Chapter 18

Cooking
Methods
Heat Transfer
Heat is a type of energy.
When two items of different temperatures have contact,
energy, in the form of heat, transfers from the warmer item
to the cooler until they both reach the same temperature.

3 Main Types
1. Conduction (think conventional oven)
2. Convection
3. Radiation

5.3 Chapter 5 | Kitchen Essentials: Part 2—Equipment and Techniques

2
Heat Transfer

⦿ Conduction is the transfer of heat from one item to

another when the items come into direct contact with
each other.

⦿ Convection is the transfer of heat caused by the

movement of molecules (in the air, water, or fat) from a
warmer area to a cooler one.

5.3 Chapter 5 | Kitchen Essentials: Part 2—Equipment and Techniques

3
Heat Transfer

⦿ Radiation does not require physical contact

between the heat source and the food being
cooked. Instead, heat moves by way of
microwave and infrared waves.

● Infrared heat is created when the heat from a source

is absorbed by one material and then radiated out to
the food.

5.3 Chapter 5 | Kitchen Essentials: Part 2—Equipment and Techniques

4
 Dry-Heat Cooking Methods
In dry-heat cooking, food is cooked either by
direct heat, like on a grill, or by indirect heat in
a closed environment, like in an oven.

⦿ Broiling ⦿ Sauté
⦿ Stir-Fry
⦿ Grilling
⦿ Pan-Fry
⦿ Roast and ⦿ Deep-Fry
Bake
⦿ Griddle

5.3
5
Dry-Heat Cooking Methods
⦿ Broiling is a rapid cooking method that uses high heat from a
source located above the food.

⦿ Grilling is a very simple dry-heat method that is excellent for

cooking smaller pieces of food.

⦿ Roasting and baking are techniques that cook food by

surrounding the items with hot, dry air in the oven.

⦿ Griddling is cooking a food item on a hot, flat surface (known as a

griddle) or in a relatively dry, heavy-bottomed fry pan or cast-iron
skillet.

5.3
6
Dry-Heat Cooking Methods
⦿ The sautéing method cooks food rapidly in a small
amount of fat over relatively high heat. T
● The fat adds to the flavor.

⦿ Stir-fry is a cooking method closely related to sauté.

● Like sauté, it is a quick-cooking, dry-heat method.

⦿ To pan-fry food, cook it in an oil over less intense heat

than that used for sautéing or stir-frying.

5.3
7
Dry-Heat Cooking Methods

⦿ To deep-fry food, bread or batter coat it, immerse

(completely cover) it in hot fat, and fry it until it is
done.

5.3 8
Dry-Heat Cooking Methods
Deep Frying Terminology
⦿ Batter:
● Combines dry and wet ingredients

Dry (AP or wheat flour, corn meal, rice flour)

+ Liquid (beer, milk, wine, water)

+ Binder (egg)

5.3 9
Dry-Heat Cooking Methods
Deep Frying Terminology
⦿ Breading
● Same components as batter, but they are not blended
together.
Standard breading =
● Seasoned AP flour + egg + buttermilk dip.

5.3 10
Dry-Heat Cooking Methods
Deep Frying Terminology
3 Methods (See page. 329-330 for details on
each method)
⦿ Swimming
Gently drop coated food into hot oil

⦿ Basket
Place in a basket and immerse all at once; lift out the basket
all at once

⦿ Double-Basket
Place food in the basket and fit another basket on top of the
first
5.3 11
Dry-Heat Cooking Methods

Swimming Basket Double-Basket

Imagine the
basket
method
(found to left)
with an
additional
basket on top
to prevent
5.3 items from 12
Dry-Heat Cooking Methods
Deep Frying Terminology
⦿ “Float” of the item:
○ The point when the item rises to the surface of the oil
and appears golden brown
○ Indicates doneness

⦿ Recovery time:
○ The amount of time it takes oil to reheat to the correct
cooking temperature once food is added.

5.3 13
Dry-Heat Cooking Methods

Deep Frying Terminology

⦿ Smoking point
● The temperature at which fats and oils begin to
smoke, which means that the fat has begun to break
down.

