Double boilers can be useful when with working with heat sensitive sauces.
What is a double boiler?
A double boiler is simply a stove top friendly apparatus with double pans stacking on top of one another. The bottom pan is used to add water and the upper is used to add the heat sensitive mixture such as custard, chocolate or cream. The water from the lower pan should not touch the upper. The double boiler is used to generate indirect heat by preventing the steam from escaping.
Why use double boilers?
What's so great about using a double boiler is the fact that it can add so much texture to certain foods that cooking any other way will not yield the same results. Direct heating often will cause delicate sauces and chocolates to break down and interfere with its consistency. A double boiler allows heat sensitive sauces to heat slowly and evenly by steadily letting the water boil at a lower or set temperature. Indirect heating produced by the double boiler thus eliminates the possibility of scorching or overcooking that may occur with conventional stovetop cooking.
Double boiler recipes:
Cashew Clusters
1 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Water
1/8th tsp. cream of tartar
1/4th tsp vanilla
2 cups cashew nuts.
Using the top pan (saucepan) and combine the sugar, water, and cream of tartar. Cook and continuously stir the mixture until the sugar dissolves and bring to a boil.
When it reaches a hard-crack stage, remove it from the heat. Stir in the cashews and vanilla and set the pan in a larger pan of hot water to keep them soft. Make teaspoon size drops of the mixture onto greased baking sheets and form clusters of about 3-4 nuts.
Chocolate Caramel Turtles:
1 lb pkg. of caramels
2 tbsp. water
3.4 lb cashew nuts
6 oz. pkg. cooking chocolate
Heat the caramel and water in the top pan of the double boiler over boiling water for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. When the mixture is evenly melted, add about 2 inch drops onto greased baking sheet and let cool for 15 minutes. Melt the chocolate pieces over hot water (not boiling). Drop chocolate by the teaspoons on each caramel turtle and let cool until firm.
When a recipe calls for the use of a double boiler, usually there are no other alternatives because the indirect heat produced from the double boiler is used to prevent the scorching and overcooking of delicate food. Just like how we use different modes for ironing or washing and drying clothes, cooking should be no exceptions.
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