How to cook with a double boiler. Steamed cutlets without a steamer

Many people treat steamed food without much enthusiasm, and they can be understood: when choosing between juicy kebab straight from the grill and steamed broccoli, it is difficult to make a voluntary choice in favor of a green vegetable. Even healthy eating advocates sometimes criticize steaming to themselves - they say that food cooked in a steamer is, of course, healthy, but it would be great if it were also as tasty as fried food. Meanwhile, a not too expressive taste - a common complaint made about this cooking method - is far from a necessary result of steaming.

Continuing on a theme I started a few years ago, I want to look at steaming as a cooking method that is as complete as frying or grilling, but also healthier. I hope this article will be of interest to both those who have long been familiar with steam, and those who believe that steaming is the last refuge of people faced with a difficult choice between delicious food and their own health. How to steam properly, how to make the taste of dishes cooked in a steamer brighter and richer, what stereotypes about steaming should be thrown away - read about all this below. But we will have to start with the well-known, but still vitally important basics.

What is steaming?

Steaming is very close to regular cooking, the only difference is that in this case the temperature transmitter is not boiling water, but hot steam. This is precisely where the fundamental difference between the two related methods lies: since steaming does not involve contact with liquid and the dish is prepared solely by steam, this allows the products to retain most of the substances they contain, both beneficial and flavorful. If we talk about benefits, the content of folic acid and vitamin C in products after steaming decreases by 15%, while during regular cooking it decreases by 35% and 25%, respectively - what can we say about other methods of heat treatment!

I also said about flavoring substances for a reason: if you put a piece of meat or fish into boiling water, you will, in addition to the finished product, also get one, which in most cases is too light to be of serious culinary value. However, this broth is a sure sign that the flavor compounds have passed into the water, which means they are no longer in the product itself. Often they try to avoid this by using ready-made broth for boiling, but there is also a simpler way: steaming. Without a doubt, steaming is the most delicate of traditional culinary methods, and second only to modern ones.

There are many different devices for steaming, from Chinese bamboo steamers to modern electrical appliances, however, in principle, you don’t need any complex or expensive equipment - a steamer can be “created” using a saucepan with a colander placed in it, which is covered with a lid . These are the three truly necessary components of a steamer:

a container where the water will boil;
a food stand that will allow rising steam to pass through;
and a lid so that the steam does not escape outside, but circulates inside.

To steam food, bring water to a boil, then place the steamer with food over it and cover with a lid to ensure steam circulation and even heating of food. Initially, steaming, like most other healthy things, was invented in the east, so Chinese bamboo steamers are often used, which are installed in a wok over boiling water. These steamers have several levels - the baskets are placed one on top of the other, so you can cook different foods at the same time. I also use a bamboo steamer - in addition to the fact that it does its job perfectly, it also looks very stylish, so you can serve ready-made dishes directly in the steamer. In addition, you can buy an inexpensive metal steamer in the store or look for a more modern device - electric pressure cookers, multicookers and other appliances usually have a built-in steaming function.

There are also more exotic methods of steaming, for example, this one: products that require a particularly delicate approach (say, swallow's nests) are placed in a ceramic vessel with water, and this vessel, in turn, is placed in a double boiler, usually for several hours. Need I say that this approach—in some ways, by the way, a predecessor—was also invented by the Chinese?..

What can you steam?

Oddly enough - almost anything! If you think that only unleavened vegetables can be steamed, then know that in Chinese cuisine rice, fish, various dumplings and buns, and even meat are steamed. As for dumplings, this type of preparation has spread throughout Central Asia; it is enough to recall the somewhat closer manti, for cooking which they use a mantyshnitsa - essentially the same Chinese multi-story steamer, only slightly modified. In China or Korea, you can try steamed buns, both regular and stuffed with vegetables, pork or beef: the dough turns out to be the most ordinary, except perhaps without a golden brown crust, for obvious reasons. In addition, Chinese cuisine invites us to steam pork ribs, duck, chicken, goose, eggs, as well as vegetables, rice and much more.

