Vegetables cooked in boiling water have a slightly adjustable cooking time window depending on the level of firmness you prefer, but they are never supposed to be “mushy”
Blanching is not what I’m referring to. Blanching is a very short time in boiling water, usually not enough to cook something, followed by a plunge in cold water, so if you stop there your food will also be cold. It is a pre cooking step, done either done to preserve color/texture (if I boil small chopped up leek before making “fondue de poireaux”), or to neutralize bitterness/sourness (if I make lemon slices confit in syrup).
What I’m referring to is following the cooking charts your might find in a culinary school textbook about vegetables, because you can absolutely cook any vegetable to steaming hot perfection in just salted boiling water, even broccoli or Brussels sprouts.
Vegetables cooked in boiling water have a slightly adjustable cooking time window depending on the level of firmness you prefer, but they are never supposed to be “mushy”
Boiled = (to me) cooked like a noodle.
Blanching should be what you are referring to.
Blanching is not what I’m referring to. Blanching is a very short time in boiling water, usually not enough to cook something, followed by a plunge in cold water, so if you stop there your food will also be cold. It is a pre cooking step, done either done to preserve color/texture (if I boil small chopped up leek before making “fondue de poireaux”), or to neutralize bitterness/sourness (if I make lemon slices confit in syrup).
What I’m referring to is following the cooking charts your might find in a culinary school textbook about vegetables, because you can absolutely cook any vegetable to steaming hot perfection in just salted boiling water, even broccoli or Brussels sprouts.