The Culinary Works

Many recipes direct you to blanch your vegetables. Others call for par-cooking or par-boiling. These techniques are very simple but are often misunderstood or confused. Each is a method for preparing food and each shares a common procedure. It is the desired result that makes them different.

The procedure in common for these techniques is a timed immersion in boiling water and then a quick plunge into iced water or cold running water.

Blanching
Blanching rapidly heats up and then cools food. This method is commonly used with fruits and vegetables to firm up the flesh and make the food's natural flavor more pronounced. We sometimes see blanching used as a preparation before freezing foods.

In addition, blanching enhances the stability of the color of some many vegetables. Vegetables are frequently blanched so that they retain their vibrant color

Blanching is also used as a method to loosen the skin on fruits or nuts to make preparation easier. You can blanch as a method to easily peel onions, tomatoes, plums, peaches or almonds. Blanching also allows you to reconstitute dried fruit or to remove excess salt or seasoning from cured ingredients.

Par-Cooking
Par-cooking and parboiling refers to the technique of partially cooking foods so they can be finished later. There are two primary reasons for using this technique. First, it allows ingredients to be prepared ahead to save time on the final dish.

A second reason for par-cooking is that it allows you the ability to utilize different cooking techniques. By first boiling and then frying, you end up with French fries that have a crisp exterior and fluffy interior. In many stir-fries, the meats and vegetables are often par-cooked so that everything in the dish finishes cooking at the same time.

It’s all blanching
At least that is what it looks like in most recipes. You may notice that blanching is often used in place of par-boil. It really is simpler to lump it all under blanching since it is very easy to figure out what you are supposed to be doing. The purist will argue this point, but the technique is the same, just different results.

Lets blanch some green beans
For this task we will need:

• Green Beans
• Large pot
• Large bowl
• Ice
• Water
• Tongs

Fill a large pot with about three times as much water as there are green beans. If your pot is not big enough to handle all your beans, blanch them in small batches.

Add some salt. How much? You want your water to be about as salty as the ocean. Don't worry about over salting: very little salt will be absorbed by the beans in the short time they are in the boil.

Next, put the pot of water on the stove, turn the burner to high and put a lid on the pot. The lid keeps most of the heat in your pot so the water will reach a boil faster.

Even though we're going to boil the beans, give them a good wash first. Pick out any that look shriveled, discolored or just plain unpleasant. Be sure to remove any leaves or anything else that is not a bean. Don’t worry about trimming the stems. Do that after they are blanched.

Next, let's make an ice bath. Fill your large bowl about a third full with ice, then fill the remainder of the bowl with cold water. Set it next to your pot of boiling water on the stove.

By now, our pot of water should be at a nice rolling boil. If not, wait a while. We want a good rolling boil otherwise there won’t be enough heat in the pot to maintain the boil once the beans are added. When the water is ready, add the beans.

Stay close to the pot, because the beans will cook very quickly. The first time you blanch keep a close eye on the pot. Occasionally, take a bean out with the tongs and give it a wiggle. Also notice the color. Once the beans to take on a very bright, vibrant color, you'll want to take one out and give it a bite. Remember, we're not completely cooking the beans. We want them to be just a little bit underdone with a good snap to them.

Once they are done, use the tongs to transfer the beans from the boiling water to the ice bath. When all of the beans are transferred to the ice bath, stir them up a bit so they chill as soon as possible.

We're done. You can transfer your green beans to a plastic container or Ziploc bag for use later in the week. If you choose, you can trim the beans now, but I would wait until you're ready to use them. That way you have the flexibility to cut them to any size desired.

Blanching Tomatoes
The reason to blanch tomatoes is to remove the skin for various dishes like spaghetti sauce or bruschetta. For this experiment, let’s use Roma or Saladette tomatoes. The procedure and setup is exactly the same as with our green bean example; we are just swapping ingredients.

	The first thing you need to do is to ‘core’ the tomatoes. Using a small paring knife, cut a small cone from the top of the tomato.
	You just need to remove the portion of the tomato that attached to the plant. This part of the tomato is completely edible, it is just not attractive and it has a noticable texture..

Once you have cored the tomatoes, cut a small ‘X’ in the bottom of each: just deep enough to penetrate the skin. The ‘X’ allows the hot water to get under the skin of the tomato at both ends, speeding the detachment of the skin.

 

When your pot has reached that rolling boil, gently lower all the tomatoes into the pot. In a few seconds, the skins should begin to curl away from the tomatoes. Remove each tomato that gets to that point and plunge it into the ice bath where the skin will easily separate. Remove from the water as soon as cool and your skinless tomatoes are ready for use.

A final word on this technique
We've learned how to blanch. This method works the same for almost all vegetables. The only variations, you will find is in the amount of ice needed, cooking time and size of pot for your project. In most cases, blanching is used as a pre-cooking method but by reading the recipe, you will know the specific requirements that are needed in each case.

Now go have fun, and remember to never waste your ice bath.