1,601 easy and fully explained recipes, with +66K photos and 77 videos

This site uses only a few technical cookies that are necessary for its operation.
By continuing to browse, you agree to their use (learn 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.

11 K 4.7/5 (24 reviews)

Keywords for this post:Cooking Fashion Lexicon Roast Pan Braise Sauté Fry Poach

Last modified on: July 24^th 2024

For this post Comments Lasts posts Follow

For this post: Comment Follow Ask me a question Send to a friend

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

Hot Emulsified Sauces

In French cuisine, sauces are a very important part of a recipe—not just a side dish. In fact, they’re so important that, especially since the time of Auguste Escoffier, they’ve been classified into categories. And among these categories are “hot emulsified sauces,” or lukewarm ones. ...
September 9^th 20269585

Hot Dishes and Cold Dishes

When plating or serving a dish—whether hot or cold—on a plate, it’s very important to make sure they’re both the right temperature; in other words: if the dish is hot, the plate should be hot, and conversely, if the dish is cold, the plate should be cold. Is this really important? Let’s...
September 2^nd 20268223

In baking, cold is your friend

When you bake at home—especially when making pie crusts—you’ve probably noticed that it’s quite difficult to work with the dough when it’s hot. It gets soft, is hard to roll out, and breaks or crumples very easily. And this doesn’t just happen when it’s hot—even in a comfortable...
August 26^th 20268695

With vinegar?

When you buy a jar of pickles labeled “in vinegar,” you’re looking for their tangy, crunchy flavor to go with cold cuts, sandwiches, or salads. You expect to find small gherkins preserved in vinegar, with salt and herbs, but is that really the case?
July 15^th 20261,8374.8

Congratulate the chef

You've just finished a meal that you really enjoyed. The server approaches with the usual question: “How was it?” And then, as a natural reflex, you simply reply, “Yes, it was very good.” However, when the meal was truly outstanding, this brief exchange deserves a little more. .
July 7^th 20261,328 35

See all posts Random post RSS feeds

The 3 kinds of meringue

Meringue – what could be simpler? Just beaten egg whites with sugar added. This makes a fairly stiff mixture which can then be cooked in a cool oven to create those lovely, light confections. But in the world of professional patisserie, meringue comes in three different kinds. Even if the...
June 14^th 201368 K4.5

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 16^th 202159 K4.8

The window-pane test in bread-making

The home bread-makers often ask themselves “Have I kneaded my dough long enough?” . A good question, as dough that is insufficiently kneaded will not rise properly or will fall flat when the top is slashed, which is very frustrating. To know when the dough is ready, one can rely on the length...
June 16^th 202199 K 23.9

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 26^th 20249,7655

How to zest a fruit?

You will have no doubt noticed that many recipes call for the zest of citrus fruit. The zest is that outer layer of the skin which adds so much flavour to a dish. There are many different ways to peel off the zest and various tools are available. Here is a summary of the “dos and don'ts” of...
November 5^th 201349 K3.8

Roasting

Sautéing

Pan-frying

Grilling

Frying

Poaching

Braise