On food and cooking the science and lore of the kitchen ( PDFDrive ) 1478

sametemperatureassomeoneinBoston
wouldhavetoaddmorethanhalfapoundof
salttothatquartofliquid(225gramstoa
liter).
CookingBelowtheBoilThoughtheboilisa
handy temperature landmark, it’s not
necessarily the best temperature at which to
cook foods in water. Fish and many meats
develop an ideal texture at temperatures
around 140ºF/60ºC. If they’re cooked in
boiling water, which is 70ºF hotter, then the
outer portions of the food overcook and dry
out while the interior heats through. Lower
water temperatures reduce this overcooking,
though they also prolong cooking times. A
water temperature of 180ºF/80ºC, verified by
thermometer, offers a good compromise
betweengentleandefficientcooking.
Steaming:HeatingbyVaporcondensationand
Convection


Thoughit’slessdensethanliquidwaterand
somakeslessfrequentcontactwiththefood,
steamcompensatesforthislossinefficiency
withagaininenergy.Ittakesalargeamount
ofenergytoturnliquidwaterintoagas,and
converselygaseouswaterreleasesthatsame
largeamountofenergywhenitcondenses
ontoacoolerobject.Somoleculesofsteam
don’tjustimparttheirenergyofmotiontothe

food;theyimparttheirenergyofvaporization
also.Thismeansthatsteamingdoesan
especiallyquickjobofbringingthesurfaceof
thefooduptotheboilingpoint,andan
effectivejobofkeepingitthere.
Pan-FryingandSautéing:Conduction

Fryingandsautéingaremethodsthatheat
foodsforthemostpartbyconductionfroma
hot,oiledpan,withtemperaturesbetween350
and450ºF/175–225ºCthatencourageMaillard
browningandflavordevelopment.Thefator