Methods of Cooking

Question 1

What are the THREE main methods of cooking?

Answer 1

1. Cooking in water
2. Cooking in fat
3. Cooking in the oven

Question 2

Identify FOUR different ways that we can cook in water.

Answer 2

• Simmering
• Steaming
• Poaching
• Pressure Cooking
• Stewing
• Blanching
• Bain-Marie or water bath

Question 3

What is simmering?

Answer 3

Cooking in deep water, just below boiling point. It is used for foods like dumplings, pasta, rice and fruit.

Question 4

What is steaming?

Answer 4

Steaming is cooking in a perforated container over boiling water. Most of the nutrients are preserved in food . Steamed food can be vegetables, fish and steamed pudding.

Question 5

What is poaching?

Answer 5

Poaching is cooking in water that is off the boil so it is a gentle method. Poached foods include eggs, chicken and fish.

Question 6

What is pressure-cooking?

Answer 6

This is cooking in a sealed pan. The higher the pressure, the shorter the cooking time. Pressure steamers are used in the catering industry to deliver a constant supply of vegetables and pudding for busy serving times. Doors and lids must not be opened until the pressure has been released as it can cause an explosion!!

Question 7

What is stewing?

Answer 7

Stewing is cooking food in its own food in a covered pan. If food has a low water content more liquid needs to be added. It is a long, slow method of cooking used to tenderise tough cuts of meat and to cook delicate vegetables and fruit.

Question 8

What is blanching?

Answer 8

Blanching is short cooking in boiling liquid. The short cooking time prevents enzymes that destroy vitamins and minerals from becoming active. Chefs often blanch vegetables and then plunge into cold water to stop the cooking process. These vegetables can then be reheated very quickly for service without losing colour or shape.

Question 9

What is a bain-marie?

Answer 9

A very gentle cooking process carried out by standing the food in a container either in suspended or standing in hot (but not boiling) water. It is used to cook egg custards, or sauces with high percentage of butter, eggs or cream that can split. In food service areas, a bain-marie is used for hot holding of food.

Question 10

Identify FOUR different methods of cooking in fat.

Answer 10

• Sautéing
• Shallow frying
• Deep frying
• Stir frying
• Braising
• Flambéing
• Fondue cookery

Question 11

What is shallow frying?

Answer 11

This is a quick method of cooking which food is browned in hot fat. Food should be turned and cooked and browned on both sides. The presentation side should be cooked first. Can be used for fish, eggs, potatoes etc.

Question 12

What is sautéing?

Answer 12

Tossing small pieces of food in fat that is hot but not smoking. Ideally carried out in a pen with a handle. A mixture of oil and butter is considered best for sautéing. Foods such as liver, kidney, steak and potatoes are suitable for this method.

Question 13

What is deep frying?

Answer 13

Deep frying is cooking food in a friture (wire basket) or deep fat fryer in deep fat. Foods should be able to float freely in the fat. Because of safety issues there are many rules that you should follow when using a deep fat fryer.

Question 14

What are the rules when deep fat frying?

Answer 14

• Use good quality oil
• Never fill the deep fat fryer more than 3/4 full
• Dry food thoroughily before frying
• Do not free too much food at once
• Frying temperature should be between 175 - 195 C
• Allow the fat to recover its heat before adding more food.
• Strain fat after use
• Have frying basket and spider to hand
• Protect delicate foods with batter or pastry to prevent breaking up
• Change fat regularly
• Never put hands near the hot fat.

Question 15

What is stir-frying?

Answer 15

Food is stirred and tossed very quickly in a deep pan or wok using a very small amount of oil. It is important that the food is cut up evenly so that they cook equally. It is popular in Chinese cookery.

Question 16

What is braising?

Answer 16

It is used with inexpensive cuts of meat. It is a combination of frying, steaming and stewing. A selection of vegetables is fried and placed in the bottom of a dish. A (browned) joint of meat is placed on top and liquid is added to come half way up the food. The dish is covered and cooked slowly inside an oven. The fat gives the food a delicious brown crust and the juices can be used for gravy.

Question 17

What us flambéing?

Answer 17

It is not a traditional ‘cooking’ method. It is the term used to describe quick flaming of food in alcohol. It is used to add flavour after shallow frying. Most of the alcohol burns off to leave only the flavour. It is used in high class restaurants for dishes like crepes suzette.

Question 18

What is fondue cookery?

Answer 18

A fondue can be used as a container for hot fat (usually cheese). Small pieces of meat and bread are dipped into the fondue on long skewers.

Question 19

Name FOUR different OVEN cooking methods.

Answer 19

• Baking
• Roasting
• Casseroling
• Pot roasting or casserole roasting
• Grilling
• Microwaving

Question 20

What is baking?

Answer 20

This is cooking food in the fry heat inside an oven. Baked foods usually have a good colour and texture. It is used for puddings, cakes, fish, pastry etc.

Question 21

What is roasting?

Answer 21

This is cooking or browning with the aid of fat. It can be carried out on a constantly revolving spit or in the oven. It is often used for cooking large joints of meat.

Question 22

What is casseroling?

Answer 22

This is similar to braising. The food should be browned first on the hob to lock in the moisture and flavour. Once the liquid has been added to the casserole, cover and cook in a moderate oven.

Question 23

What is pot-roasting or casserole roasting?

Answer 23

Meat is cooked either on or without a bed of root vegetables in a covered pan with butter used for basting. The lid will have to be removed at the end of the cooking time to allow the meat to brown.

Question 24

What is grilling?

Answer 24

Food is cooked under a high heat from above. It is a quick method of cooking. It is used to brown food. It is a healthy method of cooking food as it uses no fat and the fat within the food drains away.

Question 25

Identify THREE tips for a chef when grilling food.

Answer 25

• Season food after grilling as salt draws out the juices and makes grilling dry.
• Pre-heat the grill before putting the food under.
• Thicker foods will take longer to cook in the middle so lower the grill to prevent burning.

Question 26

Name THREE types of grills that are used in the catering industry.

Answer 26

• Salamander - top heat grill used in many catering industries.
• Barbeque - popular for outside cooking. The food has a smoky flavour and should be marinated before cooking to add flavour and to make it more moist.
• Char-grill is similar to barbeque as it holds the food above the heat. Many fast food outlets use automatic conveyor char-grills to cook burgers and buns.
• Rotary toaster - slices of bread are placed on a conveyor belt and are carried through the toaster until brown.

Question 27

What is microwaving?

Answer 27

Microwave ovens cook or warm up food much quicker than conventional oven. Metal reflect microwaves and therefore metal dishes will cause sparks if they are used in a microwave oven. Microwaves do not brown food.

Microwaves are primarily used for defrosting food and reheating pre-prepared food.