Cookware

Improvising a Double Boiler

You can use a stainless-steel bowl that fits snugly into the rim of a saucepan. Make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the simmering water in the saucepan.

Double Boilers 101

Every kitchen should have a double boiler for making moderate amounts of delicate sauces and for keeping heat-sensitive foods, such as mashed potatoes, warm. In some cases, the food is actually cooked by the More »steam in the double boiler, so the water should boil, rather than simmer, to create sufficient steam.

The double boiler is designed for foods that call for gentle heat, or if you wish to cook food slowly without the risk of it burning or sticking to the bottom of the pot. It consists of two separate parts: the top part holds the food and the bottom holds the hot or gently simmering water that gently diffuses the heat. The steam that rises from the hot water heats the top part and in turn the food. « Less

Cooking with Skillets

Use any metal skillet without a nonstick coating for sautéing poultry or meat. The bits of food—proteins and sugars—that stick to the bottom of the pan and form a browned crust on the food and the pan will add lots of flavor to the finished dish. Deglaze the pan with wine or broth to create a delicious pan sauce. More »

Aluminum and also aluminum-core stainless-steel (without the nonstick finish) skillets are relatively lightweight and sturdy, making them good all-purpose pans for sautéing.

Many experienced cooks preheat a skillet over medium-low to medium heat until a drop of water sizzles on contact before adding any fat to it. Preheating ensures that the food is less likely to stick and burn. « Less

A Note on Nonstick Skillets

Food cooked in a nonstick pan will not adhere to the surface, which means you need to add little or no fat. Use pans with a non-stick coating for foods typically cooked over low to medium-low heat, such as eggs, toasted nuts, or gently sautéed vegetables. Do not use metal utensils in a nonstick pan (they will scratch the finish). More »Nonstick skillets should not be used under the broiler but can be used in the oven up to 400°F. « Less

Deep Fry Like a Pro: 10 Tips for Better Results

1. Pick the right pot. To deep-fry properly, the food should cook in 2 to 3 inches of hot oil. Choose a pot at least 6 inches deep to allow for bubbling without bubbling over. Cast iron (enameled or not) holds heat well, making it a good choice. More »

2. Use reasonably priced cooking oil. Canola, cottonseed, safflower, or a generic vegetable oil blend will all do.

3. Don’t reuse deep-frying oil. Although you can strain the cooled oil for another round or two of deep-frying, this is a sure way of transferring unwanted flavors to your food, and the freshness of the oil obviously is reduced with storage.

4. Use a deep-frying thermometer. It’s the only way to get an accurate reading of the oil temperature. Be sure the end of the thermometer is totally submerged in the oil. Keep the heat on high to maintain the correct oil temperature.

5. To reduce deep-frying odors, cook outside. There is no reliable way to avoid the odors caused by deep-frying inside.

6. Let the oil return to its correct frying temperature between batches. In most cases, you may add the food to 375°F oil, but the temperature will drop to 335°F or so for the actual cooking. After removing the food, be sure to reheat the oil over high heat to its original starting temperature.

7. Use a wire skimmer to remove food from the oil. Also called a spider, these wide-mesh skimmers do a better job of draining away oil than a slotted skimmer.

8. Don’t drain fried foods on paper. Most cooks use paper towels or brown paper bags to absorb the fat from drained foods. But a crunchy coating can soften where it comes into contact with the paper: the steam builds up at the contact point and has nowhere to go but into the coating. For the crispiest result, drain the food on a wire cooling rack set over a rimmed baking sheet, so the food comes into contact only with thin wires.

9. Keep deep-fried food warm in the oven before serving. Deep-fried food is best served piping hot right out of the pot, which isn’t always possible when cooking multiple batches. Once you have put the food on the wire rack/baking sheet, slip the whole thing into a preheated 200°F oven for up to 10 minutes.

