preboil
Cook water first
To preboil is to boil something before the main cooking process—often to soften vegetables, parcook pasta, or prepare ingredients for a recipe that will finish them another way: Preboil the potatoes before roasting them.
The step saves time or ensures even cooking in dishes with mixed components.
Scald briefly, then cool
- simmerCook just under boiling
- scaldBurn with hot liquid
- poachCook gently submerged
- steamHeated water's gaseous form
soften · tenderize · precook · heat · braise · stew · infuse · extract
Reducing required duration
- shortcutQuicker alternative path
- quickMoving with speed
- expediteSpeed up a process
- streamlineRemove unnecessary elements
fast-track · speed · simplify · accelerate · convenience · head start · advance
blanch
Scald briefly, then cool
steam · soften · tenderize · precook · heat · braise · stew · infuse · extract · pot
time-saving
Reducing required duration
streamline · fast-track · speed · simplify · accelerate · convenience · head start · advance
soak
Saturate with liquid
dice · drain · trim · clean · defrost · marinate · season · tenderize · mise en place · batch cooking