65 COMFORTABLE COOKING
Cooking table
The table below is intended solely as a guide,
because the heat setting depends on the
quantity of food and the composition of the
pan.
■ Use the highest setting for:
- bringing to the boil quickly;
- shrinking down leaf vegetables;
- blanching vegetables;
- heating oil, fat and butter;
- frying steak (rare, red);
- pressurising a pressure cooker;
- cooking smooth blancmange and
custard.
■ Use a slightly lower setting for:
- searing meat;
- frying flatfish, slices or fillet;
- frying cooked potatoes;
- cooking smooth, thickened soups and
sauces;
- frying omelettes;
- frying beef steak (medium, pink-red);
- deep frying (depending on the
temperature and the quantity).
■ Use a setting slightly above the average
setting for:
- cooking of thick pancakes;
- frying thick pieces of meat in
breadcrumbs;
- cooking through thin pieces of meat;
- broiling large pieces of meat;
- frying blocks of ham or bacon;
- frying raw potatoes;
- frying fish coated with breadcrumbs;
- frying beef olives;
- frying omelettes.
■ Use the medium settings for:
- completing the cooking of large
quantities;
- defrosting firm vegetables (French
beans, for example).
■ Use the lowest settings for:
- simmering bouillon;
- stewing pears;
- preparing meat stew;
- completing the cooking of dishes;
- braising vegetables.
64
COMFORTABLE COOKING
Optimal use of the hob
■ Do not use pans that are smaller than the
cooking zone. This will prevent food
remains ending up on the red-hot cooking
zone. Burnt-on food remains are difficult to
remove. In addition, the handles may
become too hot and a lot of energy is lost.
■ Pans that have already been used for
cooking on a gas hob are no longer
suitable for use on a ceramic hob.
■ Do not use aluminium foil, such as the
trays from ready-made meals, for cooking
food in. If aluminium foil melts on the
cooking surface, it cannot be removed.
Aluminium foil is also a very poor
conductor of heat.
■ Always pick pans up to move them.
■ Sliding pans can cause scratches that
cannot be removed.
■ Only place pans with clean, dry bottoms on
the cooking surface. This will avoid
causing stains that are difficult to remove.
■ Always keep the lid on the pan when
cooking, in order to avoid energy loss.
■ Slide the bottom of the pan over a slightly
damp cloth, before placing the pan on the
cooking zone. This prevents dirt getting on
to the cooking surface.
■ The cooking zone can be switched off 5 to
10 minutes before the end of the cooking
time. The dish will then finish cooking on
the residual heat, provided you keep the lid
on the pan.
