How do I make food taste less greasy?

There are two problems here: too much fat physically present, and fat that has soaked into the food. The first is removable, the second is a cooking temperature issue that has to be prevented rather than fixed.

Step by step

1. Skim the surface of anything liquid.A spoon along the surface, or lay kitchen paper flat on top and lift it off. Repeat. Surprisingly effective on a stew or a curry.
2. Chill it if you have time.Fat sets solid on the surface in the fridge and lifts off in one piece. Far more effective than skimming hot, and the reason braises are better made a day ahead.
3. Add acid.Lemon juice, vinegar or something tart. It does not remove fat but it cuts the perception of greasiness sharply. The most useful single fix.
4. Add something fresh and sharp alongside.Pickles, a sharp salad, yoghurt, fresh herbs. Serving rather than cooking — and it works on the plate where nothing else will.
5. Blot fried food properly.On a wire rack rather than piled on kitchen paper. A rack lets the oil drain and steam escape; a pile steams itself soggy and greasy.
6. Check the frying temperature next time.Food absorbs oil when the oil is too cool. Properly hot oil seals the surface quickly and far less soaks in. This is the actual cause of greasy fried food.
7. Drain fat before adding liquid.When browning mince or bacon, pour the fat off before the other ingredients go in. Much easier than removing it later.
8. Use less fat and a better pan.Much frying is done with more oil than needed. A pan that heats evenly needs less.

Tips

• Fat carries flavour, so removing all of it makes a dish taste thin. The aim is balance rather than elimination.
• A slice of bread laid briefly on the surface of a soup absorbs a surprising amount of surface fat.
• If fried food is consistently greasy, get a thermometer. Oil temperature is the cause and guessing is unreliable.

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