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.
6,552 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
Cake moulds
When we make a cake, or a cake of the same rectangular shape, we usually take out our usual mould and tell ourselves that the recipe is anyway "for a cake", but is it really that simple?August 25th 20256545
Thinning out herbs
If you need to add a long-stemmed herb (tarragon, mint, verbena, thyme, etc.) to a recipe, you'll probably only need the leaves and not the stem, so you'll need to remove the leaves. Leaf removal means keeping only the beautiful leaves, and eliminating the ugly stems and leaves, but how do you do...August 8th 20251,1775
Add a bay leaf
Bay leaf: small in size, but big in flavor. You'll find it in hundreds of recipes, and it's often added to cooking meat, in a sauce or broth, usually accompanied by other herbs or products. It's a staple of Provençal, Mediterranean and Oriental cuisine, but not the only one. Usually, in a...July 31th 20251,2685
Parsley stems
Parsley, whether curly or flat, is a delicious ingredient in many recipes, where it is used both raw and cooked. When used raw, in a salad for example, where it always provides, alone or with other herbs, a remarkable freshness, only the leaves are kept. And when used cooked?July 28th 20251,354 13
A drizzle of olive oil
Often in a recipe, you have to "baste" vegetables, for example, before sending them to the oven. What the author means by this is that you need to put oil on top of the vegetables to cook them in the oven. Typically, we just quickly drizzle oil over the vegetables, hoping not to miss any, but...July 13th 20251,5485
Other pages you may also like
Thinning out herbs
If you need to add a long-stemmed herb (tarragon, mint, verbena, thyme, etc.) to a recipe, you'll probably only need the leaves and not the stem, so you'll need to remove the leaves. Leaf removal means keeping only the beautiful leaves, and eliminating the ugly stems and leaves, but how do you do...August 8th 20251,1775
Kitchen ovens
You certainly have one in your kitchen, an oven, the essential tool for all kinds of cooking, whether in the kitchen of course, but also in pastry, bakery, pizza, and many others. Here is some information on its structure and operation.May 16th 202030 K4.4
The (small) miracle of béchamel sauce
Making a béchamel sauce is going to confront you with a little miracle that happens every time: You pour milk over a roux, it's very liquid, you stir over a low heat, and then all of a sudden, miracle, the sauce sets, it thickens, you've got your béchamel. Let's see what happened.August 27th 20246,3454
Always secure your cutting board
When using a cutting board, it's very important that it's stable and doesn't move while you're cutting, for safety's sake. Boards have a natural tendency to slide on the work surface, but here are 2 ways to block them effectively.July 1st 20251,6255
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.