It’s very rare that burning something has to do with laziness, rather, it’s because heat is not a tangible object that you can see and feel. You look at a pan and can’t tell how hot it is, but what you do know is that it’s hot enough to burn oil in a matter of seconds. I know that when I started out, I only relied on visual cues to gauge heat. I would wait until I saw smoke or heard a loud sizzle before turning down the heat. Well, more often than not, when I saw smoke or heard that loud sizzle, it was already too late. Learning to control heat has to do with recognizing other signs, like the time it takes for butter to melt or the way oil moves in a pan.
One of the biggest mistakes people make is cranking up the burner to full blast. Yes, there are times when you need full blast, but that leaves very little room for error. When you throw ingredients in a pan that’s too hot, they seize up, brown too quickly, or they stick to the pan before they’re even cooked through. Simply turning the heat down a notch and allowing the pan to heat up a bit longer will give you the control you need. If you see your food browning too quickly, simply slide the pan off of the flame to slow down the browning process without halting it altogether.
The other mistake people make is over crowding the pan. When you add too much food to the pan at once, they release moisture too quickly, and that causes fluctuation in heat which can result in burning in some areas and steaming in others. Cooking in small batches will help maintain the temperature of the pan. You will also notice a steady gentle sound rather than an intense crackling sound which is an indication that heat and moisture are in balance.
If you practice this one exercise every day, you will develop your instincts in no time. Heat an empty pan over medium heat and place a small piece of onion or bread into it. See how long it takes for it to start browning, then remove the pan from the heat and see how the browning continues even when the pan isn’t on the flame anymore. Try it with the heat on high or low and see the difference. This will help you understand that heat control is not a reaction, but an anticipation because the pan will retain heat even after you turn down the flame.
If you find yourself failing, minimize the equation. Use one pan, one ingredient, and do not allow any distractions. When you try to do too many things at once, you can’t pay attention to the subtle changes in your pan which indicate a rise in heat. As you gain confidence, you will begin to develop instincts to pull the pan off the heat, turn down the flame, or add ingredients at the right time. Before you know it, you will stop looking at heat as your enemy and you will begin to see it as your tool to manipulate in order to get the desired texture and color that you want.