Braising

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈbɹeɪzɪŋ/

Definitions

1. A culinary technique that combines high-temperature searing and slow cooking in liquid to develop deep flavors and tenderness in ingredients
2. This method involves first browning food over high heat before gently simmering it in a small amount of liquid to create rich, tender dishes
3. A cooking method that entails searing food at high heat followed by slow cooking in a small amount of liquid to enhance flavor and tenderness

Etymology: The verb has its roots in fire rather than in the kitchen. French "braise" meant live coals or embers, and "braiser" was the cooking verb built on that noun, so to braise was originally to cook over glowing embers. The French word came from Old French "brese", meaning embers, which was borrowed from a Germanic source akin to Scandinavian words for a sparkling fire and for roasting. Those Germanic relatives point further back to a Proto-Germanic word for a glowing, crackling coal. Some scholars trace that to an Indo-European root meaning to crack or burst, the same sense that gives English "burst", though this link is uncertain. The idea is that a live coal is something that crackles and breaks as it burns. The cooking method changed while the name stayed put. Braising now means browning meat or vegetables and then simmering them slowly in a covered pot with a little liquid, a technique far removed from the open hearth where the word began.

Synonyms: searing, browning, stewing