Tinfoil Chef

I was going to do another one of the cooking terms posts but then I ran across something that made me decide that the term “Boil” deserved a bit broader treatment than as a one of many in a list of several items.

First I’ll start out defining the term. To boil is to cook something in water or other liquid that’s been heated until it’s bubbling vigorously.

The misconception is that anything being cooked in heated water is being boiled and that the more intense the boiling action, the better. However simmering and poaching are related to boiling and are actually used a lot more often.

What I’ve learned is that boiling is often a technique that is best avoided. Most foods, for example meat and seafood, are better poached instead. The reason is that boiling meat and seafood can leave them dry or stringy and the liquid will be left greasy.

Poaching is to cook in liquid where the temperature is held just below the boiling point so that it shimmers slightly on the surface.

On the other hand, there are some foods that are best cooked at a rolling boil. For example rice and pasta cook more quickly and evenly in boiling water. Green vegetables are often cooked uncovered in a large amount of boiling salted water. The large quantity of water keeps the vegetables from lowering the temperature of the water and slowing the cooking process. It would also cause them to lose their bright color.

The salt also helps the vegetables retain their green color. As soon as the vegetables are done you should immediately drain them in a colander and then either plunge them into ice water or quickly rinse them under cold tap water until they’re completely cool. This technique of immediately chilling the drained vegetables so they retain their flavor and color is called refreshing or shocking.

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