Garum
Leverbeginnerdraft

Moisture

Also searched as: wet, dry, water on the surface, moisture

In short: How much water is on a surface decides between steaming and browning.

Picture it

A slider between steamer and grill: the drier the surface, the further towards grill.

Moisture
wetdrydried out

wet: steams, grey, soft

Drag to try

What happens

Wet surfaces get stuck at 100 °C: they cook but do not brown. Dry surfaces get hotter, brown and turn crisp. Completely dried out, they turn leathery or burn.

Rules of thumb

  1. Drying before frying is almost always right.
  2. Steam is welcome when things are meant to be juicy or soft.
Related entries
EvaporationMaillard reactionCrispyPatting drySteak turns grey instead of brown
Sources · 1
  • Harold McGee: On Food and Cooking (2004), Kapitel Kartoffeln, Stärke, Frittieren