Cooking is an art, and while art is not restricted to any specific tools and techniques, knowing them definitely makes it easier, and more methodical. Similarly, in cooking, there a variety of cooking techniques that really make a difference to the food being cooked, the dominant flavours, the taste, and the overall texture of the meal. Learning about these techniques not only makes you a better cook but also helps better understand why something tastes the way it does.
Here are different types of cooking techniques you should know about
1. Steaming
Steaming is a versatile and healthy cooking technique that uses steam to cook food gently and evenly. It's a great way to retain nutrients, flavour, and moisture in your food, making it perfect for a variety of dishes, from vegetables and dumplings to seafood and even some varieties of cakes! Since it uses no oil, it is one of the healthier cooking methods.
2. Simmering
Food is cooked in liquid just below boiling, suitable for stews, soups, and sauces. This stew cooking method allows flavours to slowly infuse into the liquid, resulting in richer, deeper tastes. It is one of the best cooking methods if you are looking to transform tough cuts of meat, connective tissues, and legumes into melt-in-your-mouth tender stew.
3. Boiling
Food is cooked in simmering water, perfect for vegetables, pasta, and eggs. The way it is different from simmering is that it has much more aggression in terms of bubbles, and heat, and as a result, it ends up cooking everything a bit faster. It is another of the healthier cooking techniques as no oil is used, and the loss of nutrients is quite less because of how much time is involved in boiling.
4. Frying
Food is completely submerged in hot oil, resulting in a crispy coating and cooked interior. Best for foods like chicken wings, fish, and fritters, this cooking technique is not as healthy as other aforementioned but if crispy textured yummy goodness is what you’re looking for, frying is the cooking technique to go for.
5. Roasting
Uses much less oil and dry heat to cook larger cuts of meat, poultry, and vegetables. This cooking technique involves cooking food, typically uncovered, in a hot oven with circulating dry heat. This creates a golden brown exterior with a caramelized crust while simultaneously cooking the interior evenly. This cooking technique is as good for cooking meat as it is for vegetables.
6. Sauteing
With the goodness of frying, and yet one of the healthier cooking methods, sauteing involves cooking small food pieces in a shallow pan with a relatively small amount of hot oil or fat. The key is to have the pan hot enough to achieve quick browning while the oil can handle the high temperature without burning. This cooking technique derives its name from the French word Sauter which means to jump, and if you have ever sauted something, you know just how appropriate it is.
7. Broiling
Broiling is a fantastic cooking technique for achieving a delicious char and tender interior in your dishes, especially for thinner cuts of meat and vegetables. Food is exposed to direct, intense heat in the oven, creating a crispy, golden crust. This cooking technique is fast, flavourful, and much healthier than many other cooking techniques.
8. Baking
This method uses indirect heat from an oven to cook food slowly and evenly. It's perfect for breads, cakes, casseroles, and roasted vegetables. This is a slightly advanced cooking technique. The baking cooking technique requires precision in not only the time set but also in the quantities of the ingredients put in.