This is the go to section on the blog, where I can explain techniques & phrases used in posts in greater detail, a culinary reference 101 for chefhermes.com, if you will. As this is a work in progress (WIP) and there is something that you’d like to see in this part of the site, then please let me know.
Cooking methods
- Boiling
- Simmering
- Steaming
- Roasting
- Microwaving
- Shallow frying
- Deep frying
- Baking
- Pot roasting (poelé)
- Sous-vide
- Grilling
- Braising
- Poaching
- Stewing
- Sautéing
Other cooking techniques
- Sweating
- Sealing
- Basting
- Curing
- Marinating
- Confit
- Blanching
- Maillard reaction
Other techniques & ingredients
- How to use gelatine
- How to use agar agar
- Ingredient: Sugar
- How to make meringue
- How to make crème Anglaise
Conversion tables
Dry weight
Metric | Imperial | US |
---|---|---|
7g | ¼oz | |
15g | ½oz | |
25g | 1 oz | |
50g | 2 oz | |
75g | 3 oz | |
100g | 4 oz | |
125g | 5 oz | |
150g | 6 oz | |
175g | 7 oz | |
200g | 8 oz | |
225g | 9 oz | 1 US cup |
250g | 10 oz | |
275g | 11 oz | |
325g | 12 oz | |
350g | 13 oz | |
375g | 14 oz | |
400g | 15 oz | |
425g | 16oz / 1lb | |
675g | 1« lb | |
900g | 2lb | |
1kg | 2.2lb |
Liquids
Metric | Imperial |
---|---|
25ml | 1fl oz |
50ml | 2fl oz |
75ml | 3fl oz |
125ml | 4fl oz |
150ml | 5fl oz |
175ml | 6fl oz |
200ml | 7fl oz |
225ml | 8fl oz |
275ml | 9fl oz |
300ml | 10fl oz / ½ pint |
325ml | 11fl oz |
350ml | 12fl oz |
400ml | 13fl oz |
425ml | 14fl oz |
450ml | 15fl oz |
475ml | 16fl oz |
500ml | 17fl oz |
550ml | 18fl oz |
575ml | 19fl oz |
600ml | 20fl oz / 1 pint |
Small quantities
Metric | Imperial |
---|---|
¼ tsp | 1.25ml |
½ tsp | 2.5ml |
¾ tsp | 3.75ml |
1 tsp | 5ml |
1 tblspn | 15ml |
Oven temperatures
Metric | Imperial | Gas mark |
---|---|---|
110°C | 225°F | ¼ |
130°C | 250°F | ½ |
140°C | 275°F | 1 |
150°C | 300°F | 2 |
170°C | 325°F | 3 |
180°C | 350°F | 4 |
190°C | 375°F | 5 |
200°C | 400°F | 6 |
220°C | 425°F | 7 |
230°C | 450°F | 8 |
240°C | 475°F | 9 |
The boiling point of water is 100°C at sea level, thus making it a constant. Boiling is the heating of a liquid where rapid vaporisation/evaporation happens. Normally associated with vegetables. Blanching of vegetables is done with seasoned boiling water to retain colour & par-cook for later use. They are plunged into boiling water briefly, then shocked in iced water to prevent further cooking.
Simmering
Simmering is a gentle boil, ideally suited for a longer cooking process, but not so slow it becomes the poaching method. Bubbles should gently break the surface of the liquid.
Steaming
Can take two main forms: Atmospheric & Pressurised. for most cooks Atmospheric will involve a pan of boiling water (thus creating the steam) & trivet placed out of the water. A moist gentler type of cooking. Pressurised steaming is done in sealed unit, which can increase the temperature of the steam & therefor reduce cooking times.
To expose to a open heat (usually an oven). Can apply to coffee beans through to vegetables, fish & meat. Where the latter three are concerned an oil is normally used to aid the process and to differ from baking.
Sometimes, microwave heating is explained as a resonance of water molecules, but this is incorrect; such resonances occur only at above 1 terahertz (THz). Microwaves work by passing non-ionizing microwave radiation through the food causing some molecules which are dipolar to rotate, thus releasing energy. This effect only penetrates 25-38mm of food stuffs, and is more efficient on such foods high in fat or water.
