Understanding different cooking techniques is important because it allows one to choose the best method for specific foods. Moist heat cooking methods like boiling, steaming, poaching and braising do not form a seal on the food, so some flavor is lost in the cooking liquid. Dry heat methods like sautéing, stir-frying, baking and grilling seal the food from the outside, locking in juices. The Maillard reaction, which produces flavorful browned compounds, only occurs with dry heat methods above a certain temperature. Choosing the right cooking method enhances flavors and preserves textures of different foods.

1. COOKING METHODS
Understanding different cooking techniques is important for two reasons,
First of all, it's hard to successfully complete a recipe for poached salmon if
one does not know what poaching means. But beyond this very basic
reason, there is a relationship between cooking techniques, the expected
result, and the best types of food to use. That probably sounds very
confusing, but all it means is that if you understand how a cooking
technique works, you can choose the best foods to use with that method.
For example you have salmon and you want to use a method that enhances
the flavour of this delicate fish, such as grilling, steaming, or even smoking.
But you would not stew it or braise it because the fish would disintegrate
MOIST HEAT COOKING METHODS:-
Unlike dry heat methods, moist heat cooking doesn’t form a seal on the
food as it cooks, so some of the flavour is lost into the liquid. For this reason
the cooking liquids that remain are often used as a base for a sauce to
accompany the main item.
BOILING
Boiling includes food being heated by convection currents in hot water at a
maximum of course 100*c.. Water cooking and this includes all the variants
such as blanching, steaming, poaching, and braising-is a moist method,
therefore there are no Maillard reactions.
Boiling is more relevant to vegetables. They are cooked quickly in
rapidly boiling salted water, and for a very short time. This gives a firm and
pleasant texture, keeps the colour and ensures the vegetable will retain
most of its nutrients.
The amount of water used should be atleast 4 to 5 times the volume of the
vegetables, you are cooking so that the water can regain its boil quickly
after the vegetables are plunged in. The amount of salt used is the reverse
of what you might expect. For example asparagus may take about 5 to 6
minutes to cook, so the salt does not have the time to permeate into the
vegetable.. Therefore the salt content of the water should be high. The
water should be at full boil and the pan should be uncovered; volatile acids
present in all green vegetables will escape, but if the pan is covered then
they would find their way back into the water and discolour the vegetables.
The green colour in vegetables such as beans, spinach, peas, is caused by
Chlorophyll, the molecule which allows plants to capture sunlight and make
sugar from carbon dioxide in the air and water from the soil. But chlorophyll

2. is easily damaged by heat, by acids and by enzymes. It loses its bright green
colour and so often the cooked vegetables often look dull greyish green.
Acids and enzymes are present all the time in plant cells but their bad
effects are activated during cooking. In a large amount of water at a high
temperature the enzymes will be destroyed.
Blanching:
It involves boiling foods in water for minutes only, not necessary to cook the
foods, but to prepare them for the next step in their preparation or cooking.
Vegetables for example are blanched before they are frozen. This greatly
reduces the activity of enzymes in them, an activity which can lead to
spoilage or rotting of vegetables. The vegetables are then plunged into cold
water to stop the cooking process. Blanching in this case lengthens the safe
storage period.
A number of fruits are blanched to remove their skin - among them are
tomatoes. Herb’s are blanched only if they have an aggressive flavour that
needs to be toned down.
Steaming:
This cooking technique is intimately related to boiling. Food is cooked over
water at a rolling boil, at boiling point-when the water molecules are
changing to steam or gas -and thus the temperature is slightly higher than
the boiling point of water. Steaming cooks the food by surrounding it with
hot steam. The steam circulating around the food provides an even, moist
environment that allows the food to retain most of its flavour and natural
juices. You can add Herb’s, stock, wine or even beer to enhance the flavour.
Foods such as vegetables can be cooked fairly rapidly with this kind of
technique. It is most suitable for delicate foods which would easily break up
while rolling around in a liquid.
Steaming does not involve Maillard reaction.
Poaching
Poaching is a technique which calls for the food to be completely
submerged in a liquid and simmered at a constant, or moderate
temperature. Stocks, broth’s, and court bouillon work well as poaching

