This document discusses various moist cooking methods including poaching, boiling, braising, stewing, and steaming. It provides details on how each method works, suitable foods to use with each method, and purposes of the different moist cooking techniques. Moist cooking methods involve cooking foods in water or flavored liquids and include techniques like poaching, simmering, boiling, steaming, braising, and stewing.

1. PRINCIPLES OF COOKING
Moist methods of cooking food

2. Principles of Cooking
• Cooking can be defined as the transfer of energy from a heat source
to a food
• Energy alters the food’s molecular structure, changes its texture,
flavor, aroma, and appearance
• When food is cooked, the process destroys microorganisms and
makes food easier to ingest and digest

3. • Boiling
• Poaching
• Steaming
• Stewing
• Braising
Moist Cooking Methods

4. Cooking Methods
Moist Heat:
• Poach, simmer, boil
Cooking in water or seasoned, flavored liquid
• Steam
Expose foods directly to steam
• Braise
Cooked covered in a small amount of liquid

5. • Soups
• Sauces
• Stews
• Vegetables
• Fish
• Cheaper cuts of meat
• Fruit
Types of Dishes that would typically be cooked using moist
cooking methods

6. • Poaching is cooking in a liquid when the temperature of the liquid is
held at simmering point which is just bellow boiling.
• Fish or other delicate foods can be poached and the cooking liquor
can then be used to enhance the flavour of the sauce which will
accompany it,
Poaching

7. • Shallow poaching in a pan with a small amount of liquid is
often used for fish or chicken dishes, normally started on top
of the cooker but finished in a covered container in the oven
• Deep Poaching is when an ingredient is covered with liquid
and almost always carried out on the top of the cooker.
Methods of Poaching

8. • Healthy Cooking Method
• Fast Method of Cooking
• Poaching liquid can be used for the sauce to accompany the dish
• Keeps the flavour of the ingredients
• Delicate foods will not break up during cooking
Purposes of Poaching

9. • Boiling is cooking foods in liquid at boiling point
• Always carried out in a pan on the top of the stove covered by a pan
lid.
• Many different types of foods can be cooked by boiling.
• Mainly used for soups and vegetables.
Boiling

10. Boiling
• The temperature of boiling water is 212ᵒF at sea level. This point is
raised by the presence of solids in the water and lowered by higher
altitudes.
• At 5000 feet, water boils at about 203ᵒF; therefore, it takes longer to
boil foods at high altitudes because of lower boiling temperature.

11. • To cook food rapidly
• Not suitable for delicate dishes as the agitation of the boiling water
will cause delicate foods to break up during the cooking process.
• Not generally used for high protein foods because the heat toughens
the protein
• Soups and sauces should only be boiled for a short time to start off
the cooking of the dish
Purposes of Boiling

12. • Eggs
• Vegetables
• Soups
• Sauces
• Certain cuts of meat
Types of food suitable for boiling

13. • Braising is a method of cooking that combines cooking in fat with the
addition of moisture
• It is a very long cooking process
• Braising is generally carried out in the oven
Braising

14. • Stewing is cooking in a small amount of water, which may either be
boiling or simmering.
• Whether a food is to be simmered, stewed or boiled the liquid usually
is brought to a full boil first. This compensates for the lowering of the
temperature when the food is added. The heat is adjusted to
maintain a steady temperature.
• It is a very long cooking process
Stewing

15. • Cheaper cuts of meat
• Fruit
• Vegetables
• Chicken
• Sweetbreads
• Ham
Types of foods suitable for braising/stewing

16. • When stewing food is normally cut into small, even sized, diced pieces
• When braising food items can be left whole or in larger sizes.
• Stewing normally takes place on the stove top covered in liquid
• Braising normally takes place in the oven does not have to be covered
in liquid
Differences between braising and stewing

17. • Stock
• Beer
• Wine
• Water
• Cider
Liquids that can be used for
Braising/Stewing

18. • Cooking by exposing foods directly to steam (cooking by the steam
created by water at a high temperature)
• Can be used for a variety of dishes
• Is fast and requires very little attention during cooking
Steaming

19. • Sponge based deserts
• Vegetables
• Chicken
• Certain cuts of meat
• Fish
• Fruit
Types of dishes suitable for Steaming