LINK to be followed for Learning:

https://www.thedailymeal.com/cook/15-basic-cooking-methods-you-need-know-slideshow/slide-15
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/25-skills-every-cook-should-know

10 Essential Cooking Methods

• Sautéing. It is difficult to think of a cooking method you can use with so many different
kinds of food from fish to vegetables to meat to noodles. ...
• Stir-frying. ...
• Searing. ...
• Braising. ...
• Stewing. ...
• Steaming. ...
• Baking. ...
• Roasting.
10 Essential Cooking Techniques Everyone Should Know
1. Sautéing

It is difficult to think of a cooking method you can use with so many different kinds of food from
fish to vegetables to meat to noodles. The definition of sauté literally means “to jump” in French,
which alludes to the fact that with this technique the food is tossed around in the skillet quite a
bit.
A variety of fats can be used from butter to various oils, or a combination, depending on the food
you are sautéing. The pan and the fat must be hot enough so that the food added to the pan starts
to brown quickly, since the heat used to cook the food comes directly from the pan itself. The
exterior of the food is browned, sometimes only slightly, sometimes more caramelized, and the
interior cooked through using this method. It’s somewhere between stir-frying and searing.
Recipes with Sautéing:
• Sautéed Kale and Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
• Sauteed and Braised Cauliflower with Mustard Seeds and Green Peppercorns
• Pork Schnitzel with Sautéed Mushrooms
• Lebanese Couscous with Sautéed Kale and Lemon Dressing

2. Stir-frying

In a classic stir-fry, the food is always cut into similarly sized bite-sized pieces so that it cooks
evenly. This method is usually referred to in various Asian cuisines. The cook keeps the food
moving using a cooking utensil of some sort, and sometimes shaking the pan itself. The heat
beneath the pan must be very high, a small amount of oil is usually used, and you will want to
have every single ingredient fully prepped and measured before you begin, since stir-fries wait
for no one, and the first ingredients might overcook while you are mincing the final components.
Ingredients are usually added starting with the ones that take the longest to cook, and finishing
with the shortest cooking ingredients, so everything reaches just-doneness at the same moment.
A wok is the traditional pan used in stir-frying but a large skillet works just as well.
Stir Fry Recipes:
• Lemon and Scallion Chicken Stir Fry
• Chicken and Spinach Stir-Fry with Ginger and Oyster Sauce
• Spicy Stir Fried Beef and Vegetables
 3. Searing

Searing refers to the browning of food – usually pertaining to meat or fish – in a pan over high
heat. It often is used at the beginning of the recipe, and the browning caramelizes the natural
sugars in the food allowing another layer of flavor to emerge, and also can add a pleasing texture
to the outside of the food. A small amount of fat is usually used with this technique. In the case
of a piece of fish, for instance, you may simply sear it on both sides, and the cooking process is
complete, while in the case of a tougher cut of meat, the searing may be the first step in the
preparation process, followed by braising or roasting.
Recipes that involve searing:
• Roast Beef with Mustard Garlic Crust and Horseradish Sauce
• Pan Seared Pork Chops with Marsala and Mushroom Cream Sauce
• Pan Seared Fish with Tomato Basil Relish
• Filet Mignon with Pistou and Green Salad

4. Braising

Usually this term is used in conjunction with meat, in particular cuts of meat that benefit from
long, slow cooking to become tender, though anything from endive to poultry can also be
braised. In braising, the food is often browned first, though not necessarily, and then it is finished
in a low oven or over a low flame with a moderate amount of liquid (not enough to cover the
 food), and usually a lid covers the pot so that the liquid condenses on the underside of the lid and
self-bastes the dish while it cooks.

Sometimes aromatic vegetables like carrots, onions, and other seasonings are used in this
cooking method along with the liquid. Braising liquids range from broth to wine to tomatoes.
Braised Recipes:
• Monday Night Brisket
• Mom and Pop Pulled Pork
• Braised Cauliflower with Anchovies and Capers
• Braised Baby Artichokes with Leeks and Capers
• Mediterranean Braised Lamb Shoulder Chops

5. Stewing

Stewing is similar to braising, both moist heat cooking methods, but often refers to food that cut
been cut into smaller pieces, while braising often refers to whole cuts of meat or pieces of
chicken, for instance. In stewing the food is usually first browned over higher heat, then returned
to the pot with other ingredients, such as vegetables, and liquid to cover the ingredients.
The pot is then at least partially covered, and the cooking is finished over low heat. Like
braising, stewing is an excellent method for turning tougher cuts of meats or poultry or even
certain kinds of seafood, like conch or squid, tender.
Often things that have been stewed (and braised for that matter) taste even better the next day, so
these are two great make ahead techniques. And then there is the slow cooker, a stew-creating
marvel.