Fish, which in itself is considered a healthy product, is also often steamed: in the selection of recipes that concludes this article, you will find recipes for steaming both whole fish and fillets. Of course, seafood can be cooked in the same way, and steamed shrimp will have a richer flavor than boiled shrimp.

However, what do we need Asia for? Let's take more understandable and familiar products, say, potatoes. If we are all accustomed to boiled potatoes, then European and American cooks and housewives mostly steam them. The reasons are the same as described above - the potatoes retain more of their own taste and nutrients, which otherwise go into the water. The same goes for other vegetables: if you are not making broth, there is absolutely no reason to boil vegetables in water rather than steam. Apparently, in our country, until recently, no one was interested in steaming - I can’t think of any other clear reasons why we are used to boiling vegetables for or Olivier in water.

Steaming: not only healthy, but also tasty

I hope I have already convinced you that steaming makes healthy dishes. But what about the main disadvantage of steaming - the pale taste of finished products?.. Let's start with the fact that its importance is somewhat exaggerated - steamed dishes have a richer taste than those boiled in water, for the reasons already described above. And if you take on board a few tips outlined in this article, your dishes will not only be healthy, but also tasty.

Experiment with spices and spices. In such dishes, their taste comes to the fore, and to reveal the aroma of spices, they can be pre-heated in a dry frying pan. This, of course, does not apply to salt, but you shouldn’t neglect it either: as you know, it has the property of enhancing the taste of seasoned foods.
Marinate foods before cooking. By adding soy or other seasonings with a bright flavor of their own to the marinade, you will thereby enrich the taste of the products that you plan to put in the double boiler.
Flavor the water. Of course, using a rich broth for steaming would be an insane waste, but adding bay leaves or dried herbs to boiling water will cook the food in aromatic steam, and this will affect the taste.
Finishing touches. If you often eat steamed foods, don't neglect sauces. The sauce doesn't have to be complicated - mix herbs, garlic, lemon juice and zest with olive oil, or make a pesto by adding nuts and blending until smooth.
Cook in sauce or marinade. This is also possible - place the fish in a deep plate, sprinkle it with soy sauce, season with ginger and green onions and place the plate in a steamer: such fish will have all the beneficial properties of a steamed product, but no one will blame it for its inexpressive taste.

In conclusion, we will say that in addition to most of the useful substances, steaming also allows you to preserve the fresh appearance of the food: they do not boil so much, change color to a lesser extent, and this opens up enormous scope for creativity in terms of serving the dish to the table. In my opinion, other arguments are completely unnecessary: even if you don’t care too much about your own health (which is completely in vain), steamed dishes should definitely be included in your diet. At least occasionally.

Everyone knows that the most convenient household appliance for preparing steamed dishes is a steamer. However, remembering the tricks and ingenuity of our mothers and grandmothers, you can completely do without it. How can you steam a dish for a child without a steamer? Yes, very simple!

How can you make a double boiler?

When you don’t have a double boiler at hand, you can make one yourself:

1. Take a deep saucepan and a bowl of the same diameter.

2. Fill the pan with water no more than halfway, tie it tightly with gauze folded in two or three layers.

3. Place the dish on cheesecloth and cover it with a bowl on top as a lid. Inside, the dish will be steamed without a steamer - just as quickly and tasty.

In this simple way, for example, you can prepare tender ones.

Instead of gauze, you can also use a colander or sieve and cover it with a regular pan lid. But in this case, the dishes should be enameled or stainless.

Using these methods, you can steam vegetables, rice, fish, cutlets and much more for your child.

Safety when steaming food without a steamer:

The main rule in the kitchen is that appliances must be convenient, reliable and safe. You need to be careful and careful when preparing dishes in a homemade double boiler:

- the slightest contact of the skin with steam can cause burns - do not put your hands (fingers) inside under the lid, use oven mitts and spatulas,

- when using gauze as a homemade steamer, remember that it can get wet and is also very hot!

