Basic Cooking Techniques Explained

For anyone who hasn't been professionally trained or didn't grow up cooking much at home, encountering unfamiliar terms in new recipes can be intimidating. In fact, the fear of messing up a new technique might even be enough to dissuade you from trying to make that recipe. After all, what does it mean to deglaze a pan? Can you poach anything but eggs? And how hard is it to make a roux? Don't worry – these basic cooking techniques are easy to master! Whether you're just trying to impress your holiday guests or want to become a more confident home chef, this guide will explain some of the new terminology you might encounter as you explore different recipes.

What Do These Basic Cooking Techniques Mean?

Al Dente

Cooking your pasta al dente – Italian for "to the tooth" – means you've cooked it until it's firm but not crunchy. Generally considered the "right" way to eat pasta by those who have strong opinions about these things, cooking your pasta this way is said to give it a superior texture. If you use packaged pasta (like the rest of us who don't have time to make it from scratch), check the package for al dente directions. Since results can vary, you should begin testing your pasta for doneness during those last few minutes. Additionally, when recipes require you to continue cooking your noodles in a pan with sauce, you may want to stop short of al dente to avoid overcooking it during those final stages.

Blanch

To blanch food, put it in boiling water for a short amount of time and then immediately place it into cold water or an ice bath to prevent it from cooking any further. This technique is used most often on vegetables before they are frozen, preserving more of their flavor and color, but it might serve you well in two other cooking techniques: peeling and stir frying. Blanching fruit – such as apples and peaches – makes it easier to remove the skin while preserving the fruit's full yield, and vegetables that would normally be added to a stir fry dish first can instead be blanched ahead of time and added alongside other ingredients.

Blister

It may not be the most appetizing term we'll cover in this list, but blistering your vegetables can be a simple way to add dimension to a garnish or side dish. Recipes that call for blistered vegetables usually recommend that you heat olive oil over medium-high heat and then let your vegetables sit for a few minutes, heating them up so they blacken on one side; some recipes instruct you to rotate the vegetable to achieve the blistering effect on all sides. Commonly blistered vegetables include broccoli, green beans, peppers, and tomatoes.

Broil

Broiling cooks food with direct heat – specifically, heat straight from the element at the top of your oven, which can cook food at temperatures in excess of 500 degrees Fahrenheit. It's a great way for home chefs without access to a grill (hello, apartment living) to still enjoy food cooked in a similar manner. This method can also be used to give food a crispy finish or brown the top of a dish. However, broilers work quickly, so it's important to keep an eye on your food to prevent it from burning.

Dredge

When a recipe asks you to dredge something, you should coat it in breadcrumbs, flour, or another dry mixture prior to cooking it (and if it isn't "sticky" enough to hold the coating, it'll need to be coated in a wet substance, such as egg yolks, before dredging). This is most often done to meat prior to frying it in a deep fryer or pan, giving it additional flavor and a satisfying browned appearance after it's cooked.

Deglazing

After frying or sautéing your dish components, you can deglaze the pan – or remove the caramelized residue, called "fond" – by pouring in broth, stock, or wine to turn those tasty leftovers into the base of a sauce. You may hear the term "pan sauce" or "pan gravy" used to refer to sauces and gravies made with this method.

Julienne

To julienne (or french cut) an ingredient, cut it into long, thin strips, just like the classic shape of a french fry – and yes, that's where "french fries" got their name. The most common ingredients cut in this style are vegetables, although meat, especially beef, might be julienned for certain stir fry dishes.

Poach

Although poaching is most often used in reference to eggs, you can use this technique to cook fish, meat, and fruit. To cook food this way, place it in not-quite-simmering liquid – most often water, but you can use broth or stock for more flavor, with or without additional spices – until it is done. For eggs, this may be as little as 4 minutes, but chicken can take 10 minutes or longer. Follow your recipe's instructions, using a thermometer to make sure any meat is cooked to the recommended temperature.

Proof

If you've decided to indulge in freshly baked bread, you may be wondering what proofing your dough actually means. After it's been mixed, kneaded, and shaped into a loaf, yeast-leavened dough has to be proofed, or set aside to finish rising to enhance its flavors and final structure. This can be done by placing the dough in a baking dish, covering it with plastic, and letting it sit for a couple of hours in the oven, though the recipe you use should provide more specific guidance for whatever loaf you're preparing. Still scared off by the complexities of making bread? Start out with a quick bread instead – no yeast, kneading, or proofing required.

Roux

Pronounced like "rue," this unsurprisingly French mixture of butter (or another type of fat, depending on the recipe) whisked together with flour can be added to dishes as a thickening agent. The longer a roux cooks, the darker it'll become, and recipes may call for a light (white or blond) or dark (brown) roux. This technique can take your meal from okay to excellent, and once you've gotten comfortable making a roux, recipes with more complex sauces won't seem as intimidating. I realized this when I discovered that the secret to achieving a perfectly cheesy sauce for macaroni and cheese was starting with a béchamel (which is made by adding milk to a roux), but a roux can also be the basis for gravy, gumbo, soups, and stews.

Sift

Sifting flour and other dry ingredients may seem like an unnecessary extra step when you can just toss it into the mixing bowl, but the process adds air to ingredients that have been tightly packaged. When you're combining more than one dry ingredient, it also helps eliminate clumps and ensure those ingredients are evenly mixed. You can sift with a sifter or sieve, though a strainer with a fine mesh might do the job if you don't have either of those on hand. Some baked goods are also finished off with a dusting of flour or another dry ingredient, which can be evenly distributed with a sifter.

Zest

Zest – or the grated peel of a fruit – can be added to baked goods, desserts, sauces, marinades, and anything else that needs a punch of flavor. You can zest citrus fruits – including lemons, limes, and oranges – though they should be thoroughly rinsed before you start zesting. This technique can be carried out with a grater, which you probably already own (and if you don't, they're an inexpensive and versatile tool to add to your kitchen). To avoid unnecessary pain and frustration, make sure to zest your fruit before you slice it.