Culinary Technique - Steaming
Culinary Technique - Steaming
Steaming is a healthful way to prepare food because it doesn’t require any cooking fat. Vegetables are as beneficial steamed as they are raw. They stay crisp, they lose (practically) none of their taste, and they retain most of their vitamins.
You can find stackable steaming baskets or multi-layered steamers in shops. Several appliance manufacturers also offer a range of electric steam ovens, with a large variety of programmable options.
Steaming vegetables is akin to boiling them. After they’re cooked, we always cool them off under running water to stop the cooking process. Flash steaming is done at 120 °C – using professional or industrial ovens – but at home, we can also steam efficiently at 100 °C.
Technique:
- Clean and wash the vegetables. Chop them up if necessary.
- Boil the water in a steamer.
- Place one or several vegetables (depending on the amount and on the size of the appliance) in the trays or baskets and cook them al dente.
- If you like you can reserve the cooking juices and use them to make a lovely broth or as a base for a sauce or soup.
