Cooking Methods

There are many different methods of cooking foods, here we will try and give you as many terms as we can

• Boiling---to heat food in water at the point of boiling which is 100 degrees C.
• Simmering is commonly called gentle boiling
• Par Boil--to boil food briefly in water, especially broccoli and cauliflower, drop immediately in cold water to keep their colour and to prevent continued cooking.
• Poaching---close to boiling with the liquid held as close to boiling as possible without much movement of the water
• Poaching is also a way of gently cooking fruit to keep its shape
• Steaming--placing water in a pan and placing food in a seive or basket so the food doesnt come in direct contact with the water but instead is cooked by steam
• Stewing--This is food cooked in a minimum amount of simmering sauce or liquid. Usually the food and sauce are served together . It is mostly used for the slow cooking of tougher meats in stews 
• Braising--This is cooking food, usually tougher cuts of meats, enclosed in a container with a tight fitting lid. Mostly for cooking meats in the oven. Usually the cooking liquid is used as a sauce for the dish
• Roasting--We all know this one, the cooking of a large piece of meat,poultry in a pan with fat, in the oven. Place the meat on a trivet so as not to have it sitting in the fat. Use the fat to baste the meat during cooking.  Cook vegetables in the pan with the meat, turning often
• Baking--this is cooking foods in dry heat in the oven, generally cakes, biscuits, breads and pastries
• Grilling--the cooking of food placed on grill bars to the heat from below, or as we Aussies know the good old BBQ.  Different flavourings can be used under the food such as rosemary, lemon myrtle branches. Grill plate should be heated first so that the meat can be sealed to keep in the juices. Fish must be placed in foil so as not to burn or overcook.  If the heat source comes from an overhead grill this is usually called a salamander ( used in Restaurants)
• Shallow frying--food cooked in a very shallow layer of fat in a pan
• Deep frying--the cooking of food completely submerged in hot oil or fat.  Deep frying temperatures are from 160 to 195 deg C.  the fryer must be no more than half to 2/3 full of fat. Most foods cooked this way have been coated in batter or crumbs, this is not the healthiest method of cooking
• Stir frying--is an asian way of cooking food at high temperatures, food is cooked according to their firmness, that is carrots would be cooked before snow peas. Food must be thinly sliced. A wok is the usual utensil for this method of cooking and food is eaten immediately . A very healthy way of cooking food
• Saute--to quickly brown meat in fat or oil
• Microwaving-the cooking of food with microwave energy. Most people dont like cooking meat in the microwave but it is useful in re heating food
• Aerate---the passing of dry ingredients through a seive to remove any impurities, it also incorporates air so makes the ingredients lighter
• Baste--brusing or spooning the fat over meat while cooking, this stops food from drying out while cooking
• Blanche--the cooking of raw ingredients in boiling water quickly, then they are usually plunged into ice water to stop the cooking process, this method is used with snow peas, broccoli, by using the ice water it also helps veges keep their colour
• blend--mixing two or more ingredients together either by blendiner, beater or spoon
• Bard--not heard of in todays cooking but it is the tying of fat around meat to prevent drying out during cooking. with healthier cooking today this would be frowned upon by the medical profession
• Debone--this is the removal of bones from meat especially fish
• Butterfly--the splitting of food especially chicken, or Pork down the centre and then opened out, looking like a butterfly. this method speeds up the cooking process
• Caramelize--heating sugar till it becomes liquid then a clear caramel syrup, colour can range from golden to dark brown.  Most vegetables and fruits which have natural sugars can be caramelized.  Onions in particular are a great food to do this way, I can smell them now over a medium rare steak, and how often can you walk away from the Saturday morning sausage sizzle outside the local hardware store!!
