A slotted ladle lifts white-poached prawns out of a pot of boiling water, a plate of them waits on the table with ginger and soy dip, and a bowl beside it holds just-blanched green vegetables.
Boiled and scalded
Introduction
Cooking ingredients in water or stock until done, covering boiling, poaching, scalding and blanching.
Boiling and poaching covers the cooking methods in which ingredients are heated in water or stock until done, among them boiling, quick poaching and the Cantonese scalding known as bai zhuo, with blanching as a preparation step. Bai zhuo is found in Cantonese cooking, and scalded prawns are among the representative dishes of Guangfu cooking; some recipes say the food is cooked in boiling water to which no coloured seasoning is added. Blanching dips food briefly into boiling water to remove strong flavours and impurities, brighten its colour and shorten the cooking that follows. Stewing and simmering, with long low heat and the broth eaten with the food, belong to Stewing, and cooking food in a pot at the table belongs to the hotpot category.