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Introduction
Steaming
Steaming has many advantages if used correctly. Healthy and natural, steaming helps food to
retain its taste. A light or herby sauce adds that little touch that makes all the difference.
It does not give off any smells. There is no need to flavour the cooking water with herbs or
spices. However, fish can be flavoured by cooking it on a bed of seaweed or poultry on a bed of
rosemary or tarragon.
Meat, fish and vegetables can be cooked together.
Pasta, rice and purées can be gently heated without any risk of sticking or drying.
Making cream desserts, custard tarts, rice puddings, etc. is easy... if you cover them with foil the
water from the condensation will not wet them.
There is no need to add salt before cooking, or even any cooking water.
To give meat a better appearance, brown it first all over in hot butter in the frying pan.
Compared with boiling, steaming only offers advantages:
It is fast: cooking starts immediately while the cooking time for food in a pan of water only starts
from when the water begins to boil.
It is healthy: the vitamins (those known as hydrosoluble) and mineral salts are well preserved
because they barely dissolve in the condensed water that covers the food.
Furthermore, no fat is used to aid cooking.
Steaming preserves the taste of the food. It does not add any flavour or grilled or fried taste and
does not take any flavour away because there is no dilution in the water.
Opposite side of the coin: there is no point in cooking fish that is not fresh in this way or
vegetables that have been forgotten about in the fridge for a week: the results would be
catastrophic!
Steaming does not allow tastes or smells to mix, so don’t hesitate to save time and money by
cooking fish and a dessert side by side but without touching, for example.
Steaming is also suitable for blanching, reheating or even keeping warm, especially sauces.
First of all, put poultry, veal, pork, etc. in the frying pan with very little fat to give them an
appetising golden appearance. Then finish cooking them by steaming.
Cut into small pieces, food cooks more quickly and evenly than if it is cooked whole.
