Open Umay
Blanching
A brief dip in boiling water followed by an ice bath
The technique
Plunge the food into a large amount of salted boiling water for a very short time. Remove it immediately and transfer it to an ice bath to instantly stop the cooking. This two-step process sets the color and halts the cooking exactly when desired.
« Use this step to save time on a quick final cooking process. »
When to use
To prepare vegetables before freezing, to soften skins for peeling such as with tomatoes, or to slightly tenderize before sautéing or grilling. Blanching sets the color and softens slightly without fully cooking it through. Use this step to save time on a quick final cooking process.
« - Forgetting the ice bath: the food continues to cook and loses its crunch. »
Pitfalls
- Forgetting the ice bath: the food continues to cook and loses its crunch.
- Not enough water: the temperature drops as soon as the vegetables are added.
- Too much time in the boiling water: the food cooks completely instead of simply blanching.
- Water not salty enough: the vegetables remain bland even after the rest of the recipe.
« Generally count on thirty seconds to two minutes depending on the vegetable, never more. »
The benchmark
Generally count on thirty seconds to two minutes depending on the vegetable, never more. The color becomes more vibrant, almost radiant; that is the signal to remove the food immediately.