On the stove · 08 / 15
Simmer, not a boil
Small bubbles, lazy ones. A hard boil beats meat and clouds a broth.
When to use it
Stocks, stews, beans, tomato sauce, and poached eggs or fish.
- 1
Bring the pot up until you see bubbles, then lower the heat.
- 2
A simmer is a bubble every second or so, not a rolling boil.
- 3
Partly cover the pot if you want to keep liquid. Leave it open to reduce.
- 4
Skim foam early if you are making a clear soup.
- 5
Check early. A simmer still overcooks fish and vegetables if you walk away.
You are done when
The food is tender and the liquid has body, not a watery boil.
Watch out
- Boiling chicken until it is stringy.
- Lid on tight, then wondering why the sauce is thin.