Au Gratin refers to a dish that is baked
with a topping of seasoned breadcrumbs and cheese. The au gratin topping should
be golden brown, which can be achieved by baking or by placing the dish under a
broiler. An example of a popular dish would be Potato Gratin.
Blanching is a cooking
technique in which food is briefly immersed in boiling water or fat. Vegetables
as green beans are often blanched in order to enhance their natural green
color. Blanched vegetables are typically plunged into an ice water bath
afterward to halt the cooking process.
Confit is a
technique for preserving meats such as duck, goose or pork that involves
cooking the meat in its own fat, and then storing the meat in this fat in a
covered container. Confit is an effective method for preserving meats because
the fat seals off the oxygen that bacteria need to reproduce. The word confit
can be used to refer to the technique, or to the meat that has been preserved.
Poach means
to cook something in liquid with a temperature ranging from 140°F to 180°F.
Poaching is typically reserved for cooking very delicate items like eggs and
fish. But other proteins like chicken are often prepared via poaching, and some
vegetables can be poached too.
Simmer means
to cook a food in liquid with a temperature ranging from 180°F to 205°F.
Simmering is a cooking technique that's used when making stocks or soups,
starchy items like potatoes or pastas, and many other culinary preparations.
Sweat means
to cook something over low heat in a small amount of fat, usually in a covered
pan or pot. The word sweat is often used to describe the way aromatic
vegetables such as onions, carrots and celery are cooked prior to adding other
ingredients. The objective in sweating vegetables is to soften them and release
the moisture in them, not to brown them. This release of moisture is how the
term sweat gets its name.
