To sauté is to cook or brown food on a high heat in butter or oil, or a mixture of the two. From the French word 'to jump'; brisk cooking in a small amount of fat in a shallow frying pan, shaking the pan to make sure the pieces being fried are evenly browned. The food is either just browned or cooked through. The pan must be preheated and the frying medium sizzling before the food is put in. The saute must then proceed quickly until the process is finished. A good heat and speed is the essence of sauteing.