This site uses only a few technical cookies necessary for its operation. By continuing to browse, you accept their use.
To find out more...
To find out more...
The different cooking modes
In cooking, cooking means bringing food into contact with a source of heat, to transform it: improving its taste, and sometimes its texture.
This contact with the heat source can be achieved in a number of ways: these are the cooking methods, and let's take a look at the main ones.
This contact with the heat source can be achieved in a number of ways: these are the cooking methods, and let's take a look at the main ones.
9,140 4.7/5 (24 reviews)
Keywords for this post:CookingFashionLexiconRoastPanBraiseSautéFryPoachLast modified on: July 24th 2024
The different cooking modes
Roasting |
| This means cooking, generally in an oven or on a spit, in a dry atmosphere (no steam). The aim is to obtain a nice brown color, a crust on the surface of the food, and a softness inside. Examples: Pork or veal roast |
Sautéing |
| Depending on its size, the food is cut into small pieces, then cooked quickly, uncovered and over high heat, with a small amount of fat, in a very hot saucepan, frying pan or sauté pan. Examples: Sautéed beef, vegetables or mushrooms. |
Pan-frying |
| Frying means cooking the whole food (or a small portion of it) in a pan over medium heat, covered or uncovered. Examples: Pan-fried fillet of sole or red mullet. |
Grilling |
| Quickly cooking food by placing it in direct contact with a heat source or a very hot surface: grill, barbecue coals, plancha. Examples: Barbecued steaks or burgers. |
Frying |
| Cooking food by plunging it directly into a fatty substance (oil, beef fat, etc.). Examples: French fries, fritters. |
Poaching |
| To cook a food by dipping it in an aromatic liquid (stock, juice, fumet, etc.). Examples: Poached pears, fish quenelles. |
Braise |
| The food, generally a whole piece (meat or other), is first seared on each side in a pan with a little very hot fat, then cooked slowly in a closed container that contains a base of liquid, often wine, but not completely immersed in it. Example: Braised beef with red wine and mushrooms. |
These are just the main cooking methods; professional chefs use others, which are often variations of these.
Source: "La cuisine professionnelle" by Yannick Masson and Jean-Luc Danjou.
Lasts posts
Butter vs. grease
We often read in a recipe where a pastry is put into a mould that, just before pouring, the mould should be buttered or greased. But what's the difference between these 2 terms?December 1st 20252,1385
Getting out of the fridge early
Very often when you're cooking, you need to take food or preparations out of the fridge, to use them in the recipe in progress. There's nothing tricky about this: you just take them out of the fridge and use them, usually immediately, in the recipe. But is this really a good method?November 24th 20251,4435
Who's making the croissants?
When you look at a bakery from the outside, you naturally think that in the bakery, the bakers make the bread, and in the laboratory, the pastry chefs make the cakes. It's very often like that, with each of these professions having quite different ways of working, but sometimes there's also one...November 23th 20251,329
Oven height
When we put a dish or cake in the oven, we naturally tend to put it on the middle shelf, and that's what we usually do. But in some cases, this position and height can be a little tricky, so let's find out why.October 8th 20254,0825
The importance of sieving
In recipes that use a fine powder (flour, powdered sugar, etc.), you'll often see the advice to sift before using it. To sift is to pass the powder in question through a sieve (a very fine strainer) before incorporating it into your recipe. It's often advice, but is it really useful?September 3rd 20258,4583
Other pages you may also like
Clean your mixer easily
If you use a "bowl" or "blender" mixer, as opposed to a plunger, you've probably noticed that it's a bit of a hassle to clean it after use. And yet, with a simple trick, it can be done very quickly. See how here.June 26th 20248,3975
Raising (or leavening) agents
When we want to make a dough or batter rise when baking, either in patisserie or bread-making, we need to use a raising agent or leavening agent, one of which is called leaven. In the context of baking, a raising agent is simply what "makes something rise". It is a substance which, when added to...June 16th 202157 K4.8
What is the difference between bakery and patisserie?
This is a question that you may well have asked yourself and which I will attempt to answer. In France the two trades of "boulangerie" (bakery) and "pâtisserie" (patisserie and confectionery) have always been quite distinct, but where exactly do the boundaries lie? .February 7th 2017135 K 14.1
85 grams of eggs?
Some time ago, I already spoke to you about the difference between baking and pastry-making, I emphasized, among other things, the precision of pastry-making which requires grams, cm, degrees and minutes. That's why, on the one hand, you have baking and cooking, where a certain tolerance is...November 26th 201857 K4.6
The bitterness of endives
As I write these lines, we are entering the endive season, and if you like it, it's time to enjoy it, if possible with your local producers. Endive is good, but the reproach that is often made of it, and children in particular, is: "It's bitter! And it is (somewhat) true of course, endives...February 9th 201914 K4.9
Post a comment or question
Follow this page
If you are interested in this page, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the page is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.