Now we are getting into wet cooking techniques. As pottery developed and pots could be made, boiling became practical. Simmering water barely trembles as small bubbles rise. In a low boil the bubbles become larger and rise more rapidly. A medium boil is a step up from that and a rapid boil is when the large bubbles rise violently and the water is splashing out of the pot. Each has its place. Lets return to the old saying that cooking begins with the cracking of an egg. Aside from frying and scrambling, etc, and even cooking an unshelled egg whole, in the ashes of a fire, it was not until the ability to boil water in a pot became available that much of the egg cookery we take for granted.
Poaching. We usually poach eggs and fish. But, the similar technique of parboiling may be used for vegetables. In poaching, we gently lower the food into simmering water. Eggs poach better with a bit of vinegar added to the water. A well poached egg has a firm enough exterior just to hold the still liquid yolk inside. Those of us who enjoy poached eggs usually serve them over salads so that the hot yolk combines with a vinaigrette dressing to make a hot, fresh mayonnaise as we eat. Or, we enjoy them with toast. Poached fish is very delicate and will be only lightly flavored by any herbs or wine you add to the poaching liquid. Poached fish is usually served with a more flavorful and rich sauce. In parboiling, we boil vegetables only briefly, removing the food after it is about half cooked. Usually, such foods will then be quickly chilled and frozen (which ensures a better texture than if they are frozen raw), or will continue to be cooked using another method (such as homemade french fries, which I will get to later and you will LOVE!). Another technique used with simmering or a low boil is steam cooking a ramekin. I will cover that under Eggs Cocotte.
Boiling, as my pasta student learned, is done in hot, usually salted water that is actively bubbling. We generally boil soups and beans, broths and stocks. While many vegetables may be boiled, and traditionally have been served boiled, this is often not the best way to present them with the best flavor and texture.
Stewing is slowly cooking meat and vegetables at a low boil or simmer. It is somewhat like braising, but without the frying and gravy making steps. Stewing is a very traditional way of cooking and is closely associated with comfort food - think the chicken soup your grandmother made… with rice, noodles, dumplings or matzah, your choice. Traditionally, stewing was a technique used for tough cuts of meat and tough old chickens. It is still much loved and can be quite elegant in such dishes as coq au vin, which is properly made from a tough old rooster stewed in wine with vegetables and herbs… but, good luck finding an old rooster unless you raise your own backyard fowl! The birds sold at the grocery store are young and tender because they are grown and processed quickly, which is less costly for the producer. This seeming luxury of the modern diet actually lacks quite a bit of the flavor that our ancestors savored in more mature fowl.
Those are the basic cooking techniques that I use. I’m not much of one for steaming food, sous vide, pressure cooking or crockpots. Other people love them. I’m more of a stick to the basics sort. Also, there are cooking techniques that are not really cooking, such as making ice cream. You will notice that this book is light on desserts. I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, but I do enjoy ice cream and chocolate. I think an ice cream freezer is well worth having, although I would not consider it essential. If I didn’t have one, I would just bake brownies occasionally, or make a vanilla custard. I admit to being very fond of custard!
Other cooking techniques that don’t involve cooking include preservation techniques that enhance flavor, such as salt curing, brining, cold smoking, pickling and fermenting. I will cover all of those techniques.
Certainly not to be overlooked is raw food. Being part French, I love salads and platters of raw vegetables. I love to pick fresh tomatoes in the garden and eat them out of hand like the fruit they are… I’ve even been known to carry salt and pepper with me! While I am by no means a sushi aficionado, I do appreciate raw, fresh seafood. My grandfather taught me to shuck oysters and eat them raw when I was very young. Raw or barely roasted, still “wet” oysters are among my absolute favorite foods. I can go for the occasional beef carpaccio or tartare, as well.
What is important to remember is that there is no right way to cook most foods. The important thing is to be able to execute proper technique so that you can cook whatever you like to your own, personal taste. I might prefer a pork chop grilled to about medium, while you would rather have the same chop fried well done. Remember what my grandmother taught me, “Taste of it for seasoning and cook until it is done.” Keep cooking simple and enjoyable. Never labor over a recipe, trying to get every detail right.
I think this is enough to get us started!
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