Simmering

Methods and equipments

Simmering is a gentler cooking method than boiling, which helps keep food from getting tough or falling apart, and it is typically a quick and efficient process. When food is simmered in milk or cream, it is often called creamed. Chefs disagree on the exact temperature for simmering, though some say it can be as low as 82 °C. Certain modern gas stoves include a dedicated simmer burner, often in the back, for steady low heat, and many electric stoves have a simmer setting. Slow cookers are electric countertop appliances that cook food at or slightly below a simmer for several hours.

By cuisine

In Japanese cuisine, simmering is often considered one of the four essential cooking techniques, along with grilling, steaming, and deep frying. Food prepared in a crockpot or slow cooker is simmered, including stews, chili con carne, and soups. Bulgarian traditional food, especially tender meat dishes, are often simmered for extended periods, as in stews, soups, and Vanyas. In traditional Dutch and Flemish cuisine, less tender cuts of beef are simmered for several hours to obtain carbonade flamande, typically using a small flame and a cast iron pan with a thick bottom.

Simmering is one of the most popular styles of cooking in Iran and Afghanistan; in traditional Persian cuisine, almost all types of Persian khoresh are simmered for several hours, as are dishes like abgoosht and bozbash. Simmering is the main cooking technique used in Shabbat stews, as Jewish law forbids cooking on Shabbat; many diaspora groups have versions such as cholent (Ashkenazi Jewish), hamin (Sepharadi Jewish), and t'bit (Iraqi Jewish), brought to a boil before Sabbath and kept on a blech or other device overnight.