SCS 4| Blanching
You are missing some Flash content that should appear here! Perhaps your browser cannot display it, or maybe it did not initialize correctly.
In this episode of the Stella Culinary School Podcast, we talk about the basics of blanching, including the science behind keeping green vegetables green, and how to properly blanch root vegetables.
Resources For This Episode
- Braised Chicken Thigh Recipe
- What is your death row meal? (Forum Discussion)
- Perfect French Fries - CookingIssues.com
| For our complete list of audio lectures you can view The Stella Culinary School Podcast Index. For a list of video techniques, please visit our How To Cook Video Index. You can also subscribe to the Stella Culinary School Podcast feed through traditional RSS or iTunes. |
-
As we discussed in this episode, acid is the enemy of chlorophyll molecules. When you blanch your greens properly in a large pot of water, the acid is released out and diluted instead of saturating back into the greens. If you were to wilt greens directly into a pan (which some people do and I have nothing against), you risk the acid in the greens leaching out and breaking down your chlorophyll molecules.
-
The enzyme chlorophyllase is most active at 150-170ºF. Blanching first allows you to cook the greens above that temperature. When you then go to use them in a hot application, all your are doing is warming the greens through so they'll be hot to the touch. Even if you blanch the greens first, if you cook them for a prolonged period of time in the pan, the chlorophyll will still break down.
Also, as we discussed in this episode, when you drop greens directly into boiling water, it rapidly collapses the cells that contain oxygen, which gives you that instant change to bright green. In my experience, this doesn't happen as rapidly or as evenly when putting raw greens into a saute pan.However, there are times when I will wilt greens directly into a sauce or a dish (usually pasta) that hasn't been blanched first. I opt for this when I want the greens to still be relatively vibrant and fresh. When I add the greens, it is always right at the end, after I've already turned off the flame and right before the dish hits the plate.