Hi Everyone,
Disclaimer – I have not been solicited in any way to write about this product. I purchased a Futura Non-stick Tawah in June 2015 from Auto Supplies Company whilst on a visit to Guyana. The views and opinions expressed are my own based on my personal experience using the product.
It’s been a year now since I have been using and thoroughly enjoying my Futura non-stick tawah. All 13 inches of it. Bought exclusively out of a want more than need, this tawah is pleasure to cook with. When I first wrote about it last year, I shared with you its characteristic even heating due to the heavy gauge material from which the Futura line is made. Roti(s), pancakes, toasts, French toast and eggs are among the things I have cooked using my Futura tawah. Today, I want to tell you that in addition to making those things, I have also been frying on my tawah!
Anyone for fried breadfruit? How about fried ripe plantains? Pan-seared fish? I am not kidding you and I have the pictures to prove it.
As you know, I like to experiment, and after seeing the results I got from making toast, frying eggs and sliced ham on the Futura, I figured that the even-heating and browning that the pan gives would work with some quick-cooking foods. The bonus is the non-stick surface that significantly reduces the amount of oil that one would need to traditionally fry certain things. The results of my frying experiments have been outstanding and I feel compelled to share them with you.
Breadfruit
One of the most popular ways to eat breadfruit is to first boil it then cut the breadfruit into thick slices or pieces and pan-fry. The toasty crust on the outside and soft insides make good eats. So wholesome is the breadfruit that you really don’t need much else to eat with it.
When frying breadfruit, it can absorb a lot of the oil and or butter in which it is cooked, however, applying this same method of cooking – frying – on a Futura non-stick tawah, gives the same excellent results with only a small fraction of the oil one would normally use when cooking in a regular frying pan. Here is how it works.
Once the pan is heated drizzle a little oil all over the pan, let the oil heat up for a minute and then add the slices of breadfruit. You should hear the sound of sizzling when the food makes contact with the pan. Add as many slices as the pan can allow without over crowding it. I have a 13-inch pan so that gives me good space with which to work. Let the breadfruit cook for about 3 – 4 minutes before turning. Let the food cook, don’t be in a rush to turn it before it is done or ready to – a major mistake that most of us home cooks make.
When the breadfruit is finished cooking on one side, drizzle a little more oil on the pan and flip the breadfruit to cook on the other side. Give it another 2 – 3 minutes to get golden brown and toasty.
Unlike traditional frying, there is no need to drain on paper towels when you are done frying on a Futura.
Ripe plantains
When you peel the plantains, you can cut them lengthways, into rounds or as I prefer, on the bias. To cut on the bias means to cut at an angle. This angled cut creates elongated, oval-shaped pieces; with this type of cut there is more surface area of the food and I find it perfect for quickly cooking fried ripe plantains.
Just as with the breadfruit, heat the pan, drizzle a little oil, let it heat up for a minute then add the plantains to cook. Due to the high sugar content of the ripe plantains, and the thinness of the slices, cooking time would be less than the breadfruit.
Fish
The ‘frying’ of fish on the tawah is not strictly frying in the true sense of the word, it is pan searing. To pan sear means to add food to a very hot surface so that it begins to brown and caramelize developing flavour as it cooks.
To cook fish this way on the Futura tawah there are preferences that yield the best results. Fillets are preferred and tender white fish is ideal, however, 1-inch thick salmon or tuna steaks perform well too.
Instead of drizzling the heated pan with oil to cook the fish, here’s what to do. Get the pan nicely heated, drizzle or brush the fish with oil then add it directly to the pan. When you place the fish on the pan, hold it in place, pressing downing lightly for about 30 seconds to a minute to really get a sear then leave it cook. The fish will let you know when it is ready to be turned – a spatula inserted beneath it without resistance means it is ready to be turned. Brush the top with a little oil and turn the fish to cook on the other side. The cooking time will vary depending on the type of fish and the thickness of the cut.
Cook’s notes
Here are a few things for you to note when frying with a Futura non-stick tawah.
When oil is drizzled on the pan and heated to fry, you may see the oil pool in the middle, that’s okay. As you add the food, drag it from the sides of the oil to the outer parts of the pan until you have added the batch of food you are cooking.
To drizzle oil to cook the other side of the food, do so in-between the food and ensure that you capture a little of the oil on the side to finish the cooking process.
The Futura tawah takes about 6 to 7 minutes to properly heat up. The high-gauge material used to make the tawah does not require high heat for cooking, therefore, use medium-low heat only.
When frying or cooking in batches, it is always necessary to let a pan or oil heat-up again before adding another batch. During the cooking process the pan-oil would have cooled down a little and will need to come back to temperature so that it cooks the food with the same results and at the same time as the previous or first batch. So when you finish cooking a batch of the plantains, breadfruit, fish or anything else on the tawah, give it 2 – 3 minutes to heat up properly before adding another batch of food.
As I said last year, it’s pan-tastic food cooking with my Futura tawah. It is truly a best buy.
Cynthia