3. mediums. You can also infuse poaching liquids with Herb’s to flavour the
food. You can reduce these poaching liquids to increase the concentration
of the flavour.
Fish, Poultry, meat, vegetables, pasta, and eggs can all be cooked in this
way. The meat, or fish cooked in this way is enriched by the aromatics
infused in the broth. In the first stage of poaching the proteins of the muscle
fiber coagulate: this expels the juices within the flesh, creating cavities
between the cells. As soon as the cooking continues, these cavities are
replenished by the aromatic cooking liquid.
Braising
In braising you first sear the food in hot oil and then slowly cook it in a liquid
that covers the food about one half to three quarters of the way. This
technique is good for meats that are not tender, such as pot roast, because
slow cooking in the liquid helps to tenderize the meat. The meat is done
when it is fork-tender or it falls of the bone. During cooking the meat
releases its flavour into the liquid, which you can reduce to make a sauce.
Braised food is cooked in the oven. The heat should always be low, ideally
around 140*c. All braises take a long time, but the end result is definitely
worth it. As long as there is water in the casserole the temperature will not
be more than 100*c., irrespective of the oven temperature. If the oven
temperature is too high it will evaporate the water in the meat tissues and
make it hard and dry.
Often it is recommended that some flour is added at the start for binding.
The addition of flour at this stage will absorb all the fat, and all this will be
hidden in the sauce. All this on the expense of lightness. Cooking juices
without any kind of thickening will be thin, but it will be delicious. If you
want a more full bodied sauce you must at the end remove all the excess fat
and then thicken with cornflour.
Stewing
Stewing is similar to braising, except that you cut the food into bite sized
pieces. In stewing you first brown the meats and vegetables separately and
then you mix them together and cook them in a liquid. The liquid must cover
the meat and vegetables.

4. DRY HEAT COOKING METHODS USING FATS AND OILS.
The following methods are considered dry methods even though they use oil
or fats. Although oil pours freely at room temperature, it functions
differently than liquids, stocks, or water, and therefore not considered a
liquid for cooking purposes. Dry heat methods seal the food from outside,
locking in most of the juices. The following dry heat methods use high heat,
cook foods quickly, and are best when used with smaller tender cuts of
poultry, meat, or fish.
Sautéing
This is a rapid method of cooking over high heat using a small amount of oil
. The key to successful sautéing is to heat the pan before adding the oil. This
ensures a caramelizing effect which sears the sides of the food. Sautéing
literally means jumping, or to toss the food in the pan and it is probably the
most commonly used cooking method.
Stir frying
It is similar to sautéing, except that the food is cut into small pieces and
kept in constant motion during cooking. In a stir fried dish, you fry all the
ingredients quickly in the same pan, adding various items at different times.
Pan frying
In this method you add a substantial amount of oil . Pan fried foods are
usually breaded or batter coated. In pan frying the hot oil seals the foods
coated surface and locks the natural juices inside instead of releasing the
flavours. You should allow pan fried foods to brown completely on one side
before turning them-excessive turning causes the breading or batter to fall
off.
Deep frying
When deep frying you cook the food by completely submerging it in hot oil.
Deep fried foods are often coated with flour, batter, or breading, which acts
as a barrier between the fat and the food. The coating also adds flavour and
a crunchy texture to the food. Make sure your oil is clean, otherwise your
food can pick up unwanted flavours from the oil. Before serving deep fried
foods always blot them on paper to remove excess oil.

