Chicken breast with its versatility and low-fat nature is probably the most popular meat in Britain. Unless you are stuffing and rolling it or making kiev, chances are that you will be pan-frying it; whether whole or chopped up for any number of dishes. Often confused with saute, pan-frying is also not to be confused with shallow frying. Pan-frying involves larger pieces of meat, say a steak or chicken breast, a very small amount of oil and not too much movement.

Essentially it has replaced the overhead grill and is a far moister way of cooking chicken. You need a hot pan but not searingly hot as chicken needs longer than steak. Add a good drop of oil to the hot pan, add the breast and then season with salt unless already seasoned. Give the breasts about 6 to 7 minutes each side until the juices run clear. You can also grill chicken breasts but try not to let them dry out or conversely, cook too quickly on the outside but not in the middle.

Grilling used to mean putting food under the overhead grill that was an integral part of every oven. Now the grill may be used for cheese on toast or even bacon but generally speaking, we now take it to mean barbecuing or using a ridged grill pan. Timings for chicken breast are roughly the same as pan-frying. Stir-frying needs a higher heat than other methods of frying, about the same amount of oil as pan-frying and a deep pan (not necessarily a wok) with plenty of room for the ingredients to keep moving. Not restricted to an Oriental flavour profile, stir-frying is pretty close to saute so the two terms are often used interchangeably.

We will always explain the essential differences as the whole business can be confusing enough without ambiguity. Thin strips of chicken breast can be stir-fried with added vegetables and stir fry sauce for example. Saute is similar to pan-frying but uses more oil, smaller pieces of food and the ingredients are moved more regularly. Small pieces of meat, for instance, being browned for a casserole are sauteed. You wouldn't use chicken breast in a casserole but you might saute chopped chicken breast before adding a curry sauce for example.