Searing (often referred to as pan-searing) is a cooking method through which an ingredient comes into contact with a hot pan (or another hot surface, such as a grill, griddle, or heated stone). The key to searing is introducing sudden, intense heat. Also central to the equation is fat, such as butter or olive oil, since it keeps the food from sticking and encourages the caramelization of the sugars and proteins (aka our friend the Maillard reaction) that makes for a delicious “crust” on the outside.

When using oil to sear, look for it to be slightly shimmering—like tiny waves skittering across the surface—but not smoking. This is when you should add the food to the pan. Start with about a tablespoon of fat in the pan before adding more, so the food can sear without frying.

People in the American South might use “fry” to mean anything that happens in a skillet, but technically frying means cooking food in fat (often oil) that comes either partially up the sides of the food or entirely covers it. Typically, frying happens between 350°F and 375°F. This allows the interior of the food to get hot while creating a golden brown and crisp—not burnt—exterior.

In frying, as with other high-heat cooking techniques, the Maillard reaction occurs. Here, those caramelized starches form a protective shell (e.g., the perfect crust on battered fried chicken) that keeps the oil from soaking into the food too much. This is why it’s imperative to fry at the correct temperature—too low, and the starches won’t achieve that protective layer, resulting in soggy, overly oily food; too high, and the crust will burn before the interior can cook adequately.