Is it necessary to blanch stewed dishes? What is the purpose of blanching stewed dishes?

We all know that there are many types of stewed dishes, which are spicy and delicious, and are very popular among people. Many people like to make stewed dishes at home, especially during the Chinese New Year and other festivals. There are certain requirements for making stewed dishes, and generally they need to be blanched. So why do stewed dishes need to be blanched? Let's take a closer look!

What is the purpose of blanching stewed vegetables?

95% of the ingredients used to make stewed dishes are blanched, especially those with a strong fishy smell. The purposes of blanching stewed dishes are as follows:

1. Blanching can reduce the fishy smell of braised dishes. The blood and mucus in the ingredients are the main sources of the fishy smell. After blanching, the blood in the ingredients will slowly be discharged, and the mucus on the surface of the ingredients will also be separated from the ingredients after high-temperature blanching. After blanching, the fishy smell in the ingredients will be reduced, and the braised dishes will taste better.

2. Blanching the braised dishes before braising can better protect the braising liquid and prevent it from changing its taste. Some ingredients with strong fishy smell, such as beef, mutton, large intestine, poultry offal, etc., must be blanched. If you put them directly into the pot for braising without blanching, the braising liquid will have a strong fishy smell, which will affect the future use of the braising liquid and the taste of the braised dishes will be very bad.

3. Blanching braised dishes can clean off the dirt stuck on the surface of the ingredients, and it can also sterilize and disinfect the ingredients.

How to blanch stewed vegetables

Cold Blanching

The cold blanching process is most commonly used in the preparation of some ingredients with strong odor. Fresh ingredients should be soaked in clean water for 2 to 3 hours first. Soaking can drain the blood in the ingredients, thus reducing the odor in the ingredients. During the soaking process, the water should be changed frequently (or soaked in running water). If the ingredients have coarse meat fibers such as beef and mutton, a little white vinegar can be added to soak them. White vinegar can soften the meat, thus allowing the blood in the ingredients to be drained better and faster.

Hot blanching method

Hot blanching is the most common method. The blood "hidden" in the ingredients can be slowly forced out by blanching the ingredients. It can also remove mucus and dirt on the surface and shape the ingredients. When blanching the ingredients, the ingredients must be put into cold water so that the blood will be slowly discharged as the temperature rises. Do not put the ingredients in after the water boils. If you put the ingredients in after the water boils, the surface of the ingredients will shrink immediately when they encounter heat, and the blood will solidify and cannot be discharged, which will eventually cause the braised dishes to have a strong fishy smell and affect the taste. The blood will be slowly discharged during hot blanching, and the floating residue should be skimmed off.

Tips for blanching stewed vegetables

1. When blanching the ingredients in hot water, in order to remove the fishy smell more thoroughly, you can add cooking wine, pepper, ginger, shallots and other ingredients to blanch them together. These ingredients can cover the fishy smell in the ingredients.

2. After blanching the ingredients in hot water, you need to wash them again because a large amount of blood will be released during the blanching process. When the blood meets heat, it will become floating residue. The floating residue is produced by the blood and has a heavy fishy smell. After taking out the ingredients, there will be a layer of floating residue on the surface of the ingredients, so it must be washed off. This will remove the fishy smell in the ingredients more thoroughly.

3. The ingredients that have been blanched should be put into the pot for braising immediately, and should not be left for a long time. After blanching, the ingredients themselves have more heat, and the internal tissue of the meat is in an open state. At this time, the braising can be better flavored and easier to mature, shortening the production time. If the ingredients are left for a long time after blanching, the meat of the ingredients will shrink. If the ingredients are not fully cooked, leaving them for a long time will make the ingredients "resurrect" (the meat will have a bloody color that cannot be removed).

4. The blanching time should not be too long. Just cook the ingredients until they are cooked. Prolonged blanching will cause the loss of nutrients in the ingredients.

5 When blanching ingredients, if there are various varieties of ingredients, they should be blanched separately. Do not blanch them together at the same time to avoid "cross-infection" of taste. They should also be braised separately when stewing.