What it is.
To boil is to heat a liquid until big bubbles roll up all the time. A full, or rolling, boil keeps going even when you stir.
Pasta, potatoes, eggs and grains are cooked in boiling water. Many recipes bring a pot to a boil and then turn it down to a simmer.
Why it works.
Water boils at 100°C (212°F) at sea level, and a bit lower up a mountain. In an open pot it cannot get hotter than that. More heat only makes it boil harder.
When you drop food in, the water cools. A big pot with plenty of water comes back to a boil fast, so pasta cooks evenly and does not clump.
Salt in the water seasons the food. It does not make the water boil faster in any way you would notice.
What to look for.
- Big bubbles over the whole surface.
- Stir, and the bubbles keep coming.
- A loud, rolling sound and lots of steam.
Common mistakes.
- The pasta stuck together.
- Use a big pot of water and stir in the first minute.
- It boiled over.
- Turn the heat down a little and leave the lid off or open.
- Meat or a stew came out tough.
- Bring it to a boil, then turn it down to a simmer.