5. Dry Heat Cooking Methods:
Dry heat simply means that no liquid is added to the food or the pan you are
cooking in. Any addition of fat that you might add during cooking would be
only to add flavour and not to act as a cooking medium.
Baking:
Baking cooks food by surrounding them with hot, dry air. This is similar to
roasting, except that one does not baste the food as you would during
roasting.
Broiling:
You broil foods by using a heat source located above the food item. Broiling
is a quick technique that is generally used for smaller pieces of meat or fish.
You can broil almost any kind of food, but delicate items should be brushed
with a marinade or butter to help them keep moist and to facilitate
browning.
Grilling:
You grill foods by keeping the heat source below the food. Grilled foods
have a charred or smoky flavour resulting from the flaring of juices and fats
that render out as the items cook. The drippings that would otherwise
collect or reduce if you cooked in a sauté pan actually reduce directly on the
grilled foods surface.
Roasting:
This cooks food by surrounding them with hot dry air. Roasted foods are
often basted during cooking. Meat should always be seared first over direct
heat and then cooked at a higher rack. Allow roasted items to rest before
service to allow the juices to distribute evenly throughout the food.
The juices from a roasting pan are very flavourful and make a great gravy.
Just add a splash of water or wine to loosen the drippings.

6. Smoking
You can smoke foods on a grill, in a smoker or even in a pan, on your stove
top. Two basic methods are generally used for smoking:
Cold Smoking: Here only smoke is present but no heat. You should be able
to hold your hand above the wood chips and feel only a slight warmth. This
method infuses a smoky flavour to the food and does not cook it
completely.
Hot Smoking: Some of the wood chips have a red glow to them which
conducts heat and helps the food to get cooked apart from even smoking
them.
You can use special wood like grapevine, hickory, apple or mesquite to
introduce a particular flavour .
You can smoke right on your stove tops by adding some wood chips in a
deep pan, lighting them, putting the food on a rack above the wood, And
cover with a tight lid.
WHICH FAT WOULD YOU USE?
The best fats to use while frying is either unsalted butter, or olive oil. If
using butter one must use only unsalted butter, which is heated to the
hazelnut stage, when it foams and becomes a rich golden yellow colour. The
main danger with butter is sometimes you might overheat it: it will burn
and lend a nasty taste to the ingredients.
If using olive oil use a good quality one, an extra virgin one will is not
necessary as its chemistry and flavour will alter whilst cooking.
Other oils ofcourse can be used. Sunflower, safflower, vegetable, and
sesame are all good.
Some prefer to use a mixture of butter and oil and this is mostly commonly
done.
DEEP FRYING WITHOUT A COATING!
A lot of vegetables can be deep fried without a coating. With potatoes it is
done in two stages as for French fries. They are first deep fried at a lower
temperature so as to blanch them and basically cook them through. They
are then cooled and then deep fried in fat at a higher temperature, so that
they acquire a crusty texture and a pleasant appearance. This second frying
evaporates all the moisture from the surface of the chips and makes them
crisp.

7. Sprigs of Herb’s can also be fried without a coating. This should be done at
a lower temperature to remove all the moisture and give the Herb’s a
beautiful crispy texture.
MICROWAVE COOKING:
Micro waves are electro magnetic waves like light, or radio waves or x-rays.
Their wave length is similar to the ones used in radar’s, and they can
penetrate materials that do not conduct electricity, hence all food stuffs. If
the material contains water molecules these are set into motion by these
waves and the kinetic energy produced is converted into heat by friction.
Since microwaves act only on water they cannot cook above 100*c, and as a
result there are no Maillard compounds formed . This means that foods do
not brown. There are now however microwave ovens fitted with grills.
Basically a heating element is provided. This ensures browning.
DO NOT TRY TO COOK A WHOLE EGG IN ITS SHELL IN THE MICRO, AS IT
WILL EXPLODE!
THE MAILLARD REACTION
When you cook meat either by frying or in the oven, it browns at the surface
due to chemical reactions between proteins and sugars. This is probably the
most important cooking method in the kitchen as it produces masses of
flavour. It is Maillard reactions that produce the delicious aroma of fried,

8. roasted and baked foods. What is happening is a chemical conjunction
between the amino acids and the sugars present in the meats. When these
are heated together they produce a whole range of colourful and highly
flavoured molecules which are responsible for the brown colour and the
distinctive taste of cooked meat.
This maillard reaction can take place at a much lower temperature than is
needed to caramelize sugar.
This same reaction is responsible for the tasty crust on toast and bread.
Wheat contains a lot of protein as well as starch. This reaction is also
responsible for the aroma and flavour of coffee and chocolate. The beans of
both are roasted while being processed.