Cooking Methods

Cooking methods and cooking terms

Bake

Cooking products in dry heat in an oven. Shelf position in the oven is quite important the higher the shelf the hotter the oven temperature and the quicker the products will cook. Fan ovens blow the heat around and all the shelves cook evenly at the same temperature.

Baking blind

This means baking a product such as a pastry flan without the filling in the oven.

It helps to get the base layer of pastry crisp. You can buy baking beans made from ceramic for baking blind. Cover the pastry flan with baking paper and drop in the ceramic beans to add weight and hold down the pastry. Lift the paper after about 15 minutes and check to see if the pastry has dried. If so, you can carefully remove the paper containing the baking beans and shoot them back into their storage jar (take care they are HOT.) Allow them to cool and use again and again for baking blind.

Boil

Cooking in water ‘on the move’ at boiling point (100 C) on the cooker hob. Mostly a lid is placed over the pan to retain the heat and keep in the steam. The lid needs to allow some steam to escape or it will rattle so tilt the lid slightly on the pan. Usually, boil is a first step and is followed by the term simmer which is a gentle controlled boil (see simmer).

Barbeque  BBQ

Cooking over high temperature coals in the outdoor.  Foods are placed on racks over the heat and turned and moved to ensure even and thorough cooking.  Houmous, sweetcorn, sausages, burgers, chicken joints are popular BBQ food choices.

Braise

A slow and moist method of cooking that helps to make meat tender and vegetables soft and juicy. Rapid searing of the outside of a meat joint is followed by resting the meat on a vegetable layer. Enough stock or water is used to cover the vegetable layer. The cooking dish is then covered with either a lid or foil to sealing the cooking container. Cook gently at a moderate heat for up to an hour. Tougher cuts of meat such as topside or silverside can be cooked successfully this way.

Combination cooking

This method uses a microwave combined with grill to cook, heat and brown a dish. Microwave alone would not brown.

Fry

To cook in a frying pan that is usually shallow and flat. Frying is carried out on the cooker hob. A stir-fry pan is deeper with sides that enable you to stir quite rapidly and cook over a high heat. It is wise to choose a non-stick frying pan.

Deep frying

Deep frying is using a deep pan on the hob at least one third to a half full of cooking oil. A basket is usually used to hold the product to be cooked this way and to drain off the oil when the product is cooked. It is popular for Indian products such as samosa and puri, and English products such as doughnuts and battered fish and chips! I would strongly recommend buying a thermostatically controlled deep-fat fryer for safety. Frying tends to give wonderful flavour and texture to food.

Stir-fry a method of cooking using a wok or a deep sided frying pan allowing the hob heat to spread up the sides thus cooking the food very rapidly.  It is used for many Asian and Thai dishes.

Dry frying

Dry frying is using a frying pan on the hob and placing ingredients such as bacon, lardon (cubes of bacon), chorizo, pancetta or sausages directly into the pan without adding any oil or fat. The frying actually begins once some fat from the product melts and begins to come out of the product and lubricate the pan.

Grill

A hot, intense and direct method of applying heat to a product. The grill compartment of the cooker should enable the grill tray to have shelf positions nearer or further away from the heat. Thin products are best as the heat can penetrate one side then you can turn it over and cook the other side. Best products are sausages, bacon, tomatoes and of course bread for toast. Always keep an eye on grilling it can be fast and furious.

Poach

Poaching is a gently moist method of cooking and is either carried out on the hob or in the oven. Either way requires the product to be covered with a well-fitting lid or a foil wrap. Moisture such as water, white wine, apple juice or stock is needed. Usually the base of the cooking container is covered in a thin layer of juice and the product laid into the moisture along with other flavourings such as bay leaves, star anise, black peppercorns or similar. Salmon fillets or whole fish can be poached. Medium heat is used to create steam to gently cook the product without drying it out.

Roast

A method of cooking in hot fat or oil in a hot oven. The fat can be meat fat such as lard or dripping. Oil is usually corn oil as it can be heated to a high temperature. Hot fat browns the food and give it a recognisable golden crispy coating. Roast potatoes are a good example of classic English roast potato. Modern cooking reduces the amount of fat by coating products in oil before cooking and laying the products on a tray. ‘Oven-bake’ is sometimes used as a cooking term for lower-fat roasting.

Sauté

To fry off in butter or oil using a pan on the hob. Sometimes a lid is used after the initial stage to prevent too much moisture loss. Sweating is a newer name for the process of sautéing. It is used when flavours need to be developed and texture needs to be softened but the browning process is not needed.

Simmer

Cooking in water or stock just below boiling point. Usually you boil first and then turn down the heat so that the food simmers just below boiling point. It prevents boiling over!! This requires you to recognise that you need to control the temperature by adjusting the number or setting for the hob ring you are using.

Sous Vide

A French method of cooking that has become very popular in restaurants and in the home.  It is low temperature, long time length cooking usually used for meat. Vacuum packing the meat protects it and allows the precisely controlled gentle heat to slowly tenderise it.

Steam

Steaming is a fat free method of cooking that is suitable for vegetables and puddings. It can be carried out in a saucepan with a lid on the hob but usually a steamer tier or stack is placed over a saucepan and a top lid will trap all the steam. If you have more than one layer you can cook cauliflower in one layer and carrots in another. This saves fuel and also makes good use of the hob, one pan cooking what might otherwise need two pans. You can buy electric steamers.

