What is blanching?
Blanching is a quick way to cook vegetables while preserving their taste and crunch. It involves partially cooking something by plunging it into boiling water for a short time, then “shocking” it in ice water to stop the cooking.
Method:
Bring a pot of water up to a boil (roughly 1 gallon of water per pound) with 1 teaspoon of salt added. In the meantime, rinse the vegetables and trim off the ends (if needed). Prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl with water, and adding some ice cubes. When the water reaches a boiling point, add the vegetables, taking care not to overcrowd the pot (repeat the process if your veggies don’t fit). Let the vegetables cook for 2-3 minutes, until tender crisp (you can leave them for a bit longer, if you like them less tender – check one for doneness to test). Remove the veggies from the pot, and put directly into the ice bath. Leave for 2-3 minutes and drain.
Uses:
Add to salads or stir fry. Serve alongside other crudites and dip.
