Cooking
Blanching / boiling
cooking in salted water
Cooking in boiling salted or plain water. Time varies widely: broccoli 2 min, chickpeas 50 min.
When to use
Preserving green vegetables' colour (short), legumes (long), pasta and noodles, drawing meat stock.
Common mistake
Not shocking blanched greens in iced water afterwards — they continue cooking from residual heat and go yellow.
Steps
- Bring water to a strong boil in a covered pot. Salt: 10 g per 1 L (sea-water tasting).
- Add the ingredient in one go — don't overload or you'll drop the temperature.
- Short for vegetables: broccoli 2 min, spinach 30 s, green beans 4 min. Long for legumes: chickpeas 45–55 min.
- Lift out fast with a slotted spoon or basket.
- If it's a green vegetable, plunge straight into iced water (shock). For hot service, don't pre-blanch.