Cooking is science – master that and you’ll never get adish wrong
Boiling must be the easiest and most efficient way of cooking vegetables and, when done correctly, it preserves their flavour and keeps them vibrant. When vegetables are submerged in boiling water, the heat breaks down their cell walls making them easier to digest, and converts the starches into sugar making them sweeter. However, if boiled for too long, the nutritional value from the water-soluble vitamins in the vegetable will leach out into the water and the vegetables turn to mush, which is why timing is key. Boiling vegetables quickly as preparation to soften them before frying or braising is called ‘blanching’. This is key to making perfectly stir-fried vegetables like broccoli or green beans – they are cooked on a rolling boil for 30 seconds, then drained and ‘refreshed’ in ice-cold water to stop the cooking straightaway.