During the winter months in New England, many people store their grills away and cook indoors. When you tire of cooking dinner on the stovetop or baking in the oven, there is another option: Broiling. A similar method to outdoor cooking, broiling meat and seafood can give you the same great taste as the grill.
How do baking and broiling differ?
What Is Broiling?
Broiling is the method of exposing food to direct heat. Food placed in a special broiling pan in your oven’s broiler is subjected to 550-degree heat. This high temperature gives the same quick sear as a grill to your beef, chicken, salmon and even vegetables.
Broiling is different than baking, where the food is surrounded by hot air and cooks slower. Some chefs recommend a two-step process of baking then broiling, to keep a protein like chicken moist.
Foods to Bake
As mentioned, baking is a slower cooking process because the oven’s heat has to travel through the food’s interior. It often works best for breads and pastries, like cookies and cakes. There is no rule against baking what you can also broil, but it will take more time. However, not everything you broil can be baked – keep pies out of the broiling pan!
Foods to Broil
Broiling does not slowly cook through the middle of food but sears the exterior. As a result, you do not want to broil a thick cut of meat or it may be undercooked. Try the
following thinner cuts:
- Boneless chicken breasts
- Pork tenderloin
- Hamburgers
- Fish like salmon & tilapia
You can also cook vegetables under the broiler. Choose varieties that can also be eaten and enjoyed raw, like peppers and onions.
At Colony Diner, we use many different cooking methods to bring out the flavors of our fresh ingredients. From broiled scrod to baked chicken, we have something on the menu for everyone. If you haven’t uncovered the grill for spring quite yet, gather the family and visit our Wallingford restaurant today!