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Definition

Boiling is the cooking of prepared foods in a liquid at boiling point. This could be water, court-bouillon, milk or stock.

Methods

There are two ways of boiling.

• Place food into boiling liquid, reboil, then reduce the heat for gentle boiling to take place. This is known as simmering.

• Cover the food with cold liquid, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer.

Advantages

• Older, tougher, cheaper joints of meat and poultry can be made palatable and digestible

• It is appropriate for large-scale cookery

• It is economic on fuel

• Nutritious, well flavoured stock is produced

• It is labour saving, as it requires little attention

• It is safe and simple

• Maximum colour and nutritive value is retained when cooking green vegetables, provided boiling time is kept to the minimum

Disadvantages

• Foods can look unattractive

• It can be a slow method

• There is a loss of soluble vitamins in the water

Examples of foods which you might choose to cook by boiling:

Stocks, e.g. beef, mutton, chicken, fish Glazes, e.g. fish, meat Sauces, e.g. brown, white, curry, jam Soup, e.g. tomato, lentil Eggs

Farinaceous, e.g. pasta, noodles Fish, e.g. cod, turbot, salmon Meat, e.g. beef silverside, leg of mutton, joint of bacon Vegetables, e.g. carrots, cabbage, potatoes.