A hot water bath is a cooking method that uses indirect heat to cook delicate foods without burning them. The most common example is the double boiler, but a stainless steel Dutch oven and a bowl can also be used. This technique has been around for a long time and is an excellent option for easily preparing food prone to combustion.
The idea behind a hot water bath is to provide heat for cooking various foods, while reducing the chance of the food getting hot or burning. This is accomplished by preparing a hot water bath, placing the food in a baking dish, and placing the dish in the hot water. Perhaps the most common example of this cooking method is the double boiler.
A double boiler includes a pot at the bottom which is filled with water. A second pot fits on top and serves as a container for the food. As the water boils in the lower chamber, heat is generated which rises to the upper chamber and slowly heats and cooks the food. Cake fillings, homemade chocolate pudding, various forms of egg custard and delicate sauces are just some of the dishes that are prepared using the double boiler. Since each of these recipes calls for ingredients that could easily burn or burn if direct heat were applied, the indirect heat that is generated with this method is a better way to cook them.
Of course, a hot water bath can also be used if a double boiler is not available. For example, combining a stainless steel Dutch oven with an aluminum or stainless steel bowl that is about half the size of the Dutch oven will work very well. A cook can simply fill the Dutch oven about half full of water and bring it to a boil. The mixing container is placed in the boiling water, with the cook ensuring that the water does not rise above the lip of the bowl. From there, it’s an easy task to make the custard, pudding, or sauce in the bowl without having to worry about burning the mixture in the cooking process.
Cooking over hot water isn’t a new process, and the technique has been around for so long that no one is exactly sure when it first appeared. While some people tend to think that using a hot water bath must be a complicated process or that special cookware is required, the fact is that most kitchens already contain everything needed to cook in this way. As a means of easily preparing food prone to combustion, it is an excellent option.
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