Introduction
Steaming is a cooking technique widely used in the kitchen, which clearly consists in cooking with steam, avoiding that the foods come into direct contact with water. This method also makes it possible to avoid the use of oil or other fatty substances. The food is placed on a permeable surface, provided in most cases with an opening or a metal basket with shelves, below which is the bottom of the steam pot where a layer of water is added. Through the cover, a circulation of air and vapor is established in the pot, allowing the food to cook.
With steam cooking, very high temperatures are not reached, but slightly lower than in traditional cooking. Finally, this type of cooking can also be performed with the pressure cooker. This system is now widespread in most of the world, and is very well known in Asia, where electric tools designed specifically for cooking rice are also used. In North Africa, a traditional dish is the couscous, steamed using two stackable interlocking pots, with the upper one having a pitted bottom.
In Europe it is very common to use the steaming method for cooking vegetables. Steaming is better than boiled foods, as no fats are used, and moreover it is much more difficult for the nutrients and organoleptic substances of foods to be dispersed, such as mineral salts or vitamins.
Unfortunately, many dishes cannot be steamed like fatty meat, for example, which requires cooking at very high temperatures, not reachable using this method. For fish instead, steaming is an excellent system.
Some vegetables or legumes, once steamed, have a different consistency than that obtained with other techniques. The choice of the right level of water to add to the pot is very important. Too much water could comes into contact with food and disperse the nutrients while, on the contrary, it is a danger that the water will end even before the cooking is finished.
Steam cooking tools and appliances
If you want to use steam cooking it is not necessary to have very expensive instruments at home. Those who already have a pot with the steel colander, could have the right solution to perform this technique, simply by placing the food inside the colander at the bottom of the casserole.
On the market there are also some very useful supports that are used to distance the colander from the bottom, if necessary. In many sales outlets you can buy many accessories, very cheap, such as baskets for steaming in metal or bamboo. Those made of bamboo come from the oriental culinary tradition and can often be found already with a lid.
Alternatively, you can buy the metal basket with the pierced bottom that lends itself well to this type of cooking. The appropriate measures for this basket will have to adapt perfectly not only to the saucepan you already have, but also to its lid, so that it can be placed on the pan correctly and covered completely during the cooking phases. In most cases these baskets fit most of the pots. Another option is steam cooking by stoves that are currently available also for home kitchens, which represent a special function, or electric steamers.
Of course, on the market is plenty of electric steamers made by the most important brands in this industry. You can spend even few money, like 15 dollars or pounds, or euros. We suggest to buy something appropriate to your needs. If you will use this method just few times per year, you can buy a cheap streamer, easy to use. If this is your preferred way to cook food, better spend more money, but have a professional appliance. What you need consider is not only the power and the quality of the appliance, but also the size. If you cook a lot of food, you need spend more money to have a big sized casserole.
Today you can save money on internet, or asking to your shop, for the best advise.
Tips
For steaming, you can replace the simple water with vegetable broth, or you can add aromatic spices both fresh and dried, such as sage, rosemary or thyme. By doing so you will make the dishes even more tasty than the classic methods. During the cooking, the water in the steam pot or casserole should never touch the food, and this is why we advise you never to exceed half the volume of the pot.
Finally, it must not be excessive but not even poor, to avoid burning and ruining the bottom of the pan.
