See how to make a bain-marie without secrets and complications

Many people who have been in the kitchen have certainly come across the bain-marie, which is one of the best cooking techniques that we will explain in detail here.

O bain-marie It is a method that uses heat indirectly in the preparation of various dishes. It is commonly used to melt chocolate and other sweets.

So, check out this reading and you will understand how to do it. bain-marie with uncomplicated cooking and why it is essential for many recipes? Let's learn!

Do you know where the 'bain-marie' came from?

This bain-marie technique is an ancient cooking method, which is why it is often mentioned in literature on French cuisine, calling this process 'bain-marie'.

This term is an expression that refers to the story of a Jewish alchemist from the 13th and 14th centuries BC, named Maria, who used a copper pan filled with water so that she could keep her experiments going for much longer.

There are other hypotheses that state that the name of this technique actually refers to the Virgin Mary, as this expression evokes “the sweetest of cooking”.

Tip: These definitions of water bath provided here do not correspond exactly to the concept applied to the laboratory water bath.

Learning once and for all how to prepare your bain-marie

In fact, there is no secret to the bain-marie recipe, did you know? It is very simple to prepare, requiring two pots instead of one: fill the pan with water, at least halfway, and leave it on the stove.

Then turn the heat to a lower temperature and wait for the water to heat up. Then, transfer a small bowl (using the ingredients you intend to cook in this bath) into your pan.

In this preparation method, cooking occurs due to contact with hot water and not direct heat.

Because of this, bain-marie is often used for foods that need to be cooked more slowly and are therefore more sensitive to contact with fire, and can burn more easily.

For example, the marshmallows, the chocolate pieces and, surprisingly, the cream itself, can be made in a bain-marie due to the chances of lumps forming.

Be careful!! Because there are a lot of people who also like the bain-marie done in a way that the bowl does not come into contact with the water in the pan.

This cooking is done only with the steam from the water used, as there is no direct contact. Therefore, the larger container should be used, not completely entering the pan, and this prevents it from touching the water.

It is important to note that you cannot wait for the water to boil, as the ideal is to heat it as much as possible and never let it bubble. Therefore, a low heat is very important. In cases where it starts to boil, one of the tips that works best is to add some ice cubes.

Furthermore, the bain-marie can also be prepared in an oven, although many people are unaware of this.

You just need to fill a baking tray with water and wait for it to heat up. Once the water is preheated, leave it in another container with the cooking ingredients. How can you go wrong?

To help you stay up to date on this topic, check out the techniques and secrets that you can already use in your kitchen. After all, Kitchen Manual does everything for you!!

Melted chocolate

If you've ever tried to melt chocolate directly in a pan on the stove, chances are that the result was burning your candy, right?

This is exactly why using a bain-marie is a way to ensure that the chocolate melts properly. Do it like this: place a smaller pan on the stove with a small amount of water and place the glass or stainless steel bowl on top of it.

Be careful!! This bowl needs to be big enough to not come into contact with the water.

However, if you prefer to use the microwave to do all this melting, you can trust that it will work too... just know that the trick is to keep stirring for around 30 seconds, without stopping, so that it doesn't burn.

Get to that endless creaminess!!

Eggs can also be cooked in a bain-marie! However, scrambled eggs are almost as creamy, as the whites don't lose water compared to the conventional technique. Are you thinking about putting this into practice?

The case of classic puddings

There is no doubt that pudding is one of the typical preparations that use a bain-marie.

Here, simply place the pudding mold in a rectangular baking dish next to the water that has boiled briefly, thus forming a bain-marie, and leave it in the oven for the time indicated in the recipe.

It is essential to bake this pudding in the same way, gradually and controlling the temperature, to reach the perfect point.

The advantages of using a bain-marie

How the bain-marie does not allow direct contact with fire, which is the best part of opting for this infallible method, which keeps the flavor and nutrients intact and, also because your food is prepared slowly,

Don't forget to do this in preparations that call for chocolate bars, condensed milk and cream. For example, cake syrups are a much more effective technique!

The result has already been mentioned here, but it is worth highlighting that it is much creamier and does not have a chance of burning in the process.

Above all, those who believe that a bain-marie is only used to make sweets are mistaken. This method works well for savory preparations – fish, vegetables and stews, gradually prepare these dishes and avoid the risk of them turning into lumps.

Furthermore, since this heating is not as aggressive, since water does all the work, the nutrients in the food are better preserved. That's great, right?