- the gauze should be tied tightly, and the ends should be hidden upward inside the “steamer”,

— plastic colanders should absolutely not be used for preparing any steamed dishes without a steamer, unless they are marked “for high temperatures,” which is extremely rare.

By the way, a very convenient thing for preparing small amounts of food is a removable folding steamer for a saucepan. It is very similar in meaning to using a colander, but it fits pans of different diameters thanks to the folding petals along the edge. For example, model Vitesse VS-1261 (Margot) from the French brand VITESSE

Have you already become the happy owner of the most popular kitchen appliance or are you just choosing a model suitable for your purposes? In any case, information on how to cook in a steamer and take advantage of its benefits will help you fall in love with this kitchen gadget forever.

It often happens that new devices sit in the cabinet unpacked, or we never dare to buy something that everyone around us praises and recommends.

How to use a steamer correctly

You should carefully study the instructions for the device, especially the part that lists its main functions. There are currently a lot of models of steamers and you want to learn how to cook with your own, don’t you?
An electric steamer should be installed on a flat, stable surface, taking into account placement in an open space (at least during cooking). Otherwise, hot steam can damage wood and other materials of kitchen furniture and walls.
Before turning on the device, you need to pour water into the tank - no less than a strip of “min” and no more than a strip of “max”, preferably as much steam as is needed to prepare the dish. Although most models are equipped with a locking system if there is no water in the tank.

How to cook in a double boiler

Correct placement of ingredients is the key to a tasty and aromatic dish. If you have a single-level electric steamer, then you can skip this point. When using two or more level steamers, the following rules apply:

Poultry, meat and fish are cooked in the lower bowl, and vegetables and or cereals are cooked in the upper bowl. If the steamer also has a third level, then porridge can be cooked there.
If your appliance does not have separate trays for each level, then you need to take into account the compatibility of the tastes and aromas of the stored products. Juice from food on the top floor drips onto the floor below.
On the lower level, food cooks faster than on the upper ones. Food at the edges of the bowl also cooks faster than in the center - this should be taken into account when arranging food.
Each product requires a different cooking time, so it is better to place faster-cooking products on the upper levels and program the cooking time according to this level. When ready, remove the upper bowl and add the necessary time to cook the food on the lower level.

It is not recommended to salt food directly in the steamer - it is better to do this before serving. If salting is still necessary, use a little more salt than usual, since during steaming the main amount of salt is washed out by steam. Try not to let salt and spices get into the water tank - the device will quickly fail.

The products do not require turning or stirring - the entire surface is treated with steam.
The steamer bowl can be used to sterilize baby bottles and dishes.

How to cook various dishes and foods in a double boiler

Poultry and meat

To properly cook meat in a steamer, let’s reveal one secret! It is better to cook meat in one piece or pieces in foil - it turns out very juicy and tasty. Cutlets, meatballs, meatloaves, meat or chicken pies, casseroles, stuffed peppers and cabbage rolls.

Fish

Fish cutlets (very tasty!), casseroles and pies, meatballs, whole fish and pieces, fish with vegetables. Can be in foil with spices.

Omelette

Omelette in a steamer - food of the gods! Airy and porous, just a masterpiece! Can be cooked with sausage, frankfurters, vegetables. Cook in a rice bowl greased with butter or vegetable oil.

Porridge

You can cook any kind of porridge - it turns out crumbly and retains all its beneficial properties.

Vegetables

Vegetables retain most of their vitamins, macro- and microelements. Vegetables can be prepared both for salads and as an independent dish - vegetable casseroles, pies and stuffed vegetables. In a double boiler they do not lose their shape and are very fragrant.

Cottage cheese dishes

Cottage cheese casseroles, lazy dumplings, cottage cheese muffins and pies, baked apples with cottage cheese (this may become your favorite steamer dish), cheesecakes.

Casseroles

Very tasty meat, fish, potato with various fillings, vegetables and cottage cheese. They are distinguished by their juiciness and natural aromas.

Desserts

Lots of options for sweet casseroles with fresh fruit and jam.

Flour dishes

Manti, dumplings, dumplings, dumplings, pasta casserole with cottage cheese or eggs.

