Sometimes people on the show use the term 'sweating' in relation to preparing foods. And, when we're talking about food at the end of our Uni term, when money's a bit tighter than usual, people are always talking about 'sweating Leeks'.

Don't get me wrong, I love Leeks, but I just don't know what I would have to do to sweat them.

Perhaps I do it already, I just don't know it's called that. A source of much confusion :/

Hanley.

Sweat. to heat food (especially vegetables such as leeks and onions) slowly in butter in a tightly closed saucepan.

See Hanley... there's no need for you to run round the block with them a few times

Isn't that just frying?

Hanley

*not as confused*

quote:

Originally posted by Hanley:
Isn't that just frying?

Hanley

*not as confused*

Nope, all the moisture stays in the pan and drips from the lid keeping the contents from browning.

to sweat them you want them on a very low heat, so their is a heat source but you are also sort of steaming them due to the lid.

strange, I do a lot of cooking and I never knew that the 'sweating' part included covering the pan tightly. I'm from the US and all the shows/books over there state that sweating is simply cooking veggies (most likely onion/leeks) over low temperatures to soften them and draw most of the water out of them. I've since looked it up and sweating does mean to cover. Just surprised.

sweating - to cook without colouring