Blanching
Blanching is briefly cooking vegetables or other foods in rapidly boiling salted water, then plunging them into ice water to stop the cooking.
Origin
The technique comes from classical French cooking. It keeps vegetables bright and crisp-tender, and it loosens the skins of tomatoes, peaches and almonds. Blanched vegetables are easy to prepare ahead, sauté later or freeze, and they taste fresh in salads.
How to
Bring plenty of salted water to a rolling boil, add the vegetables in batches and lift them out as soon as the colour turns vivid but they still have bite. Cooking times vary by vegetable, so taste a piece as you go. Cool everything straight away in ice water, drain well and use as planned.
Common mistake
Adding too much at once drops the water temperature, and the vegetables turn dull and soft. Blanch in several batches instead.
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Related terms
B