Cooking Vegetables PDF

COOKING VEGETABLES BOILING AND STEAMING KEY POINTS • Boiling and steaming are the two most frequently used methods for cooking vegetables. – Nearly all vegetables may be cooked by boiling or by steaming. – Shocking or refreshing: Boiled or simmered vegetables are drained as soon as they are cooked...

COOKING VEGETABLES BOILING AND STEAMING KEY POINTS • Boiling and steaming are the two most frequently used methods for cooking vegetables. – Nearly all vegetables may be cooked by boiling or by steaming. – Shocking or refreshing: Boiled or simmered vegetables are drained as soon as they are cooked and then cooled quickly under cold water. • This method should be used unless the vegetables are to be served immediately. • In other cases, the product is only partially cooked by boiling or steaming and is finished by another cooking method, such as sautéing or baking BOILING AND STEAMING KEY POINTS (CONT’D) • In many cases, the agitation and high temperature of boiling break up delicate vegetables. – Simmering is more appropriate. • Steaming as a method for cooking vegetables is becoming more widely used. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. BOILING AND STEAMING Sautéing and Pan-Frying Sautéing and Pan-Frying PURÉEING VEGETABLES KEY POINTS KEY POINTS (CONT’D) • Vegetable purées are served as side dishes or garnishes. – They are also used as ingredients in other preparations. Rub the cooked vegetable through a tamis using a pestle or a plastic scraper. Scrape the purée from the bottom of the sieve. • Sautéing means cooking quickly in a small amount of fat. – The product is often tossed or flipped in the pan over high heat. • Pan-frying means cooking in a larger amount of fat and for a longer time at lower heat. – The product is not tossed or flipped in the pan over lower heat. • To flip foods in a sauté pan: • Give the handle a sharp twist upward with the wrist. • Be sure to move the pan back far enough to catch the foods as they come down. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. BRAISING BAKING BROILING AND GRILLING KEY POINTS KEY POINTS BROILING • A slow, moist-heat cooking method using a small amount of liquid. • Braised vegetables are not always cooked in fat before liquid is added. – Some kind of fat is used in the preparation. – Braised vegetable preparations tend to be more complex than boiled or steamed vegetables, and the cooking times are longer. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. • Cooking starchy vegetables from the raw to the finished state: – Starch vegetables are baked because the dry heat produces a desirable texture. • Vegetable casseroles are baked for either of two reasons: – The slow, all-around heat allows the product to cook undisturbed. – The dry heat produces desirable effects, such as browning and caramelizing of sugars. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. • Used to finish cooked or partially cooked vegetables by browning or glazing them on top. – Bread crumbs are sometimes used to give a pleasing brown color and to prevent drying. – Casseroles or gratin dishes that do not brown sufficiently in the oven may be browned for a few seconds under the broiler or salamander. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. BROILING AND GRILLING DEEP FRYING GRILLING KEY POINTS • Grilled, quick-cooking vegetables are pleasant accompaniments to grilled and roasted meats and poultry. • Cut the vegetables into broad slices. • Brush with oil. • Grill until lightly cooked and lightly browned. – Heavy browning may produce an unpleasant burned taste.Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. RECIPE PRONUNCIATIONS • Deep-fried vegetables may be divided into five categories: 1. Vegetables dipped in batter and fried. 2. Vegetables breaded and fried. 3. Vegetables fried without a coating. 4. Small vegetables or cuts mixed with a batter and dropped with a scoop into hot fat. 5. Croquettes: thick vegetable purées or mixtures of small pieces of vegetable and a heavy béchamel or other binder, formed into shapes, breaded and fried. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. RECIPE PRONUNCIATIONS DEEP FRYING VEGETABLES FOR DEEP-FRYING • Most vegetables large enough to coat with breading or batter may be fried. • Tender, quick-cooking vegetables can be fried raw. • Others may be precooked by simmering or steaming briefly to reduce the cooking time they need in the frying fat. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. TIPS FOR STIR FRY VEGETABLES • Sunchoke Galettes • Amandine • Broccoli Mornay • Cauliflower au Gratin • Artichokes Clamart • Cipolline en Agrodolce • Carrots Vichy • Spinaci alla Romana • Zucchini Sauté Provençale • Duxelles Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. 1. PREPARE ALL THE INGREDIENTS BEFORE TURNING ON THE HEAT v Once the heat is on, things move quickly. vHave your ingredients sliced and your liquids measured before you start, and keep them close by. vBe prepared to add things quickly, making sure each component is cooked properly. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. • Peas à la Française • Ratatouille • Lecsó • Eggplant Sichuan Style • Spinach Timbale • Elote con Queso • Moussaka • Chiles Rellenos Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. 2. SLICE MEAT AND VEGETABLES FOR 3. USE A WOK OR CAST-IRON PAN MAXIMUM SURFACE AREA v The goal is to expose as much surface area as possible: vegetables are often sliced thinly on a sharp diagonal; vAromatics like garlic and ginger are usually finely chopped; and meat is always sliced against the grain to increase tenderness. vThe greater surface area gives it all more contact with the heat and more flavor. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. vA wok has a large surface area and retains heat very well, making it ideal for stir-fries. vIf you don’t have a wok, opt for a cast-iron pan. vAs you add more ingredients, you want the pan to remain very hot and cast iron pans will retain heat better than other materials. vThis makes it particularly important when cooking on an electric stove, because, compared to a gas flame, the element has more difficulty retaining heat. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. 4. THE AROMATICS SHOULD BE COOKED 5. BUT THE STIR FRY NEEDS TO LOW AND SLOW BE COOKED FAST AND HOT v There is one exception to cooking at a high heat, and that’s when you’re using finely chopped aromatics such as ginger, garlic, lemongrass or green onions. vThey should be cooked first, at a lower heat. If added to a wok or pan on high heat, they will burn quickly and taint the flavor of the stir-fry. vAs these items are used to flavor the oil, heat the oil over medium heat and cook the aromatics gently. vMake sure to spoon them out of the pan v Your heat should be set to high—but it still needs to be controlled (you don’t want it smoking). vHeat your wok or pan before adding the oil, as this step will help prevent sticking. vOnce the oil is added, roll it around the pan to coat it well. vSelect oil with a high smoke point. (Peanut oil works very well for stir-fries.) 6. ADD INGREDIENTS ACCORDING TO COOK TIME v Don’t be afraid to cook the meat first and take it out of the pan, to be added again at the end. vThis will allow you to cook the vegetables without overcooking the meat. vDon’t expect the meat to appear browned— in stir-fries the meat is only just cooked through, so there’s no time for caramelization. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. 7. STIR YOUR INGREDIENTS OFTEN 8. THICKEN THE STIR-FRY SAUCE 9. ALWAYS ADD A GARNISH v Your ingredients should cook fast, but to ensure that everything is cooked evenly, stir constantly . vIt’s important to move the food in and out of the center of the pan quickly. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. v Some recipes will call for a mixture of cornstarch and water to thicken the sauce at the end of a stir-fry. vIf this is the case, make sure that they are mixed until smooth to prevent clumping when added. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. v Serve stir-fries with a steaming bowl of rice or noodles, but don’t forget to add a fresh element: herbs, sprouts or fresh citrus wedges make a big difference. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.