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Cooking
A broad range of ingredients, equipment, food skills and techniques, and cooking methods are used to achieve successful results.
Recipes and cooking methods can be modified to help meet current healthy eating messages.
Why is food cooked? Food skills are acquired, developed and secured Heat exchange/transfer
Some foods can be eaten raw and form an over time. Cooking requires heat energy to be transferred from
important part of the diet. However, many foods the heat source, e.g. the cooker hob, to the food.
need to be prepared and cooked before they are This is called heat transfer or heat exchange. There Key terms
Bridge hold Claw grip
eaten to: are three ways that heat is transferred to the food. Conduction: The exchange of heat by direct
make the food safe to eat by destroying They are: contact with foods on a surface e.g. stir-frying
pathogenic micro-organisms and toxins; conduction – direct contact with food on a or plate freezing.
destroy microorganisms and enzymes that surface, e.g. stir-frying; Convection: The exchange of heat by the
cause food to deteriorate and therefore convection - currents of hot air or hot liquid application of a gas or liquid current e.g.
increase the keeping quality of the food; boiling potatoes or blast chilling.
transfer the heat energy to the food, e.g. baking;
make the food more digestible and easier to
absorb. radiation - energy in the form of rays, e.g. grilling. Heat transfer: Transference of heat energy
between objects.
Many methods of cooking use a combination of Radiation: Radiation is energy in the form of
Food skills rays e.g. grilling.
these. The amount of heat and cooking time will vary
There are a number of food skills which enable a
according to the type of food being cooked and the
variety of increasingly complex dishes to be
method being used.
prepared and made.
These can include: Cooking for health
beating, combining, creaming, mixing, stirring Take into account healthy eating
Cooking methods
and whisking; recommendations to ensure that dishes/meals
These are based on the cooking medium used:
are part of a varied, balanced diet.
blitzing, pureeing and blending. moist/water based methods of cooking, e.g.
Planning - does the meal meet the
kneading, folding, forming and shaping; boiling, steaming, stewing, braising;
dry methods of cooking, e.g. grilling, baking nutritional needs and preferences of those
knife skills;
roasting, toasting, BBQ; it is being cooked for? Base your meals on
rubbing-in and rolling-out;
fat-based methods of cooking – stir, shallow and starchy food.
use of the cooker: boiling/simmering/poaching, deep fat frying. Choosing - choose low fat/sugar/salt
frying, grilling, roasting and baking; versions, where possible.
Preparing - limit the amount of fat added
(try a spray oil) and replace salt with other
Safety Vegetable cuts flavourings, such as herbs and spices.
Sharp knives: never walk around with a knife. Cooking - use cooking practices which
Use the bridge hold and claw grip to cut safely. reduce the amount of fat needed and
Grater: hold grater firmly on a chopping board. minimise vitamin losses from fruit and
Grate food in one direction and leave a small vegetables.
amount at the end to prevent injury to knuckles. Serving - serve the meal in proportions
batons – 5-6.5cm long x dice – 1cm square
Hot liquid: drain hot liquid carefully over the sink which reflect current healthy eating advice.
1 cm square
using a colander. Do not forget to include a drink.
Saucepans: turn panhandles in from the edge,
so they are not knocked.
Healthier cooking methods
Hot equipment: always use oven gloves when Grill or BBQ foods rather than fry to allow
placing food in and out of the oven. fat to drain away.
Spills: wipe up immediately. julienne/match stick – 5- fine julienne – 5-6.5cm
6.5cm long x 3 mm square long x 1.5mm square Drain or skim fat from liquids, e.g. sauces,
Electrical equipment: always follow instructions. stews and casseroles.
Dry fry using non-stick pans, so no need
for oil.
Task
To find out more, go to: Oven bake rather than fry.
Complete the Food route Cooking journal:
https://bit.ly/322eSpr Steam or microwave vegetables.
https://bit.ly/3dYUibH
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