EATS: How to Flip Food in a Pan

Last night I made fried rice from chicken leftovers of a community event and I'm bringing to feed the staff of one of my fave local orgs. The secret to my fried rice is making an egg omelet, then cutting it into squares, instead of scrambling it into the rice. It keeps the egg pieces whole and in bite size delicious morsels once it's incorporated into the rest of the ingredients.

The secret to an omelet? How to flip the pan. One of my best friends rooted me on as I attempted to flip the omelet pre-maturely, to no avail. Patience is a virtue when it comes to cooking as well, and we might as well learn from the pros. See tips below on how to perfect your food flip. Have fun!

HOW TO FLIP FOOD IN A PAN FROM E-HOW

1. Step 1

   Choose the right pan. You'll want to use a pan that has curved, sloping sides to it. This will give the food a slope to slide up on as you flip it. Try to use a non-stick pan if possible.

2. Step 2

   Make sure the items in the pan are moving freely when you shake the pan back and forth. Use a gentle swirling motion with your arm to slide the food around. There should be very little or no oil moving around with the food. Sauteed vegetables or grilled bread works well for this.

3. Step 3

   Tilt the pan away from you, and let the food slide down to that side. Give the food a little help by gently shaking the pan if you need to.

4. Step 4

   Push the pan and food away so that the food pushes into the curved side and into the air. Catch the food by pulling the pan back in one fluid motion. The movement is a circular motion, first forward and then back as you lift your arm slightly.

5. Step 5

   Shake the pan gently forward and backward to settle the food into the middle of the pan again.