Simmering is a method of cooking in a liquid at a temperature of about 180 degrees.
2. Rules for simmering:
(1) Use a double boiler to keep the temperature correct.
(2) Put the food in liquid in the top dish, and proceed as in boiling.
3. Effects of simmering:
(1) It makes some foods soft and tender—fruit and vegetables.
(2) It does not make the protein of animal food (milk, eggs, and meat) hard as boiling does.
(3) It dissolves out a good deal of the food substance into the cooking liquid.
(4) It causes very little loss of flavour.
(5) It does not break up the food.
STEAMING
1. Definition:
Steaming is a method of cooking in the steam from boiling liquid.
2. Rules for steaming:
(1) Have the water boiling rapidly in the under part of the steamer.
(2) Put the food in the upper part, cover closely, and place over the lower part.
(3) Keep the water boiling rapidly during the entire cooking.
(4) If extra water be needed, only boiling water should be added, as quickly and as gently as possible.
(5) Continue the cooking according to the time required by the recipe, or test as in boiling, if the food permits.