10. Add salt just before serving. Salt can soften homemade potato chips and other fried foods, so to keep them from losing their crunch, sprinkle on the salt at the last minute. « Less

Ceramic Cookware 101

Ceramic cookware is made from clay and non-clay products molded and fired until hard. Ceramic is not a good conductor of heat, so foods cooked in ceramic vessels heat more slowly, allowing flavors to mingle. It also keeps crusting to a minimum, which is helpful when making a potato gratin that could scorch if baked in a metal pan. More »Most dishes cooked in ceramic are served directly from the vessel. If cooking on a stove top, follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully to avoid breakage and use a heat diffuser. « Less

Three Types of Ceramic Cookware: Earthenware, Stoneware and Porcelain

Earthenware is a highly porous material and must be glazed to become water-resistant. It is also somewhat delicate and prone to chipping, so take care when handling earthenware vessels. Wash them by hand with soap and water. Never put them in a dishwasher, which can break down the glaze. More »

Stoneware is fired at high temperatures, which makes it durable enough to stand up to constant use. Covered baking dishes, suitable for casseroles, are often made of stoneware.

Pure porcelain if thin is translucent, but for durability, cookware is often made from porcelaneous materials that contain less white clay and is therefore less likely to break. Because porcelain is white, it complements a wide range of foods and is the preferred material for soufflé dishes and ramekins. « Less

Copper Cookware 101

Copper transfers heat rapidly and evenly throughout the pan, while cooling rapidly off the heat. Since copper reacts with acidic ingredients, these pots and pans are typically lined with tin or stainless steel. Tin is soft and scratches easily (and may need to be replaced with use), but stainless steel is durable, making it the choice of many chefs. More »

Unlined copper bowls can be used to whip egg whites (the copper chemically interacts with the whites, helping to stabilize them), and unlined copper pots can be used to cook such high-sugar mixtures as syrups, jams, and jellies.

Some copper pots are treated with a clear lacquer finish that must be removed before use. To remove it, rub the pan with a soft cloth dipped in acetone (available at beauty-supply stores). Or, immerse the pot in a large pot of boiling water to which a tablespoon of baking soda has been added. The coating will loosen and peel away. « Less

Dutch Ovens 101

When making braised dishes that require long, even cooking, most cooks reach for a Dutch oven. Cast iron is a common material for this classic covered cooking vessel, but an enameled cast-iron Dutch oven is more versatile because it won’t react with foods. (On the other hand, uncoated cast iron is ideal for heating oil because More »it holds the heat well.) A Dutch oven with an aluminum core and stainless-steel interior is also an excellent option.

Dutch ovens are supposed to be heavy, the better to diffuse the heat from the stove and keep braised foods from scorching. The lid makes up one-third of the total weight of most pots. So lighten the load by removing the lid before lifting the pot. « Less

Steel Cookware 101

Carbon steel, where the main alloy is carbon, is a favorite material for woks and crepe and omelet pans because it is thin, light, and heats quickly to a high temperature. Blue steel is carbon steel that has been heat treated, a process that turns the steel blue and ensures the pan resists oxidation. More »

Some steel pans are sold with a clear lacquer finish that must be removed before the pan can be used. To remove it, rub the pan with a soft cloth dipped in acetone (available in beauty-supply stores). Pans without a lacquer coating have probably been oiled before sale to keep them from rusting. Wash them well with warm, soapy water and dry thoroughly. « Less

Baking Dishes 101

For many cooks, the baking dish is the most popular piece of cookware in their kitchen. At one end of the spectrum is the tempered-glass baking dish, known for its durability and practicality. It is the dish our mothers and grandmothers kept in their cupboards and used daily for comforting casseroles. More »At the opposite end of the spectrum are the handcrafted clay and the colorful enameled cast-iron baking dishes. In some cases, these dishes are more durable than basic glass and are typically admired for their beauty and design. Some are so beautiful you’ll display them on a sideboard, instead of tucking them into a cabinet.

