All about Braising: The Art of Uncomplicated Cooking FROM OUR EDITORS
Braising, one of the oldest food preparation techniques, consists of cooking food by first browning it in a pan and then cooking it slowly in liquid in a covered heavy pan. This combination of roasting and stewing results in meals that are both tender and intensely flavored, which helps explain the technique's popularity in cuisines as diverse as Vietnamese, British, Moroccan, Italian, and American. Molly Stevens' All About Braising is a comprehensive guide to this versatile kitchen method. Designed for cooks at every level of expertise, the book offers a thorough introduction to the principles of braising; from advice on the choice of meat, fish and vegetables to the selection of the right pots. All About Braising contains 125 easy-to-follow recipes especially designed for braising, including both quick-braised main dishes to slow-cooked weekend feasts.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Mention Some of the Great Braised dishes-Chicken and Dumplings, Yankee Pot Roast, Osso Buco-and chances are you'll elicit an expression of familiar pleasure. The miracle of this cooking technique is that it asks so little of the cook yet delivers fork-tender food bathed in a delectable sauce. Braising is a gift handed down from the earliest days of cooking, when cooks would tuck a few ingredients and a bit of liquid into a heavy pot, cover it tightly, bury it in a spent fire, and leave it to simmer slowly for hours. Today our appetite for braised food endures. It's easy to understand why. You can put meat, fish, or vegetables in a single pot, let it all braise unattended, and when done, share a feast straight from the pot with family and friends, surrounded by comforting aromas and good conversation. What's more, braised dishes often yield leftovers that taste even better the next day.
With a background in classic French technique and many years as a chef/instructor, Molly Stevens knows her braising. Written with an attention to detail that sets this book apart, All About Braising explains everything from how to choose a braising pot to which cut of beef produces the best pot roast. A treasure trove of information, it is also a superb teaching book containing helpful and ingenious notes on ingredients and technique. Recipes include a full range of dishes from vegetables, fish, and chicken to veal, beef, pork, and lamb. On the traditional side, Molly offers exciting new twists on old favorites such as Short Ribs Braised in Porter Ale with a Maple Rosemary Glaze and Cabbage Rolls Stuffed with Pork and Sauerkraut in recipes so reassuring and precise you are guaranteed falling-off-the-bone-tender ribs and supple, succulent cabbage every time. On the novel side, you will find such unusual dishes as Vietnamese Braised Scallops, Escarole Braised with Cannellini Beans, and Seven-Hour Leg of Lamb.
Once you master the basic technique, you'll discover that braising is uncomplicated, virtually foolproof, and ripe for your own improvisation. Unlike grilling and sauteing, where everything happens quickly, braising is forgiving and patient. In All About Braising, Molly Stevens has given us recipes for all tastes, gathered from the braising traditions of many different cultures. Vegetarians and fish-lovers will find lots to satisfy their appetites. And for all cooks everywhere, the directions in this book will teach you how to become a great cook.
FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly
Cuisines as diverse as Vietnamese, Moroccan, Italian, British and American all use braising; the technique can be a means to cook everything from vegetables to pork belly. Stevens, a Fine Cooking contributing editor, says that braising is simply "tucking a few ingredients into a heavy pot with a bit of liquid, covering the pot tightly and letting everything simmer peacefully until tender and intensely flavored." With the help of appetite-inducing photos of Vietnamese Braised Scallops, and Braised Endive with Prosciutto, Stevens illustrates just how exciting a braise can be. "Braising," she clarifies, "is a building process. The cook adds layer upon layer of flavor, nuance, and character to a dish at each stage." Although braising is a relatively simple cooking method, Stevens takes her time explaining it, drawing on food science to explain not just how, but why (for example, "Give food plenty of space," because "If the pan is too crowded... the released moisture can't escape and will cause the meat to steam, not brown"). Aside from Stevens's sometimes superfluous prose and ho-hum anecdotes, the book contains interesting tasting notes and cultural information, and Stevens's lengthy instructions will be particularly valuable to beginners. Photos, line drawings. Agent, Marion Young. (Aug.) Forecast: Celebrity endorsements (e.g., from Judy Rodgers, a recent James Beard Award winner) and marvelous photos and layout will draw readers to this work. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
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