Blanching is a super-simple technique of cooking foods briefly by plunging them into boiling water (for 2 to 8 minutes, depending on the food) and then immediately stopping the cooking process by submerging them in a bath of ice water. I use this technique most for lightly cooking vegetables for salads, which I find brings out their essential flavor. The process of blanching inactivates the vegetable’s enzymes, limiting the loss of vitamins in the food and helping to retain its natural vibrant color. For this reason, it is also a useful way to treat vegetables before freezing them.
Tips
• Use plenty of heavily salted water (1 tablespoon coarse sea salt per 1 quart [1 l] of water) to prevent a concentration of food acids in the water that can turn your food brown.
• Do not blanch green vegetables for more than 7 minutes, in order to maintain their bright green color.
• Do not cover the pot. Covering the pot can turn bright green vegetables a dull, drab color; leaving the pot uncovered allows volatile acids to escape and helps maintain bright colors.
• You want the water to come to a boil as quickly as possible after the food is added to reduce the cooking time. This is essential for two reasons: to prevent the vegetables from getting soggy and to help retain the color of the vegetables. The pot of water should be kept on high heat, and you may need to blanch in batches.
• Place blanched items on paper towels or a clean kitchen towel to dry them and prevent sogginess.
• If making ahead of time, do not dress the vegetables with any kind of acidic vinaigrette or dressing, as this will cause the vegetables to become dull and turn brown. Wait until serving time to add the dressing.