• Chiffonade--to slice into very thin strips
• Chop--cutting food into bite size pieces
• Dice--cutting food into tiny cubes usually about 1/8 to 1.4 inch pieces
• Dredge--to lightly coat food which is going to be fried, the helps keep the juices in and gives the food a light crunchy texture
• Emulsify--the binding together of two not normally compatible foods eg fat and wat.  Slowly add one to the other and beat rapidly. this method is used for the making of mayonnaise, hollandaise and vinegarettes
• Fold--a method of combing two foods of different textures ie whipped egg whites into a cake mixture.  Put the lighter mix on top of the heavier one, using a spatula on its edge lightly draw it through the mixture, turn the bowl a quarter and repeat till all is combined
• devein--the removal of the black vein in prawns
• Grind-- reducing food to powdery texture either by using as blender or a mortar and pestle
• Infuse--the placing of an aromatic substance in boiling water till the flavour is extracted. Tea is an infusion, I use fresh lemon grass to make a delicious infusion which can be drunk both hot or cold
• Julienne--is to cut food into long strips, used for carrots, capsicum, celery and other veges which are being used in dips
• Al Dente--this is how pasta is cooked, slightly chewy or tough to bite
• Au Gratin--foods covered with sauce, sprinkled with cheese and baked in the oven to brown
• Bake--to cook by dry heat ie: usually in an oven
• Beat--to incorporate air into a mixture by using a spoon, whisk or electric beaters, makes the mix light and creamy
• Cream--usually butter and sugar--beating together till light and fluffy and the butter is lighter in colour
• De glaze--pouring a small amount of liquid into a pan in which something has been fried, especially a roast, this can be slightly thickened and becomes your gravy
• Egg wash--lightly brushing the top of a baked item before cooking with a lightly beaten egg, also used to dip fish before crumbing and frying
• Flambe--to serve aflame, especially Bombe Alaska
• Knead--place dough on a flat surface then press down with your hands, roll and fold, roll and fold
• macerate--the soaking of fruit in liquid, usually alcohol, so the flavour is absorbed.  Sometimes the fruit is covered in sugar which draws out the juices
• Marinate--soaking food in a seasoned mixture for an amount of time.  This adds flavour and can tenderize the food. Marinating should be done in glass, ceramic or stainless steel containers.
• Mash--to basically pulverize food to make it smooth and creamy, especially potato and pumpkin, small amounts of butter and warm milk assist this process
• Mince--the grinding of meat to the smallest pieces possible, mostly bought ready done these days but you can still buy bench attached mincers.
• Nap--to completely cover food with a thin, light layer of sauce
• Open faced--a piece of bread which is topped with layers of salad and meat
• Pare--to remove the outer layer of skin using a vegetable peeler
• Peel--to remove the rind or skin from fruit or vegetables
• Poach--to cook food in water water that is only slightly bubbling
• Pot Roast--I have fond memorioes of my Mums pot roast, its is the cooking of meat slowly in a covered pot. Firstly brown the meat then braised on the stove or in the oven. Good for tougher cuts of meat which require longer cooking times
• Pound--Thinning out meat with a mallet to break up muscle. Place meat between plastic wrap and use a mallet or small frying and pound
• Puree--to mash or grind food till completely smooth.  Use a blender stick or processer for best results
• Reduce--to leave a liquid simmering for a long time so it concentrates the flavour
• Rise--in breadmaking leaving the dough in a warm place to allow it to double in volume
• Rest--in breadmaking once again, to allow the dough to rest between kneadings
• Roux--the base of most sauces, and can be used as a thickening for soup ( a healther way though is to use rice as a thickener) Melt 1 tablespoon butter, add one cup of flour and one cup milk, cook till creamy
• Scald--to bring milk to the point where the steam is rising but not boiling
• Sear--quickly browning the meat on both sides at a high temperature, this seals in the juices
• Season--to add flavours to foods as in spices and herbs
• Seed--removing seeds from fruits and vegetables
• Shred--to cut food into thin strips, can be done by hand of a grater, meat can be shredded by using 2 forks and pulling meat apart
• Seive--to put food through fine mesh or a strainer, removes any particles or lumps
• Sift--putting dry ingredients through fine mesh to remove larger pieces and unwanted pieces, also helps aerate food
• Skewer--to thread food onto a metal or wooden spear great for barbeques
• Skim--to remove the scum from the the surface of a liquid after boiling. Its easier to leave contents go cold so the scum or fats sets making it easier to take off
• Skin--taking the outer skin off food before cooking
• Smoke--the cooking of food in a special oven with special smoking sawdust
• Sweat--the cooking of vegetables in fat or oil over a gentle heat to they are soft not brown, onions are often done this way
• Truss--the tying of food with string or skewers so it stays together during cooking, also easier to baste
• Unleavened-- any baked food that has been made without yeast, baking powder or baking soda
• Vandyke--this is the art of cutting zig zags in fruit or vegetable halves, used for decoration
• Whip--to beat quickly to incorporate air and increase volume especially egg whites or cream
• Whisk--beating ingredients together till smooth and creamy
• Zest--to take the outermost skin layers of citrus, use a knife peeler or zester, take care not to cut into the white bitter pith