Bakery

Biscuits (they turn out fluffy!), kefir pies, pies, cottage cheese, cookies and gingerbread. It is not recommended to use very juicy fruits and vegetables as fillings for pies, because... The pies may not bake or may take a long time. Such pies, for example, with pumpkin or carrots, are best baked in the oven.

The pastry is prepared in a rice bowl lined with foil or parchment paper, and the top of the dough is covered with foil (to protect it from moisture). After steam baking, the finished baked goods should be immediately removed from the bowl and the foil should be carefully removed so that condensation does not drip onto the product.

How to care for your steamer

After each use, all bowls should be washed, including rinsing the water tank. The use of abrasive cleaners is not recommended.

If you use the device frequently, then once every 7-10 days you need to remove scale from the heating element of the water tank - in this case, the device will serve you for a long time. To do this, pour a glass of vinegar into the water tank, add water to the “max” mark and turn on for 10-15 minutes. Vinegar can be replaced with a tablespoon of citric acid. At the end of the procedure, rinse the tank thoroughly with running water.

We hope that we have convinced you that a double boiler can significantly diversify the diet of the whole family, make it healthy and actually dietary, since we practically do not use fat to prepare dishes in a double boiler. Now you shouldn’t have any doubts or questions about how to cook in a double boiler or how to use it, right? Your Cook wishes you delicious dinners and a healthy diet!

Nowadays, almost every home has household appliances that cope with complex tasks and make a person’s life much easier. In many kitchens you can see food processors, mixers, blenders, steamers and other “helpers”. For example, using a double boiler you can prepare a dietary dish that is no less tasty than cooking it in a frying pan, since the products are thermally treated with a high level of moisture. Unfortunately, not all housewives have such a device in their kitchen, and the question immediately arises: how to steam without steam cooking? How long does it take to cook chicken this way? There are a lot of recipes on the Internet for dishes that can be prepared without such a household device.

How to replace a steamer?

When you have a fully equipped household appliance in the kitchen, all you have to do is throw the ingredients into it and set the cooking mode. Not only modern people like steamed dishes; in the past, our grandmothers also cooked in steam baths, providing their family with healthy, tasty food. And they managed without any cooking utensils.

Instructions for a homemade steamer:

Take a deep saucepan or cauldron with a bowl. The vessels must be the same diameter.
Fill the pan halfway with water, and cover the top with gauze folded in several layers.
We fix the gauze fabric with linen thread.
Place pieces of meat or any other food on a gauze cloth and cover with a lid.

Important! Instead of gauze, you can use a colander and cover it with a saucepan lid. It is recommended to use enamel cookware.

Thus, you can cook any steamed dish without a multicooker or steamer.

General principles for steaming cutlets

Despite the fact that steamed cutlets do not have an appetizing crispy crust, they are very tasty and are also much healthier than fried ones. Moreover, cooking them is not as difficult as in a frying pan, because you don’t need to stand at the stove and constantly turn them over.

If you don’t have a steamer, but really want to steam your favorite dish:

Use a regular saucepan with a flat bottom strainer.
The cooking time depends on the chosen meat; chicken dishes cook the fastest.
It is better to make minced meat for making cutlets yourself, as cutlets made from purchased minced meat may fall apart.

Important! Vegetable products are added to the meat - cabbage, carrots, potatoes. They add juiciness and help diversify the flavor range. Vegetable cutlets are prepared only from vegetables or cereals. This is a very good option for those on a low-calorie diet.

Steam cutlets in a frying pan

To prepare delicious steamed minced chicken cutlets, follow these recommendations:

Important! The prepared dish is no different in taste and appearance from the one cooked in a double boiler.

Steamed vegetable cutlets without a steamer

Vegetable cutlets are a great option for vegetarians. They are prepared according to the same principle as meat dishes.

Important! Cabbage cutlets are considered the most delicious. They are very tasty and aromatic. And with the help of semolina, the cutlets hold the desired shape and do not fall apart.

