Moist-heat cooking

Cooking in water, steam, stock or fat at a gentle heat: boiling, poaching, braising and stewing.

BlanchBlanching is cooking food for a short time in boiling water, then stopping the cooking in ice water. It sets color and loosens skins.
BoilBoiling cooks food in water heated to 100°C (212°F) at sea level, where big bubbles break the surface. It is used for pasta, potatoes, eggs and grains.
BraiseBraising browns meat, then cooks it slowly, covered, in a small amount of liquid until tough cuts turn tender and the liquid becomes a rich sauce.
CoddleTo coddle is to cook food, usually eggs, gently in water just below a simmer. Coddled eggs have barely set whites and runny yolks, softer than soft-boiled.
ConfitConfit is food cooked slowly in fat at a low heat until meltingly tender, then often stored in that fat. Duck confit and garlic confit are the classics.
En papilloteEn papillote means cooking food sealed in a parcel of parchment paper or foil, so it steams in its own juices. It is a gentle, quick way to cook fish.
FricasséeA fricassée is a French stew of chicken or other pale meat cooked without browning, then simmered in stock and finished with a creamy white sauce.
Oil-poachOil-poaching cooks food gently submerged in warm oil, well below frying heat. Fish turns silky and moist, and the oil can be reused for flavor.
ParboilParboiling partly cooks food in boiling water so it can finish later by roasting, frying or grilling. It is the secret to crisp roast potatoes.
PoachPoaching cooks food gently in liquid kept just below a simmer, around 70 to 85°C (160 to 185°F). Eggs, fish, chicken and fruit stay tender and moist.
Pot-roastPot-roasting browns a whole joint of meat, then cooks it slowly in a covered pot with a little liquid and vegetables until it is tender enough to pull.
Pressure-cookPressure-cooking cooks food in a sealed pot where trapped steam raises the boiling point to about 120°C (250°F), cutting cooking times by half or more.
ReduceTo reduce is to simmer or boil a liquid uncovered so water evaporates, leaving a smaller amount that is thicker and more intense in flavor.
ScaldTo scald milk is to heat it until small bubbles appear at the edge and steam rises, about 82°C (180°F), without letting it boil. Here is how and why.
ShockTo shock is to plunge just-cooked food into ice water so it stops cooking at once. It keeps vegetables bright and crisp and makes eggs easier to peel.
SimmerA simmer is liquid kept just below boiling, with small, gentle bubbles rising to the surface. It cooks soups, stews and sauces without toughening them.
Slow-cookSlow-cooking simmers food for hours at a low, steady heat, usually in an electric slow cooker or low oven, until tough meat and dried beans turn tender.
Sous videSous vide cooks vacuum-sealed food in a water bath held at an exact temperature, so meat and fish cook evenly edge to edge and cannot overshoot.
SteamSteaming cooks food over, not in, boiling water, using the hot vapor that rises from it. Vegetables, fish and dumplings stay tender, moist and bright.
StewA stew is small pieces of meat or vegetables simmered slowly in enough liquid to cover them, until tender. The liquid becomes the sauce.
SweatTo sweat vegetables is to cook them gently in a little fat over low heat until soft and translucent, without browning, to bring out a mild, sweet flavor.
VelvetVelveting coats sliced meat in egg white and cornstarch, then cooks it briefly in water or oil before stir-frying. It keeps the meat soft and silky.