The Essential Cooking Techniques

Knowing how to cook comes down to mastering a few simple techniques, which opens up a world of original cooking for you. You are no longer tied to having a recipe, buying the ingredients, and then cooking. You can pull together ingredients you already have on hand and use the appropriate cooking technique to make fabulous meals. Here are brief descriptions of the basic cooking techniques used throughout this website.

Grilling and Broiling

The dry, direct heat and quick cooking times are ideal for naturally tender portions associated with grilling of meat and poultry or firm cuts of fish, as well as most vegetables. When grilling the heat source is below and when broiling it is from above.

• Trim meat and poultry of excess fat and, if needed, pound the pieces lightly to an even thickness.
• Fish may be left whole, with the skin on. Meatier fish, like swordfish, may be cut into steaks.
• Marinate high-protein foods before grilling and broiling to add flavor.
• Start with the better-looking side of the meat or poultry face-down on the grill. Let it cook undisturbed on the first side until it is time to turn it. This develops better flavor and allows the meat or poultry to release naturally from the grill without sticking or tearing.
• To avoid burning the outer surface before the inside is cooked through, transfer the meat, chicken, or fish to the oven to finish cooking if necessary.
• Allow your food to cook partially before applying sauces and glazes to avoid burning them.
• Remove the meat, poultry, and fish when slightly underdone, as even thin pieces will retain some heat and continue to cook off the grill.

Sautéing/Pan Searing

This is a key technique to developing great flavor in meats, poultry, and vegetables. Season the protein with a dry spice rub or salt and pepper and make sure the surface of the protein is dry before it hits the hot pan.

• Use a heavy-gauge pan and a small amount of oil. The oil should be very hot before adding the food and allow each side to cook until very brown but not burned.
• Adjust the heat to help avoid burning, but do not reduce the heat too much or it will not develop a deep golden-brown color.
• Once both sides have been seared, you can remove the protein and keep it warm if it is fully cooked or continue to cook it with some vegetables.
• As meats and poultry and even some seafood and vegetables are sautéed, their natural juices become concentrated in the drippings that cook down in the pan, forming what is referred to as the fond. This is very flavorful and should be deglazed from the bottom of the pan with water, wine, or broth to achieve the most flavor.

Sweating

Adding aromatic vegetables like onions and celery to the pan after sautéing and pan searing allows them to sweat and soften. Since very little fat, if any, is in the pan, you can splash in some broth, wine, or water to prevent the vegetables from burning.

• Do not add too much liquid to the pan to avoid steaming the vegetables.
• Start with the larger vegetables and add in the smaller aromatics like garlic once the larger vegetables have started to soften.
• Cook the vegetables over medium heat, lowering the heat if the vegetables start to brown around the edges.

Stir-frying

Like sautéing, stir-frying uses a small amount of oil over medium-high heat to quickly cook food.

• Cut your meats and vegetables into smaller, uniform sizes so they cook quickly.
• Add foods in a sequence: Start with foods that require the longest cooking times and finish with those that cook in only a few moments at the end.

Braising and Stewing

These techniques are ideal for a number of tougher cuts of meat and poultry, making them tender over the course of a long cooking time. Brown the protein in a heavy-gauge pan with a lid that is just large enough to hold all the ingredients. Add the onions or other aromatic vegetable and allow them to cook until they are tender and the appropriate color, translucent for pale braises and stews or deep golden for brown braises and stews.

• For braises, add enough liquid to come one-third to one-half of the way up the side of the food.
• For stewing, the food is typically completely covered with liquid.
• Bring the liquid to just a simmer, not a full boil, to prevent toughening the meat. Adjust the heat as needed to maintain a slow simmer.
• Cover the pan tightly and finish cooking the braise or stew in a moderate oven or over low direct heat. You can also continue the cooking in a slow cooker and not worry about it getting overdone since the goal is often for the protein to become fork-tender and fall apart without a knife.
• When the protein is fork-tender, skim off any surface fat on the braising liquid and return it to a simmer. Cook any extra vegetables that will be served with the dish in this liquid before you add any thickener.
• Finally, thicken the sauce by boiling it to reduce its volume or adding a slurry of cornstarch or arrowroot dissolved in a small amount of water.

Shallow Poaching

By partially submerging poultry and fish in a liquid and placing it over gentle heat, you can combine steaming and simmering for quick yet delicate cooking. The benefit of shallow poaching is the flavorful pan sauce you can make from the poaching liquid.

• When poaching poultry, remove the skin to avoid incorporating the fat into the cooking liquids that are usually served as part of the dish.
• Arrange individual servings of the poultry or fish in an oiled pan. Carefully add the cooking liquid of flavorful broth or wine, letting it come no higher than halfway up the food.
• Add aromatic ingredients such as herbs, spices, citrus zest, vegetables, vegetable juice, or wine to enhance the flavors of the dish.
• Place a round of parchment paper that just fits the pan over the food to capture some of the steam, then gently simmer and steam over low heat on the stovetop or in a moderate oven.
• Once the food is properly cooked, it can be removed from the pan and kept warm while you make a sauce from the remaining poaching liquid. Return the pan to high heat and let the poaching liquid boil until it is reduced by half. You can add minced herbs or other flavorings and thicken with a slurry of cornstarch or arrowroot if you desire.

Roasting

Roasting is a transformative cooking technique when used with larger cuts of meat and whole poultry, making tough cuts tender and succulent. When trimming, be sure to leave a layer of fat (or skin) on meats and poultry to be roasted. This will help the meat retain its natural juices. You can remove the fat from a roast or the skin from the chicken after it has finished roasting, if you prefer.

• Thoroughly degrease the pan drippings before using the fond as a sauce, if the skin or fat cap is left on while roasting.
• Herbs and other aromatics may also be placed under the skin of poultry to flavor the meat during cooking.
• Pat food dry before roasting to prevent it from steaming in its own moisture.
• Truss whole poultry or tie large roasts with string to give them a compact shape to encourage even cooking.
• Use a low-sided roasting pan and a rack to improve the circulation of hot air for even cooking. If you are roasting several large items, plan to leave several inches of space between them to allow hot air to circulate freely.
• The heat of the oven can dry out certain foods, especially those that require longer cooking times. Basting returns moisture to the food and imparts additional flavor. The fat and juices released by the food itself form the traditional basting liquid, but you can also baste with flavored oil or broth.
• If you will be preparing gravy from the pan drippings or want to roast vegetables to serve with the meal, add them to the roasting pan during the last 30 to 45 minutes of cooking time. Do not let these ingredients burn, or your gravy will taste bitter.
• Finally, allow a resting period before cutting and serving roasted meat or poultry. Resting allows the juices to redistribute evenly throughout the meat and the temperature to equalize, for better texture and flavor. Place in a warm spot, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and let sit for 5 to 20 minutes, depending on the size of the food.