master way to cook meat and vegetables in a small amount of fat, browning the food but retaining its texture, flavour and moisture.

Most chefs will use a saute pan for the job, which unlike frying pans have low, vertical sides to allow steam to escape and the cook to toss the food - after all, the word saute comes from the French for "jump".

Mauviel makes a wide range of saute pans in cast iron, including the traditional design and the "splayed" model, which has slightly curved sides. Meanwhile, the Berndes Signocast saute casserole pot comes with a toughened glass lid.

When sauteing, the cook should always heat the pan first before adding oil - it should be hot enough to instantly turn a few drops of water to steam.

Cooks can use sauteing in a number of classic recipes - coq au vin calls for sauteed mushrooms, for instance, although the technique is also used for making curries and home-made pesto.