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| Simmering | |
|---|---|
| Name | Simmering |
| Type | Culinary technique |
Simmering is a cooking technique involving maintaining liquids at temperatures below boiling to cook food gently over an extended period. It is widely used in culinary traditions from French cuisine and Italian cuisine to Chinese cuisine and Indian cuisine, and appears in classic works by chefs associated with institutions such as the Le Cordon Bleu and the James Beard Foundation. Simmering features in recipes from publications like Escoffier's Le Guide Culinaire and in pedagogical materials from the Culinary Institute of America and the Institute of Culinary Education.
Simmering denotes holding a liquid at a steady temperature typically between the boiling point and lower thresholds described in manuals from Harold McGee and Julia Child. Technique descriptions appear in texts by Auguste Escoffier, Fannie Farmer, Gaston Lenôtre, and Marcella Hazan. Professional kitchens following protocols from the Worldchefs federation and certification curricula from the American Culinary Federation distinguish simmering from boiling using temperature charts found in publications by The New York Times Cooking and Bon Appétit.
Simmering is applied to stocks, consommés, stews, braises, and sauces in recipes by James Beard, Julia Child, Escoffier, and Thomas Keller. Classic preparations such as béchamel sauce, bouillabaisse, pho, osso buco, and coq au vin rely on simmering steps described in the oeuvre of L. Francois and recipe collections from Jamie Oliver and Nigella Lawson. Professional techniques from the Cordon Bleu and training at the Culinary Institute of America include controlling simmer via equipment like the saucepan, Dutch oven, and stockpot, and by reference to works by Ferran Adrià and Alice Waters.
The thermal dynamics of simmering are analyzed in texts by Harold McGee and research published in journals associated with institutions such as MIT and University of California, Davis. Simmering temperatures, often cited between 85–96 °C, relate to phase-change behavior studied in thermodynamics courses at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University. Heat transfer mechanisms mirror conduction and convection models taught in departments like Caltech and Imperial College London, and are discussed in culinary science programs at Roux Scholarship training and laboratories such as the Harold McGee Lab and Exploratorium exhibits.
Proper simmering uses cookware standards adopted by organizations like Underwriters Laboratories and the National Sanitation Foundation. Common equipment includes cast iron Le Creuset Dutch ovens, stainless steel saucepans from manufacturers such as All-Clad, and induction ranges by Bosch and Samsung. Safety guidance from agencies like the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention intersects with professional standards from ServSafe and liability recommendations used by institutions including Hospitality Industry training centers and Catering Associations. Manuals from KitchenAid and Viking Range address simmer control and burn prevention.
Simmering underpins regional dishes such as gumbo in United States, cassoulet in France, dal in India, ramen in Japan, congee in China, and mole poblano in Mexico. Culinary histories from museums like the Smithsonian Institution and cookbooks by Elizabeth David, Claudia Roden, and Rick Stein document simmering’s role in traditions tied to festivals like Lunar New Year and celebrations in regions including Andalusia, Catalonia, and Bali. Techniques are passed through apprenticeships connected to establishments like Noma and El Bulli alumni networks.
Simmering contrasts with methods such as boiling used in blanching protocols and high-temperature techniques championed by chefs like Heston Blumenthal and Ferran Adrià, as well as dry-heat methods like roasting exemplified by restaurants including The French Laundry and Per Se. It differs from sous-vide approaches promoted by Thomas Keller and resources from Modernist Cuisine authors, and from pressure-cooking practices advanced by manufacturers like Instant Pot and research in institutions such as Cleveland Clinic nutrition programs. Chefs from Alice Waters to Marco Pierre White choose simmering for textural and flavor outcomes distinct from grilling at Barbecue competitions and frying in establishments documented by James Beard Foundation awards.
Category:Culinary techniques