Simmer

I'm in the process of writing a cookbook.  It's a compilation of recipes I've collected from six generations of my family.  I expect it to be ready in time for Christmas gift-giving.

As I'm working on the book, I'm finding that I'm using the word simmer quite a bit.  I've noticed, by looking over shoulders, that many people don't know what a simmer actually is.  This may be one reason recipes burn or take too long to cook.

A simmer occurs when water temperature is between 205 and 212 degrees Fahrenheit but you don't need a thermometer to tell the temperature of hot water.  You can tell just by looking.

Between 185 and 205 degrees, tiny bubbles rise from the bottom of the liquid to the top, especially around the edges of the pot, but there's not much else happening.  These tiny bubbles are ideal for poaching, especially delicate foods such as fish, eggs, and some vegetables.

When the bubbles get larger and more robust along the outer edge of the pot, gently gurgling away, water temperature is between 205 and 212 degrees.  Your pot is simmering.  Dishes that take a long time to cook, such as stews, soups, beans, and braised dishes, work best at a simmer.

When the bubbles get very active from the edges all the way to the center of the pot and the gurgling becomes louder, your pot is boiling.  Water has reached the boiling point, 212 degrees.  Boiling is too harsh for most foods; in fact, some chefs say boiling isn't even a recognized cooking method.  You may notice that many recipes call for bringing a pot to a boil, to quickly build heat, then to lower heat to a simmer and continue cooking until the food is done.

At 220 degrees, water turns to steam.  Capture that steam and meats, fish, and veggies are sublime.

It may seem like a watched pot never boils but, with a little training of the eye, you can watch it happen.  Notice how it goes from cool to poaching to a simmer and then, before you know it, you'll have that pot boiling.  And it all happens under an informed, watchful eye.