Whisk

To whisk means to stir quickly with a whisk, a tool made of looped wires. The wires cut through a mix many times with each stroke, so you blend ingredients fast, break up lumps and work in some air. You whisk eggs, dry ingredients, dressings and sauces. "Whisk" is both the tool and the action.

How to do it

1. Pick a bowl wide enough for the whisk to move freely. A damp towel underneath keeps it from sliding.
2. Hold the whisk like a hammer, near the top of the handle.
3. For mixing, move in quick circles or side to side, keeping the wires touching the bottom of the bowl.
4. For adding air, tilt the bowl and lift the whisk up through the mix in loops.
5. In a pan, move the whisk in a figure 8 and along the edges, so nothing catches in the corners.

Why it works

Each wire is a blade that slices through the liquid. A whisk with many wires does many cuts per stroke, so lumps break up fast and drops of oil split into tiny droplets. That is how whisking makes an emulsion, such as a vinaigrette, hold together for a while.

How to use it

• Balloon whisk: a round, open shape. Best for adding air to cream and egg whites.
• French or sauce whisk: narrower and stiffer. Good for sauces and custards in a pan.
• Flat whisk: reaches the edges of a skillet for gravy and roux.
• Silicone-coated whisk: for nonstick pans.

Common mistakes

• Using a whisk in a very thick dough or batter. The dough clogs the wires. Use a spatula or spoon.
• Whisking flour into a hot liquid all at once. Lumps form. Mix the flour with a little cold liquid first, or add it slowly while whisking.
• A small bowl. The mix splashes out.
• Scraping a metal whisk in a nonstick pan. It scratches the coating.

In recipes

"Whisk together the dry ingredients" means mix them well with a whisk instead of sifting. "Whisk the eggs" means beat them until even. When a recipe wants lots of air in cream or whites, it usually says whip. In British recipes, "whisk" often covers whipping too.