Not to be confused with sautéing, shallow frying is normally done with about 1cm or more of fat in the pan over a medium heat. As the food is only partially submerged then it requires it to be turned over, or flipped.
The food is completely submerged in the oil, deep frying mediums can vary from: goose fat; vegetable & rapeseed oil to beef dripping, to name three. The range of temperatures used generally start at around 130°C (to start the Maillard reaction) upto and beyond 190°C.
The application of dry heat in an oven, can be used with varying degrees of temperature & humidity.
Very similar to braising, but with the distinction that the food is cooked in a sealed vessel, ie with the lid on. This combines a slow cooking method, such as braising with steaming. This means that very little, if any of the cooking liquor is lost due to evaporation.
Currently enjoying a renaissance. Food is sealed in plastic pouches under vacuum, this can extend the shelf life or aid with marinating. In cooking terms, sous vide is generally used in conjunction with a water bath for more precise cooking methods.
From Wiki:
Sous-vide (/suːˈviːd/; French for “under vacuum”)[1] is a method of cooking food sealed in airtight plastic bags in a water bath for longer than normal cooking times—72 hours in some cases—at an accurately regulated temperature much lower than normally used for cooking, typically around 55 °C (131 °F) to 60 °C (140 °F) for meats and higher for vegetables. The intention is to cook the item evenly, and not to overcook the outside while still keeping the inside at the same “doneness”, keeping the food juicier.
The application of a fierce heat from either above (a typical household grill, aka a Salamander) or below (ie a chargrill or barbeque).
A slow method of cookery usually reserved for cuts of meat meat which are tougher than prime cuts, but can also be used for varying applications from vegetables to fish. Similar to Pot roasting, but the cooking vessel isn’t sealed, so the cooking liquor will evaporate or reduce, to intensify in flavour. The generally accepted method of braising is:
- Colour the food by ‘sealing’ in a hot pan.
- Add to a suitable deep ovenware dish, along with some aromatic vegetables (onion, garlic, carrots celery etc).
- Add cooking liquor: Wine; stock or water, or any combination of the three.
- Bring to the boil, skim.
- Place in an oven on a medium low temperature.
- *Cooking times & temperatures will vary according to the size, type & weight of the meat concerned.
Moist gentle method of cookery, where the liquid barely has any bubbles rising, ie just below simmering in temperature.
A slow method of cooking on the stove top, generally speaking. Although mainly used for tougher cuts of meat, technically speaking dishes such as ratatouille (classical French vegetable stew from the Provence region) & pepperonata (an Italian stew of sweet peppers, onions & tomatoes) also use this method. The cooking liquor is generally thickened, either by reduction or a thickening agent such as cornflour or buerre manié.
This is a quick method of cookery using very little fat in a frying pan, generally over a high heat. The literal translation from French means to jump or bounced, likening the quick movements & tossing of the pan’s contents to prevent burning & discolouration.
To fry in a ban but at a low enough temperature to not start the Maillard reaction, ie not to colour. Sweating vegetables can extract better flavours for dishes, such as sweating the onions & garlic to make a tomato ragout. It’ll remove the harshness from the onions and release the natural sugars, making the base for the sauce more balanced.
One of the biggest misnomers in the culinary world for a long time. The theory use to be that applying high heat to the outsides of joints of meat would keep the juices sealed in. This is infact incorrect. Sealing meat, or the Maillard reaction as it is known, actually caramelises the natural sugars with the protiens present on the outside of the meat. This adds to the flavour, and if using a cooking method such as braising can add to the colour of the final sauce.
The Maillard reaction has been a buzz word in many kitchens for the past few years, but in actual fact, it was first documented around 1912 by French chemist Louis-Camille Maillard. The Maillard reaction is a form of nonenzymatic browning. It results from a chemical reaction between an amino acid and a reducing sugar, usually requiring heat. Whilst many think it is applicable to only to high protein foods such as meat & fish, it also happens in baking as well, think the brown crust on bread.