So naturally, no ones born knowing how to saute chicken, or blanch vegetables.
Parcooking is a pretty general cooking method, and its really about timing and the recipe youre making.
Because its so widely applicable, its useful for almost anything.
Its also a great way tomake casseroles ahead and then freeze themfor later.
it’s possible for you to see the theme here.
you might evenparcook veggies before grilling or sauteeing themto keep their texture and flavor without cooking them to death.
Its simple, and itsthe secret weapon restaurants use to make their veggies delicious.
Theyre the culprit when your kitchen smells like, well, farts and cabbage.
Both stages of this process are important though.
Carryover Cooking
Speaking of cooking thanks to its own heat, this process is called carryover cooking.
And thats not a bad thing!
Food retains heat and continues to cook well after being removed from a heat source.
The bigger, denser, and more protein-rich the food, the more carryover cooking is a factor.
Carryover cooking at its finest.
Then take them off the heatdont wait until theyre how you like them.
By the time youre ready to eat, theyll be just perfect.
Cook them longer and they get spongy and tight, never to let go again.
Let that residual heat do your work for you.
Butter carries a ton of flavor, whether youre frying an egg in it or sauteing spinach or kale.
Maybe a stick of cinnamon and some cloves, or some star anise.
Maybe fennel seeds or cardamom pods.
Add your oil or fat (ghee or butter, for example) to the pan.
Let them bloom until you’re able to really smell them.
They should start to smell fresh, nutty, and kind of toasty.
Thats when you know to cut the heat.
Dont leave them on too long or theyll burn.
Add them to the pan once its hot, and turn the heat down.
Keep the spices moving periodically so they dont burn or overcook on one side.
Pull them off the heat and set them aside.
Dont limit yourself to our suggestions.
Serious Eats even has a recipe fora toasted cardamom pound cakethat sounds delicious.
The same goes for searing and simmering, or stir frying and pan frying.
Sauteinginvolves cooking food in a shallow pan with a little oil or fat, over high heat.
Have you ever added a little oil to a pan and then tossed in some onions or garlic?
Searingis similar, but only refers to the process of browning the surface of food.
Simmeringrefers to the process of cooking liquid-heavy dishes on the heat just below the boiling point.
Shallow fryinganddeep fryingare generic terms and refer mostly to the amount of oil used to cook the food.
Pan fryingis characterized by the use of just enough oil to lubricate the pan during the cooking process.
Youll be much happier with the results when your meal makes it to the table.
Illustration by Sam Woolley.
