Rule 13 of 27 · Chapter III — Heat and the Pan
Let a crust form before you move it
Why this rule exists
Patience at the pan is a skill, and impatience is why so much home-cooked meat and fish comes out pale and torn. When protein hits hot fat it bonds to the pan at first, then releases naturally once a browned crust has formed, the crust being both the flavor and the non-stick. Poke it, flip it early, and nudge it around, and you tear the surface, prevent the crust from setting, and lose the browning you were after, while the constant lifting drops the pan temperature. The food will tell you when it is ready: it stops sticking and lifts cleanly. Learning to leave it alone, to trust that stillness is doing the work, is one of the quiet marks of a cook who has stopped fighting the pan.
In practice
Once the food is down, resist touching it. Give it time to sear undisturbed, longer than your nerves want, then test one edge with a spatula or tongs. If it resists and clings, it is not ready, so leave it another minute; if it releases willingly, the crust has formed and you can turn it. Flip once for most things rather than repeatedly, letting each side develop fully. Trust your nose and ears alongside the clock. This restraint applies to searing steak, browning chicken skin, crisping fish, and getting real color on vegetables.
When it doesn't apply
Some cooking wants constant motion, not stillness: a stir-fry, scrambled eggs, anything you are tossing to cook fast and evenly. Thin, delicate items can overcook in the time a thick steak needs, so the wait is shorter. And if something is genuinely burning, move it; the crust rule assumes appropriate heat, not a raging pan.