Microwave

Using a microwave is a quick way to re-heat food products and to cook moist products. It relies on the microwaves juggling water in the food so that it gets hot and spreads the heat through the food. It is a good idea to rest the product for about 30 seconds to allow time for the heat to spread. Stirring helps the heat to spread and will avoid cold spots. Take care NOT to super-heat products such as coffee. Time is a very important control on a microwave.

Cooking processes:

Add

A term used when you are assembling ingredients to make a dish or recipe. Usually a mixing bowl or larger container is selected in the first place to allow the collection of ingredients to combine without spilling.

Beat

To mix together ingredients quickly with rapid motion and usually with a wooden spoon or with an electric mixer. It is normally in order to trap some air into a mixture and make the end product light and open in texture.

Blend

Usually means mixing water with another ingredient. Sometimes it is corn flour that had to be blended with water (when making a sauce) and this means using a wooden spoon or the back of a wooden spoon to crush the lumps and make the mixture smooth. Using a Blender means to use a stick blender or a food processor to make a smooth mixture from one that is initially lumpy such as when making a soup. The amount of blending will cause the result to be partially lumpy or very smooth like a puree.

Blending

Blending is the thorough mixing of ingredients by reducing the particle size.  Blending is possible in a food processor. Smooth soups, puree or pastes can be produced by blending.

Blending method a technique for sauce making by mixing flour and water together to create a mixture without lumps that is then stirred into and re-boiled in a liquid. Custard made with traditional custard powder is an example, or thickening a stew with cornflour or 'Bisto' type product.

Chop

Using a knife to reduce the size of ingredients such as potatoes or onions. This aids the cooking by reducing the time to cook. The size of chopping is controlled by the terms ‘finely’ for small chopping, or into quarters for products like potatoes. Chop into florets means to cut the natural form such as a broccoli head or a cauliflower into pieces that have the stalk and flower and are as regular in size as is possible. The art of chopping is highly regarded and needs careful practise.

Cut

This term can mean the use of a knife or the use of scissors. Cutting means products are reduced in size. This can be to aid quicker cooking or just to portion the product and make it easier to mix with other ingredients. Cut can be helped by instructions such as ‘in half’ or ‘into quarters’. (also see Snipping)

Dice

After slicing the product can be further cut. Each slice can be chopped into strips and the strips cut across to produce small cubes. All sides of diced ingredients can be cooked and will absorb flavours and give out their flavours to other ingredients

Egg and crumb

This is a method of coating food to protect it during cooking giving a crisp and crunchy golden coating to the food. The crumbs can be bread, cornflakes crushed up, oatmeal or semolina.

Fold

A slower method of adding flour to a cake mixture usually carried out with a metal spoon or a spatula in a figure of eight style movement.

Glaze

Many products are glazed. Glazing improves the out surface of a product by making is shiny, richer in colour or sweeter. Commonly an egg and milk ‘wash’ can be brushed on to pastry and scones. Water with salt is a glaze that can be applied to bread rolls to give a crunchy crust. Apricot jam (sieved and made runny with boiled water) can be applied to flans, fruit tarts, currant buns and pastry to give a shine and a gloss that remains after cooking and cooling. Meats can be glazed using gravy and a little sugar and mustard. Glazed roasted ham uses apricot jam to provide the shine and caramelised layer to the surface. Pate often has a glaze of butter to prevent the surface drying out and the colour darkening. Glazes are edible outer layers that make products look more appetising.

Grate

A food ingredient can be grated by hand or in a food processor with a grater attachment. Grating is a way of reducing the ingredient into small slivers that will cook quickly, melt, mix or become easier to eat. Graters have different sizing from very fine for lemon zest, parmesan cheese grating or larger sizes for cheddar and carrots or apples. Ready grated products help the consumer and are popular now – ready grated cheeses in particular.

Knead

A special technique where the knuckles of your hands work a dough to make it smoother perhaps in readiness to roll out. In breadmaking kneading is more vigorous and will stretch the dough and make it elastic.

Marinate

A method of immersing or soaking food products in a flavoursome mixture known as a marinade. This adds flavour, sometimes colour and sometimes helps the tenderness of the product. For example, you can marinate chicken in yoghurt, sausages in soy and balsamic vinegar.

Mash

Traditionally a potato masher is used even if you are mashing peas, parsnips or swede. Some chefs now ’smash’ ingredients using the end of a rolling pin giving a texture mash (soft lumps) rather than a smooth end product.

Mix

To combine ingredients together, until they do not separate. Usually using a spoon or wooden spoon and at a steady rate to avoid spillage.

Peel

Peeling is a process by which the outer, inedible layer of an ingredient is removed. Historically potatoes were peeled prior to cooking and there are many different types of peelers – fixed blade peelers (the Lancashire peeler) and swivel bladed peelers. A small vegetable knife can also be used for peeling and with improving skill a very thin layer can be peeled from fruits and vegetables to help them cook more evenly or have improved mouth feel.

Roll

Even today the rolling pin is still vital in the kitchen. Rolling out make dough thinner so that it can line tins and will cook to crispness.

Shape

Using hands or a cutter or mould can help make food shapes. Techniques with bread dough to shape rolls or pastries require a skill to be learnt. Visual check on size and shape are important.

Stir

To use a utensil such as a spoon to move the ingredients in order to mix them or to prevent sticking on the base of a pan, or to aid thickening to a smooth end result.

Slice

To cut across an ingredient such as a tomato. Slices can be thick or thin. Pre-slicing is a way of making food more convenient for the cook and is commonly seen with bread, cheeses, hams and pre-cooked meats.

Snip

Snipping is a term that indicates the choice of kitchen scissors. It is an easy way for products such as chives where small pieces can easily be added to salads.