A feeling for
what happens next.
Eight methods, one useful reference. Choose an action to see its purpose, then open the method for the setup, tools and limits.
Sear
Bring food into contact with a hot cooking surface to develop browning. The useful question is how the surface is changing while the rest of the food cooks.
- Surface moisture and crowding affect contact with the pan.
- Watch the contacting side and the recipe’s cue for turning.
- Browning is a surface observation; check the centre as the food requires.
Find your next method.
8 entries shown
Sear
Bring food into contact with a hot cooking surface to develop browning. The useful question is how the surface is changing while the rest of the food cooks.
Read the method ↗Heat / Gentle movementSimmer
Cook in liquid with controlled, gentle movement. The aim is to keep the process suited to the ingredient rather than treating every pot as if it needs a vigorous boil.
Read the method ↗Heat / Space in the ovenRoast
Use the oven to cook food in a pan or on a tray. Size, arrangement and the chosen vessel are part of the method, not details to leave until the oven is hot.
Read the method ↗Heat / Heat above the waterSteam
Cook with steam in an appropriate covered setup. The food support, water level and lid belong together as a system.
Read the method ↗Heat / Small pieces, active attentionSauté
Cook relatively small pieces in a pan with the movement and fat specified by the recipe. Prepare the ingredients first so your attention can stay at the hob.
Read the method ↗Mix / A deliberate gentle turnFold
Combine a mixture with a controlled lifting-and-turning action. In a foam-based batter the goal differs from folding a fermenting bread dough, so read the recipe’s context first.
Read the method ↗Mix / Combine, or build a foamWhisk
A whisk can blend ingredients or incorporate air. The recipe needs to tell you which job it is doing and what endpoint to look for.
Read the method ↗Dough / Work the structureKnead
Work a dough according to its flour system and recipe. Hand kneading, machine mixing and a fold-based method are different processes, even when they share an ingredient list.
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