The Ultimate Guide To Acquiring A Flame Pan

Flaming a pan is a great way to add flavour to your food and impress your friends. It involves adding alcohol to your food and setting it on fire. This technique is called flambé, a French word that means flame. It is important to note that only alcohol with 50% or higher concentration is flammable when cold, and when heated, 40% alcohol will burn in the pan. When flaming a pan, always exercise caution and be sure to remove the pan from the heat before adding the alcohol.

Use a flambé pan or a large skillet

If you don't have a flambé pan, you can use a large skillet with a long handle and deep sides. Make sure you have everything you need within reach before you begin. This includes your choice of alcohol, a long barbecue lighter or long matches, and a tight-fitting lid for the pan.

For fruit dishes, use a preheated shallow pan. For meat dishes, use a cast-iron or enamel roasting pan.

Once your dish is cooked and you're ready to flambé, remove the pan from the heat source. Pour the alcohol into the pan, tilting it away from you and your guests. Ignite the edges of the pan immediately. If you're using a gas burner, make sure you've turned it off before attempting to flambé.

Hold the lighter or match close to the edge of the pan to light the alcohol vapours. If you're using matches, you may want to use a long match or a piece of spaghetti to keep your hand away from the flame.

Once the alcohol has ignited, return the pan to the heat source. Shake the pan lightly to distribute the flames and alcohol evenly. This will ensure an even distribution of flavour.

The flame will naturally die out once the alcohol has burned off, which should take 15-30 seconds. If you want to retain some of the alcohol flavour, cover the flame with a lid before it goes out.

Choose the right alcohol

Choosing the Right Alcohol for Your Flambé

The most important element of flambéing is choosing the right alcohol. Since it acts as fuel for the flames, you should know which drink to choose. First of all, check the ethanol content. Alcoholic beverages with 40-60% alcohol content, such as whiskey, cognac or rum, work best. The alcohol in beer, wine or champagne is usually not enough to be set on fire. Alcoholic beverages with an alcohol content over 60% are too flammable and therefore dangerous and should not be used for flambéing.

Matching the Alcohol to Your Dish

Matching the taste of alcohol to your dish is also important. You wouldn’t use the same liquor for desserts and game. Here are some tips:

• Cognac – seafood, e.g. prawns
• Rum – fruit e.g. bananas or peaches
• In the case of fruit alcohols, they are usually used in desserts made of the same fruit, e.g. you would use cherry vodka for desserts with cherries. However, there are exceptions, such as flambéing smoked meat with Slivovitz.

How Much Alcohol to Use

The higher the proof of the alcohol, the less you need. 1 cup of Marsala or Sherry (18-20% alcohol by volume) will create the same result as 1/4 or 1/3 of a cup of brandy or bourbon (80% alcohol by volume). Any alcohol less than 18% by volume probably will not ignite.

Heating the Alcohol

Cold liquor will not ignite! Heat the alcohol in a saucepan with high sides, just until bubbles begin to form (around 130°F or 54°C). Alternatively, you can heat the alcohol in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave for 30-45 seconds at 100% power.

Prepare the dish

Firstly, lay out all your ingredients, including the alcohol you plan to use, and ensure you have a lighter or matches to hand. Choose an 80-proof liquor or 40% alcohol by volume liquor. This is important because it will determine the flammability of your dish. A higher alcohol content is too combustible and may be unsafe, while a lower alcohol content may not ignite. Pair your chosen liquor with the dish you are cooking. For example, pair rum or fruit-flavoured brandy with fruit dishes and desserts, or opt for whiskey or cognac with meats.

Prepare and cook your dish as per your recipe, bearing in mind there will be extra flambé steps. Some traditional flambéed dishes include crepes Suzette, bananas foster, and Chateaubriand.

Heat your chosen liquor before adding it to your dish. You can do this by heating it in a saucepan on your stovetop or by using a microwave. If using a stovetop, heat the alcohol over a flame until you see small bubbles form at around 54 degrees Celsius. If using a microwave, heat it for 30 to 45 seconds on 100% power, using a microwave-safe bowl.

Use a flambé pan if you have one, or a large skillet with a long handle and deep sides. For fruit dishes, use a preheated shallow pan, and for meat dishes, use a cast-iron or enamel roasting pan.

Once your dish is ready, remove the pan from the heat source before adding the warm liquor. Pour gently, tilting the pan away from yourself and any guests. Immediately ignite the edges of the pan with a long barbecue lighter or a long match. Try to ignite the vapours rather than the liquid alcohol directly.

Return the pan to the heat source and shake it lightly so that the flames and alcohol distribute evenly. Cook until the liquor has burned off and the flames have died. Allow the fire to go out naturally so that the astringent alcohol flavour is removed. If you wish to retain some of the alcohol flavour, cover the flames with a lid before they have gone out.

Now your dish is ready to serve!

Heat the alcohol

Heating the alcohol is a crucial step in the flambé process. If you add cold or cool alcohol to your dish, it won't ignite, which can ruin your food. Therefore, you must heat the alcohol before adding it to your dish.

Heating Alcohol on a Stovetop

Heating Alcohol in a Microwave

Alternatively, you can use a microwave to heat the alcohol. Place the alcohol in a microwave-safe bowl and heat it on 100% power for 30 to 45 seconds.

Important Safety Precautions

Always exercise caution when heating alcohol. Avoid pouring alcohol directly from the bottle into the pan as the flames may travel back into the bottle and cause an explosion. Instead, pour the alcohol into a measuring cup or another flame-resistant container before adding it to the pan.

Ignite the dish

Now that you've gathered your ingredients and equipment, it's time to ignite your dish and create a flame-grilled masterpiece. Here's a step-by-step guide to achieving that perfect flambé:

Add your alcohol of choice

While your food is cooking, it's time to introduce the magic ingredient—alcohol. Measure out your spirit of choice, aiming for around 80-proof or 40% alcohol by volume. This could be rum, cognac, whiskey, or even gin, depending on your preference and the dish you're preparing. Just remember, too low an alcohol content won't ignite, and too high could be dangerous.

Heat the alcohol

Before you ignite, you need to heat the alcohol. You can do this by heating it gently in a saucepan on the stovetop until small bubbles start to form, or by microwaving it in a microwave-safe bowl for 30-45 seconds. Remember to exercise caution and remove the pan from the heat source before adding the alcohol to avoid any flare-ups.

Pour the warm alcohol into your pan

Once your alcohol is heated, carefully pour it into your pan. Ensure your pan is removed from the heat source before adding the alcohol. Use a flambé pan if you have one, or a large skillet with a long handle and deep sides. Tilt the pan away from yourself and any guests to avoid any spills.

Ignite the edges of the pan

Now for the moment of truth—ignition! Using a long barbecue lighter or a long match, ignite the edges of the pan. It's important to light the vapours rather than the liquid alcohol directly. Be sure to light it immediately so that the food doesn't absorb the raw alcohol, which can affect the flavour.

Return the pan to the heat

Once your dish is lit, carefully place it back on the burner. Gently shake the pan to ensure the flames and alcohol distribute evenly, coating your food with that delicious flambéed flavour.

Cook until the alcohol burns off

Let the alcohol burn off naturally. This should only take 15-30 seconds. If you want to retain some of the alcohol flavour, you can cover the flames with a lid before they go out.

Plate and serve

Once the flames have died down, it's time to serve your impressive, flame-grilled creation. No cooling time is needed, so you can enjoy your delicious, flambéed dish straight away.

Remember always to exercise caution when working with open flames and alcohol, and always have a lid or fire extinguisher nearby in case of emergencies. Now go forth and flambé!

Frequently asked questions