Cooking methods are classified as moist heat or dry heat.

Moist-heat methods
Are those in which the heat is conducted to the food product by water or water-
based liquids such as stock and sauces, or by steam.
1. To boil means to cook in a liquid that is bubbling rapidly and greatly
agitated. Water boils at 212°F (100°C) at sea level. No matter how high the
burner is turned, the temperature of the liquid will go no higher.
2. To simmer means to cook in a liquid that is bubbling gently at a
temperature of about 185°F to 205°F (85°C to 96°C).
3. To poach means to cook in a liquid, usually a small amount, that is hot but
not actually bubbling. Temperature is 160°–180°F (71°–82°C). Poaching is
used to cook delicate foods such as fish and eggs out of the shell
4. To blanch means to cook an item partially and briefly, usually in water but
sometimes by other methods (as when French fries are blanched in deep
fat).
There are two ways of blanching in water:
• Place the item in cold water, bring to a boil, and simmer briefly.
Cool the item by plunging it into cold water. Purpose: to dissolve out blood,
salt, or impurities from meats and bones.
• Place the item in rapidly boiling water and return the water to the
boil. Remove the item and cool in cold water.
5. To steam means to cook foods by exposing them directly to steam.
1. In quantity cooking, steaming is usually done in special steam
cookers, which are designed to accept standard-size pans.
2. The term steaming also refers to cooking an item tightly wrapped
or in a covered pan so it cooks in the steam formed by its own moisture.
This method is used in cooking items en papillote, meaning “wrapped in
parchment paper” (or foil). “Baked” potatoes wrapped in foil are actually
steamed.
3. Steam at normal pressure is 212°F (100°C), the same as boiling
water. However, it carries much more heat than boiling water and cooks
foods very rapidly. Cooking times must be carefully controlled to avoid
overcooking.
4. Steaming is widely used for vegetables. It cooks them rapidly,
without agitation, and minimizes the dissolving away of nutrients
that occurs when vegetables are boiled.
6. To braise means to cook covered in a small amount of liquid, usually after
preliminary browning. In almost all cases, the liquid is served with the
product as a sauce. Braising is sometimes referred to as a combination
cooking method because the product is first browned, using dry heat,
before it is cooked with a liquid.

Dry-Heat Methods
1. The term roasting usually applies to meats and poultry.
2. The term baking usually applies to breads, pastries, vegetables, and fish.
3. To barbecue means to cook with dry heat created by the burning of
hardwood or by the hot coals of this wood. In other words, barbecuing is a
roasting or grilling technique requiring a wood fire.
4. Smoking , is a procedure done in a closed container, using wood chips to
make smoke
5. Broil means to cook with radiant heat from above.
6. Grilling is done on an open grid over a heat source, which may be charcoal,
an electric element, or a gas-heated element. Cooking temperature is
regulated by moving the items to hotter or cooler places on the grill. Grilled
meats should be turned to achieve desired grill marks, just as in broiling.
7. Griddling is done on a solid cooking surface called a griddle, with or without
small amounts of fat to prevent sticking. The temperature is adjustable and
much lower (around 350°F/177°C) than on a grill.
Dry-Heat Methods Using Fat
1. To sauté means to cook quickly in a small amount of fat. The French
word sauter means “to jump,” referring to the action of small pieces of
food tossed in a sauté pan.
2. Stir-frying is especially popular for vegetables.
3. To pan-fry means to cook in a moderate amount of fat in a pan over
moderate heat.
4. To deep-fry means to cook a food submerged in hot fat.
5. Microwave cooking refers to the use of a specific tool rather than to a
basic dry-heat or moistheat cooking method. The microwave oven is
used mostly for heating prepared foods and for thawing raw or cooked
items.
6. Cooking Sous Vide A new technology that has had a rapid growth in
popularity among the world’s top chefs is sous vide (soo veed) cooking.
French for “under vacuum,” the term is applied to cooking foods that
have been vacuum-sealed in plastic bags.
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