To shallow-fry is to cook food in a small amount of hot oil or fat in a frying pan, enough to brown and crisp the outside while the heat penetrates to cook the middle at the same time. It sits between deep-frying and sautéing: the food sits in a shallow bath of fat rather than being submerged or merely filmed. Success needs the right temperature, hot enough to crisp without burning, and food of even thickness so the centre cooks as the crust forms. Breaded escalopes, fish fillets, and fritters are classic candidates. The cook manages the fat, adding as needed and draining the finished food on paper, and the result should be golden and crisp, never greasy.