In order to steam vegetable dishes without a special device, you will need a pan of water and a sieve or flat colander. The recipe for this healthy and tasty dish will be as follows:

Grind a head of white cabbage.
Three onions on a fine grater.
Mix vegetables.
Add one raw egg, three tablespoons of semolina and spices to taste to the vegetable mass.
Mix the ingredients until smooth.
Shape the cutlets, place them in a heated frying pan and pour a glass of water.
Cover with a lid.

Important! The process of preparing vegetable dishes takes much less time than cooking meat. Vegetable products are cooked in no more than 20-25 minutes.

Steaming fish

Steamed fillets of red or white fish are usually prepared.

Important! It is worth considering that cooking fish products will take longer than vegetables or meat, since fish is more at risk of disease and in some cases is a carrier of various diseases.

Before cooking, it must be thoroughly cleaned and rinsed. Cook the fish in a frying pan with a small amount of water added or in a sieve over a pan of boiling water. Before the cooking process, fish fillets are brushed with your favorite spices and a few drops of vegetable or olive oil.

Important! The finished fish is served with mashed potatoes or rice.

Cooking tricks without a steamer

To make the food tasty and aromatic, you must follow certain recommendations:

Form the cutlets with wet hands and periodically add cool water to the cutlets.
If the meat seems a little dry, you can dilute it with chopped vegetable mixture or white bread soaked in milk.
To maintain juiciness, cooked foods are wrapped tightly in foil.
During cooking, you can add a piece of butter. It gives tenderness to the products.
Not only semolina, but also boiled rice or wheat can keep the shape of the cutlets.
If the meat is too rough, pound it thoroughly before chopping.

Security measures

All devices used must be convenient and reliable, and safety precautions must also be observed when working with steam devices:

Use special gloves, as steam can also cause burns.
The cloth gauze can get wet and be as hot as the pan. Therefore, you should not touch it with your bare hands.
Do not use a plastic sieve or colander, as dishes made from such material are not resistant to high temperatures.
Fix the fabric gauze tightly so that it does not fall into the water and then you do not have to remove it from the boiling water.

Important! Compliance with safety precautions is one of the main requirements when steaming food.

Diet cutlets are a healthy and necessary dish not only in medical nutrition, but also when you need to decompress well after the holidays. The recipe for steaming cutlets without a steamer is a big lifesaver for housewives. Not everyone has a pressure cooker, steamer or multicooker, but almost every home has a sieve or colander.

I suggest cooking the most tender chicken cutlets in a colander. Our family really liked the option of cooking steamed cutlets without a steamer - because of its simplicity and accessibility. Washing the colander turned out to be faster than fiddling with “normal” devices designed for steaming dishes.

The composition of the cutlets is the simplest. We need skinless chicken breast, two slices of bran bread or loaf, onions and garlic, as well as salt, butter and a little seasoning for cutlets - to taste. Flour is taken as desired.

First you need to prepare the main products for twisting in a meat grinder. Chicken, onion and loaf are cut into pieces.

The prepared ingredients are passed through a meat grinder.

The resulting minced meat is salted and seasoned with cutlet spices. Let's use just a little bit of seasoning.

Break a chicken egg into minced meat.

After which the minced meat is mixed very thoroughly into a homogeneous cutlet mass. The better you mix the minced chicken, the more tender the steamed cutlets will be.

Round cutlets are formed from homogeneous minced meat. To prevent viscous minced chicken from sticking to your hands, they are moistened with water. The bottom of the colander is pre-lubricated with butter, and then you need to place the cutlet blanks in it. Cutlets that are too “liquid” can be dredged in flour if desired. The colander is placed on a pan of boiling water and covered with a lid. Actually, this is how our steamed cutlets will be prepared without a steamer.

Control the active process of boiling water in the pan and in 45-60 minutes the steamed cutlets will be cooked. Try it! If you are completely satisfied with the taste of the cutlets, carefully remove the cutlets to a plate. Garnish with herbs and serve for lunch as a healthy second.

A double boiler is not so important when “the need for invention is cunning,” as it turned out.