5.3 14
Dry-Heat Cooking Methods
Deep Frying Reminder
⦿ Cooking oil is
flammable- be careful
and do not combine
with water
⦿ Don’t let this be you

5.3 15
Moist-Heat Cooking
Methods
Moist-heat cooking techniques produce food
that is delicately flavored and moist, which can
be served as a separate course or used as a
sauce base.

⦿ Simmer
⦿ Poach
⦿ Blanch
⦿ Steam

5.3 Chapter 5 | Kitchen Essentials: Part 2—Equipment and Techniques

16
Moist-Heat Cooking
Methods
⦿ When simmering, completely submerge food in a
liquid that is at a constant, moderate temperature.

⦿ When poaching, cook food between 160°F and

180°F. The surface of the poaching liquid should show
some motion, but no air bubbles should break the
surface.
○ Shallow Poaching:
Last minute cooking method suited to foods cut into
portion-sized or smaller pieces. (See pg. 331-
332)

5.3 Chapter 5 | Kitchen Essentials: Part 2—Equipment and Techniques

17
Moist-Heat Cooking
Methods
⦿ Blanching is a variation of boiling. When blanching,
partially cook food and then finish it later.

⦿ Steaming is cooking food by surrounding it in steam

in a confined space such as a steamer basket, steam
cabinet, or combi-oven. Direct contact with the steam
cooks the food.

5.3 Chapter 5 | Kitchen Essentials: Part 2—Equipment and Techniques

18
Combination Cooking
Methods
When the best method for preparing certain food is a combination of
dry-heat and moist-heat cooking methods, it is called combination
cooking.

⦿ Braise
⦿ Stew

5.3 Chapter 5 | Kitchen Essentials: Part 2—Equipment and Techniques

19
Combination Cooking
Methods
⦿ In braising:
[Link] the food item in hot oil
[Link] cover it in enough liquid to come halfway up the
food item
[Link] the pot or pan tightly and finish the food slowly in
the oven or on the stovetop until it is tender.

5.3 Chapter 5 | Kitchen Essentials: Part 2—Equipment and Techniques

20
Combination Cooking
Methods
⦿ When stewing:
[Link] the main food item into bite-sized pieces, and either
blanch or sear them.
[Link] the food in oil first, and then add liquid.
[Link] requires more liquid than braising.
[Link] the food completely while it is simmering.

5.3 Chapter 5 | Kitchen Essentials: Part 2—Equipment and Techniques

21
Combination Cooking
Methods
Types of Stew
[Link]
[Link] See page.
[Link]
337 for
details on
[Link]
each
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]

5.3
22
Sous Vide
⦿ Sous vide is a method in which food is cooked for a
long time, sometimes well over 24 hours.
●Sous vide is French for “under vacuum.”
●Rather than placing food in a slow cooker, cooks
place food in airtight plastic bags and then place the
bags in water that is hot but well below boiling point.

Home Sous Vide Link/Recipes

5.3 Chapter 5 | Kitchen Essentials: Part 2—Equipment and Techniques 23

Microwave Cooking
⦿ Many foods can be baked or roasted in a microwave
oven.
●Do not give the same results as convection or
conventional ovens because they cook food with
waves of energy or radiation—microwaves—rather
than with heat.

5.3 Chapter 5 | Kitchen Essentials: Part 2—Equipment and Techniques 24

Section 5.3 Summary
⦿ Heat is transferred to food in three ways:

● Conduction

● Convection

● Radiation

⦿ Types of cooking methods include dry-heat cooking, moist-heat cooking, and combination-
cooking methods.

⦿ Broiling, grilling, roasting, baking, sautéing, pan-frying, stir-frying, and deep-frying are kinds
of dry-heat cooking.

⦿ Simmering, poaching, blanching, and steaming are techniques used in moist-heat cooking.

⦿ Braising and stewing are types of combination cooking.

⦿ To determine when food is done cooking, identify if the product has its desired texture and
minimum internal temperature.

5.3 Chapter 5 | Kitchen Essentials: Part 2—Equipment and Techniques 25