*****************Dry Heat Cooking Methods**************  Roasting:

Roasting is to cook foods by surrounding them in dry heat usually in an oven. It can also be accomplished by spit roasting over an open fire or on an outdoor grill. There are two schools of thought about roasting. One is that meats should be roasted first at a high temperature, usually 204˚C to 218˚C (400˚F to 425˚F), to brown the meat and seal in natural juices. After the meat is browned the temperature is reduced to 163˚C (325˚F) to allow the meat to cook slowly. The other method is to cook meats by roasting at 163˚C (325˚F) for the entire cooking period. The thought for each method is that it reduces shrinkage and gives a more moist finished product. Eg. Roast Chicken, Roast Beef, Roast Peppers.

Baking is similar to roasting however it is normally associated with baking bread or cakes.

 Sautéing:

Sautéing is to cook quickly in a small amount of fat. The pan should be preheated. This will allow the food to be seared quickly. Small pieces of foods such as diced onions must be stirred or otherwise kept in motion during sautéing. Larger cuts of vegetables or slices of meat are usually only turned once.

Eg. Sautéed Mushrooms and Onions (duxelles) , Sautéed Chicken.

 Grilling:

Grilling is done on a grate over a heat source. The heat source may be an electrical element, charcoal, or a gas flame. Eg. Grilled Beef Rib eye, Grilled Chicken, Grilled Vegetables.

NOTE: It should be noted that barbecuing is defined as cooking over charcoal or ashes and may be confused with some of the above-mentioned cooking methods.

 Frying:

 Pan fried

- Pan frying is done in a moderate amount of fat over moderate heat. This method is used for larger pieces of food and usually takes longer than sautéing. Varying amounts of fats are used and the food may be turned more than once during cooking. Eg. Pan-fried Fish, Pan-fried Chicken.

 Deep-fried

- Deep fat frying is to fry foods completely submerged in fat. Although it seems fairly simple, deep fat frying is not as easy as one would think. Foods must be fried at the correct temperature, 177˚C to 182˚C (350˚F to 360˚F) to minimize fat absorption. Only small amounts of food should be fried at any one time. Larger amounts of food cause the temperature to drop drastically. Eg. Kentucky fried chicken, French Fries.

 Stir-fried

- Stir-frying is to cook food in a little fat and food is constantly stirred and tossed. This cooking term is commonly used in Asian cooking particularly in Chinese Cuisine. However, it is now more and more common to find this method of cooking incorporated into Western Cuisine. Eg. Stir-fried Chicken with Cashew nuts, Stir-fried mixed vegetables.

 Broiling:

Broiling is to cook foods at a high temperature with an overhead heat source. Sometimes the temperature may be as high as 815˚C to 1093˚C (1500˚F to 2000˚F) in some commercial broilers. The food usually rests on a grate four to six inches below the heat source and is usually only turned once during the cooking process . Eg. Broiled fillet of fish, Broiled Chicken.

***************Moist Heat Cooking Methods**************

 Poaching:

Poaching is to cook in a liquid that is not actually bubbling at 74˚C to 82˚C (165˚F to 180˚F) usually used to cook delicate foods such as fish and eggs. Eg. Poached Eggs, Poached Fish.

 Simmering:

Simmering is cooking in a liquid just below the boiling point. Bubbles usually rise and break just below or at the surface. The temperature of the liquid is 85˚C to 96˚C (185˚F to 205˚F) degrees. Eg. Simmering of Chicken Stock, Simmering of stew.

 Boiling:

Boiling is cooking in liquid at 100˚C (212˚F) at sea level. The liquid may be water, a seasoned liquid, wine, stock, or a combination. Boiling is usually reserved for certain vegetables and starches such as potatoes and pasta. Meats, fish and eggs outside the shell are never boiled. The higher temperature and agitation toughens protein and breaks up delicate foods. Eg. Boiled Potatoes, Hard-boiled Eggs.