Stew Recipes:
• Moroccan Lamb and Butternut Squash Stew
• Apple Cider Beef Stew
• Indian Spiced Chicken and Potato Stew
• Slow Cooker Barbecue Beer Beef Stew

6. Steaming

The consistent flow of hot air is what gently cooks the food in this cooking technique, and it is
very popular in Asian cooking. The fact that the food is cooked above the liquid, and not actually
submerged, means that most of the nutrients stay right where they belong, in the food. Water is
often used, though broth, wine beer or other infusions can also be used to steam.
Make sure the food you are steaming has enough room around each piece so that the hot steam
can cook everything evenly, and make sure the liquid level is about one or two inches below the
food suspended above the liquid. You may have to add liquid to the pot as it evaporates.
There are many appliances that are used for steaming foods, but in the end they involve a
perforated platform that holds the food suspended above simmering liquid. Sometimes food is
steamed directly in the basket or sometimes on a plate, if juices are going to be released that
would add to the finished dish. Chicken, dumplings, vegetables, fish are just some of the dishes
that are often steamed.
Remember that steam burns! When you are steaming make sure to keep your face and other body
parts far away from the top of the pot when you remove the lid.
Try Steaming In:
• Martha Stewart – Easy Steamed Artichokes
 7. Baking

Baking simply means cooking food in the oven—usually uncovered—using indirect, dry heat.
The terms is often used when discussing foods like breads, cooking, muffins, and other, well
“baked goods” though is also is used to describe cooking savory food like lasagna or chicken.
The foods cook from the outside in, and the oven temperature varies from recipe to recipe,
though once the heat gets higher, say 400°F or above, the term roasting often gets used.
Baking Recipes:
• The Best Streusel Apple Pie Ever
• Fudgy One-Pot Brownies
• Macaroni and Cheese
• Pizza Quattro Stagioni
• Classic Lasagna with Turkey Sausage

8. Roasting

One of the least hands on cooking techniques, perfect for when you need to get dinner going but
then have some other things clamoring for your attention before it’s time to eat. Roasting is very
similar to baking, in that is usually involves dry heat cooking in the oven, uncovered, but it
usually involves higher heats (and correspondingly short cooking times) than baking.
The baking pan used is usually relatively shallow so that the heat circulates evenly and the food
doesn’t steam. The outside of foods that have been roasted, whether potatoes or vegetables or
 chicken or meat, browns nicely thanks to the high heat, and the inside should remain most and
tender. Sometimes foods are places on a rock in a roasting pan to allow the hot air to circulate
even more evenly. Roasting can also refer to foods cooked over live fire, such as spit-roasting.
Roasted Recipes:
• Roasted Butternut Squash
• Simple Lemon-Garlic Roasted Turkey Breast
• Greek Roasted Chicken Breasts
• Roasted Winter Vegetables with Blue Cheese
• Roasted Potatoes with Arugula-Basil Dipping Sauce
• Garlicky Roast Chicken with Shallots and Potatoes

9. Broiling

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Broiling refers to cooking foods under a broiler, which sometimes is a separate drawer in your
oven, and sometimes requires you placing the top rack in your oven close to the roof of the oven
to be near the heat source, which may be electric or gas. The closer the rack is to the heat, the
faster the food will brown and cook. The side of the food that is exposed to the direct and intense
heat source is the only side that will brown , so you usually have to turn foods during the broiling
process.
Often the food is cooked on a rimmed baking sheet, which allows the food to be close to the
heat source. Foods that take best to this cooking method are foods that cook through quickly, so
they don’t burn before they finish cooking inside. Fish and seafood, chicken breasts,
burgers, kebabs, and the like are good candidates for broiling, and the technique can also be
 used to finish dishes like frittatas. Timing is of the essence, so when you are broiling any type of
food, you will want to stay close and check inside the oven often.
Try Broiling in the Following Recipes:
• Beef Teriyaki Kebabs with Peppers and Zucchini
• Teriyaki Beef and Chicken Skewers
• Vegetable Frittata
• Mini Croque Monsieurs with Prosciutto

10. Grilling

Grilling is the technique of cooking foods over live fire over direct heat, usually fairly high heat.
Food is exposed to the flames and it quickly develops a browned, caramelized exterior as the
inside cooks through. You can adjust the heat on a gas grill fairly easily, if you are using
a charcoal grill is it often advisable to have one area of the grill hot, and another less so (it takes
experience playing with the charcoal or wood to get this down), so that you can move the food
from zone to zone as needed.
Tender cuts of meat and poultry and various kids of fish and shellfish are very well suited to
grilling, as are vegetables and even fruits. As with broiling, you’ll want to stay quite close to the
grill as flare-ups can occur, and it’s easy from a food to go from nicely browned to charred in a
flash. The timing varies wildly from food to food, and from grill to grill, so be prepared to test
the doneness of the foods you are cooking as you go. You can also experiment with keeping the
lid open and closed, which affects the temperature.
Grilling is different from barbecuing, which is low and slow. Both grilling and barbecuing have
very vocal fans who have very definite opinions about their definitions, and we’ll leave that
debate be for the time being.
 Get Grilling with These Recipes:
• Grilled Cheeseburgers with Herb Sauce
• Mexican Grilled Corn
• Grilled Lemony Chicken and Baby Artichokes
• Grilled Lamb Chops and Onions with Herb Salad
• Simple Grilled Herbed Chicken