Techniquebeginnerdraft
Blanching and refreshing
Also searched as: blanching, refreshing, shocking in ice water, ice bath
In short: Cook vegetables briefly in boiling salted water and stop them at once in iced water. They stay crisp and bright green.
Picture it
Like a photo taken at exactly the right moment: the iced water captures the best state.
What happens
The boiling water cooks the surface quickly, loosens some glue and drives out air, so the green glows. The iced water stops immediately, before acids dull the green and the cells get too soft.
How it’s done
Sequence · Step 1 of 5
Salt plenty of water well and bring it to a rolling boil.
All steps as a list
- Salt plenty of water well and bring it to a rolling boil.
- Have a bowl of iced water ready next to it.
- Cook the vegetables in batches for 1–3 minutes.
- Straight into the iced water until fully cold.
- Drain and pat dry.
Related entries
Sources
- Education Bureau Hong Kong: STEM – Fruits and Vegetables
- Harold McGee: On Food and Cooking (2004), Kapitel Gemüse, Eier