Getting Started: The Necessary Preliminaries – The 14 Cooking

Methods

Blanching

• The cooking method of pre-cooking, cooking or cleansing an item either as preparation for
another cooking method or for preservation.

• Why we blanch?

 To clean and sanitize

 To destroy enzymes

 To prevent ingredients from sticking

 To improve the color of ingredients

 To pre-cook or cook an ingredient

 To pre-cook or cook an ingredient for preservation

• How to blanch?

 Without lid starting with hot water

 Without lid starting with cold water

 Blanching in oil

• Blanching starting with cold water without lid: Bones and Large Meat Parts (98*C-100*C)

• Purpose: to remove impurities; to cause cells to open so that strong flavors, blood and
impurities can be leached out

• Steps:

 Wash bones under running water

 Place bones in a pot, cover with water

 Bring to a boil

 Skim off impurities and fat

 Boil for 2 minutes

 Drain water, wash bones with hot water, then cold water

• Blanching starting with hot water without lid: Poultry and Meat
• Purpose: to remove impurities, fat and bone fragments; hot water is used to seal in flavor and
juices; to remove skin of certain vegetables

• Steps:

 Wash food in running water

 Use hot water with temp of 80*C

 Ratio: water 10 parts, food 1 part

 Place in pan, cover with hot water

 Bring rapidly to a boil

 Skim off impurities

 Boil for 1 minute, remove pan from fire

 Drain, wash with hot water, then cold water

• Blanching in hot water without lid: green vegetables for freezing or pre-cooking (green beans,
spinach, romaine lettuce, green peas, asparagus etc)

• Purpose: to sanitize vegetables; preserve green color; reduce bitter taste

• Steps:

 wash, rinse, peel, trim, and cut veges

 Bring water to a boil, add salt

 Place veges into boiling water blanch vegetables for approximately 15 to 30 seconds

 Strain and place into iced water to stop the cooking (except potatoes)

 When cold, remove veges and place on clean towel or grid for drying.

• Blanching in oil: meat, fish, poultry, vegetables, potatoes

• Purpose: to precook the product prior to service

• Steps:

 Prepare product following the recipe

 Place product in deep fryer at 130*C – 150*C

 Fry until cooked but not colored

 Remove from oil and place on absorbent paper

Poaching

• It is a cooking method for tender ingredients which are high in protein at a low temperature
between 65*C – 80*C on the stove or 165*C in the oven (with the poaching liquid at 93*C –
95*C)

• Purpose: to prevent tender meat parts, fish and recipes containing eggs from being overcooked;
to prevent meat from drying or becoming tough/hard

• Ways to poach:

 Floating in liquid

 In small amount of liquid

 In water bath with stirring

 In poaching liquid: court bouillon, stock, stock syrup, milk

• Poaching in floating liquid without lid: for large un-portioned meat, poultry, fish and dumplings

• Steps:

 Prepare ingredients based on recipe

 Bring liquid to a boil

 Place ingredient into the liquid

 Never cover to prevent it from boiling

 After the ingredient is cooked, remove and let it cool,

Do not throw away the liquid

• Poaching eggs

• Steps:

 Do not add salt as this will prevent the egg from forming well

 Vinegar is always added: 10 parts water, 1 part vinegar. (increase amount of vinegar if egg is not
fresh)

 After cooking, place the eggs in lukewarm salted water – to absorb salt and to lose the vinegar
taste

• Poaching in small liquid (shallow poaching) with lid or parchment paper: for portioned meat,
poultry, fish and seafood with low connective tissue

• Purpose: only half-covered because the steam will help cook the uncovered part of the
ingredient; the liquid is usually made into sauce

• Steps:
  Butter the pan, saute ingredients are per recipe, add main ingredient on top, season with salt
and pepper (or lemon for fish)

 Pour liquid over the ingredient, cover, bring to a quick boil, lower temperature and gently poach
until cooked.

• Poaching in water bath while stirring: for recipes containing egg yolks or whole eggs, which are
heated to 63*C – 65*C

• Purpose: to whisk the mixture to a creamy consistency which will enable the egg to bind with
other ingredients; this also incorporates air and increases the volume of the mixture.

• Steps:

 Prepare based on recipe

 Whip eggs until foamy in a bowl

 Place the bowl on top of the water bath, taking care that it doesn’t touch the water

 Whisk until it thickens and it is creamy

 Note: when mixture is too hot, the egg will curdle

Boiling

• Boiling liquid at 98*C – 100*C

• Purpose: for products to absorb more liquid and to tenderize faster

• Ways:

 Start with cold water without salt

 Start with cold water with salt - potato

 Start with hot water without salt – egg

 Start with hot water with salt - pasta

 Boiling without lid – 98*C – 100*C (eggs and pasta)

 Purpose: to achieve a rapid boiling point, to cook faster, to reduce excessive loss of nutrients
and flavors

Simmering

• Liquid is at 95*C – 98*C

 • Purpose: for the product to further absorb water and tenderize further; simmering does not
destroy texture

• Simmering without lid – stocks, clear soup, liquid is at 95*C – 98*C

• Purpose: to monitor the liquids so that they don’t boil

• Simmering starting with hot water with a lid – for meat, poultry etc – to sear the outside

• Purpose: the lid helps to reduce over evaporation of the liquid

Steaming

• Is done with a cover, for meat, fish, poultry, grain products, legumes, vegetables, potatoes
(100*C – 120*C)

• Purpose: high heat and reduced cooking time

Deep fat frying

• 170*C – 180*C

• To evenly brown the product; to create a crisp outer layer while keeping in the moisture.

• The product has undergone blanching

• Never heat oil above 200*C

• Never fry different products in a same fryer

• Never cover

Sautéing

• Steps:

 Add a small amount of oil, heat up close to smoking point

 Add seasoned meat (no salt) to the oil and sear the surfaces of the meat

 Season with salt only at the very end

• Sautéing in non-stick pan (pan frying)

• Steps:

 Add oil, fat, or butter and heat it up until hot (not smoking)
  Add ingredients into the pan

 Season when necessary

 Remove from pan

 Deglaze pan with liquid

Grilling

• Healthy cooking method and fat free

• Steps:

 Marinate in a quick marinade (avoid sugar or honey as they burn at 150*C)

 Make sure grill is hot

 Occasionally brush with marinade or heat resistant oil

Broiling

• Basically the same as grilling

• Heat comes from above the product

Gratinating

• A cooking method for finishing off a product with a final step to brown a covering usually egg,
cheese or cream

• Purpose: done for flavor and presentation

Baking

 Baking is the technique of cooking food in an oven by dry heat applied evenly throughout the
oven or only from the bottom element

Roasting

 To cook (food such as chicken, potatoes, or beef) with dry heat in an oven or over a fire
Braising

 to cook (food) slowly in fat and a small amount of liquid in a covered pot

Stewing

 to cook food slowly in hot and full submersion in liquid

Glazing

 done to give a nice shine and color