Baking dishes should be least 2 inches deep. The sides are either straight or slanted, and the shapes are round, oval, rectangular, or square. Many are microwave safe, and some can even go from the freezer to the oven. Every kitchen ideally has a selection of sizes, materials, and shapes. « Less

Saucepans 101

The classic saucepan for the home kitchen has always been a round pan with relatively high, straight sides and a long handle. The capacity is usually 1 to 4 quarts, sometimes with ½-quart variations. Saucepans come in a range of metals and always with a tight-fitting lid. The larger pans sometimes have an opposing More »handle to help even the load when lifting. « Less

Cooking with Cast Iron

This is the skillet to use for techniques that require a sustained medium to high temperature: pan frying, stir-frying, searing meat, browning onions, cooking bacon, and even baking corn bread. A cast-iron skillet can be moved from the stove top to a hot oven or broiler to finish cooking.

Cooking with Your Steamer

Beets, artichokes, broccoli, corn on the cob, carrots and cauliflower are just a few of the many nutritious and flavorful vegetables that are good candidates for steaming. Steamers are also good for cooking such shellfish as mussels, clams, and lobsters. More »

Collapsible steamers work well for small steamed fish steaks or fillets. A steamer is handy for reheating rice and some vegetables. Some 8-quart stockpots come with a deep steamer insert. Although it is typically called a pasta insert, it can be used for steaming large batches of bigger foods, such as corn, tamales, lobsters, and pumpkin. « Less

Easily Improvise a Steamer

A cake rack set in a sauté pan or broad pot (such as a Dutch oven) and topped with a heatproof plate will work as a steamer. Add vegetables, fish steaks, cooked rice, or other foods to the plate. Make sure the pot has a tight-fitting lid to prevent steam from escaping.

Woks 101

The Chinese wok was originally made of iron and only later of carbon steel, an excellent conductor of heat. Today, woks are available in carbon steel, stainless steel, enameled cast iron, aluminum, and other materials. The pan’s classic shape—a deep bowl with sloping sides—is ideal for the rapid stirring and flipping over high heat that defines stir-frying.

Cooking with Your Crepe Pan

Preheat the pan on low heat. Cook the crepes on medium-low heat. The batter should begin to set the moment it hits the pan. Adjust the amount of batter to the pan size. Small (6- to 8-inch) pans require 2 to 3 tablespoons of batter, whereas larger pans will need up to 1⁄3 cup of batter. More »Most pans require only one very light application of butter. Apply softened or melted butter by rubbing it into the warm pan with a paper towel or a silicone pastry brush. « Less

Top Five Tips for Roasting

1. Preheat the oven for at least 20 minutes. One common roasting technique starts the meat or poultry at a high temperature to give the food a head start. Because high heat increases meat shrinkage, it may be better to start the meat at a moderate (350°F) temperature. Check its progress during the last 15 minutes of roasting, and if the meat isn’t browned enough for your taste, raise the heat to 450°F to encourage browning. More »

 

2. Bring poultry and meat to room temperature before roasting. Allow about 1 hour for a whole chicken or other bird and about 2 hours for large cuts of meat. Season them during this time so the seasonings have a chance to penetrate.

3. Roast meat and poultry on a roasting rack. If the meat sits in its own juices, the moisture will inhibit browning. Some cuts of meat, such as rib roast and bone-in pork loin, won’t need a rack because the bones lift the meat off the pan bottom.

4. Always use a cooking thermometer to test for doneness. Be sure the end of the probe has reached the center of the meat. With poultry, the thermometer is placed in the thickest part of the thigh because that is the most difficult area for the heat to reach. Don’t let the thermometer touch a bone or the reading will be skewed, as bone conducts heat at a different rate than flesh.

5. Let roasted meat and poultry stand for at least 10 minutes before carving. This allows the juices to redistribute themselves throughout the roast. Large roasts over 3 pounds should stand for 20 minutes and turkeys for 20 to 45 minutes. « Less

Five Tips for Successful Sautéing