Moist Heat Cooking Methods

Cooking Refresher
 What are the dry heat methods?
 Why do you use them?
 What are the moist heat methods?
 Why do you use them?
Moist-Heat Cooking Methods
Poaching (160ºF - 180ºF/71ºC - 82ºC).
Simmering (185ºF - 205ºF/85ºC - 96ºC).
Boiling (212ºF/100ºC).
 Poaching

Submersion Poaching – The item to be

prepared is completely submerged in
cooking medium [liquid]

Shallow Poach – The item is only partially

covered with cooking medium [liquid]
 Submersion Poaching
 Also referred to as “deep poaching”
- Utilizes Court Bouillon
- Best suited for tender cuts of meat,
poultry, fish and fruit.
- Poaching temperatures best between 160
and 180 degrees.
- Indicator of water temperature: air
bubbles that do not break the surface
“shivering”
 Submersion Poaching
- Simmering is a submersion poaching method
- Best suited for tougher cuts of meat and poultry
requiring more heat and time to become
tender.
- Simmering temperatures between 185 and 205
degrees.
- Indicator of water temperature: air bubbles that
do break the surface. - Sauce is prepared
separately.
 Submersion Poaching
- Pot used to deep poach: Large enough to
hold item, aromatics, mirepoix and
circulation of liquid
- Do not us a lid
- Other equipment: ladle, skimmer,
thermometer
- Start with cool or temperature ready liquid
- What are some disadvantages?
 Submersion Poaching

Procedure For Poaching Foods

1 Season the poaching liquid as desired and bring it to the appropriate temperature.
 Procedure For Poaching Foods
2 Carefully place the food item into the poaching liquid.
 Procedure For Poaching Foods
3 Remove the cooked food from the poaching liquid.
 Procedure For Simmering Foods
1 The item being simmered should be fully submerged in the seasoned liquid.
 Procedure For Simmering Foods
2 Remove the cooked item from the liquid.
 Shallow Poach
 Cuisson – is used as cooking liquid
- “a la minute” cooking technique.
 Partially submerged with loose fitting lid or

parchment paper to capture steam.

 Maximum flavor the cuisson is made into

the sauce. [buerre blanc]

- Tender
 Shallow Poach
 Shallow poach in a sauté pan.
- Vegetables can be added during cooking
process
 Do not allow liquid to boil

 Stocks, wine and citrus juices are excellent

cooking liquids
- Remove poached item and reduce liquid to
make sauce.
 Boiling
 Boiling; very few proteins are cooked in
boiling liquid.
 Boiling indicators are rapid large bubbles

consistent at the liquids surface.

 Use boiling water to cook pasta and to

blanch vegetables
- Salted water increases boiling temperature
 Procedure For Boiling Foods
1 Bring the cooking liquid to a full boil. When the item being cooked is added to the
liquid, its temperature will fall.
 Procedure For Boiling Foods
2 After a boiled item such as pasta is cooked, it may be drained through a colander.
 Steaming
 Steaming occurs at 212 where the liquid
turns into vapor and cooks food positioned
above it.
 Aromatics may be added boiling liquid to

create scented vapor which adds new

flavor profile to food
- Steam is done with a lid and requires
monitoring during the cooking process
 Steaming
 Do not stack food to be steamed as they
will not cook evenly
- Use caution when removing the lid as
steam will escape quickly.
 Great for naturally tender chicken fish and
some vegetables
 Steam items grouped in equal size

- “Tiered steamers” are stacked baskets that

use the same liquid.
 Procedure For Steaming Foods
1 Trim items before steaming them so that they can cook evenly.
 Procedure For Steaming Foods
2 A perforated hotel pan can be set over a deeper pan of water, covered and used
as a steamer.
 Combination or Sequential
Cooking Technique - Braise
Larger
- pieces are braised. A combination
style of cooking
 brown first very well
 be conservative with the water or stock
 Place liquid in with the
piece
of product after you have browned it
 Stewing
 smaller pieces with larger amounts of
liquid
 maintain simmer
 time additions carefully to avoid soggy
vegetables
 May be browned first
 Procedure For Braising Foods
1 First brown the item being braised in fat.
Procedure For Braising Foods
2 Add liquid to the pan.
 Procedure For Braising Foods
3 The item can be basted with the liquid during cooking.
 Procedure For Stewing Foods
1 First brown the item being stewed in a small amount of fat.
Procedure For Stewing Foods
2 Add flour to make a roux.
Procedure For Stewing Foods
3 Add liquid to the pan.
 Procedure For Stewing Foods
4 Degrease the finished stew as necessary.
 Smoke?
 Moist heat released from wood
 Other heat generated and affects ambient
air temperature
 Also creates convection currents
 Review
 What are the dry heat methods?
 Why do you use them?
 What are the moist heat methods?
 Why do you use them?