Water covers 71% of the Earth’s surface; yet, only 2.5% of that water is freshwater. For our bodies to function correctly, the body needs between one and seven liters a day, to avoid dehydration. Flight crews are especially prone to dehydration and need to drink more water than the usual average guidelines.
We know without water we could not survive, but water is also one of the most important ingredients that we use. Generally, cooking often involves water, or is present in other liquids or released from the foods themselves, such as we add water to make stock or add wine to reduce.
Water is so important to the culinary world that many cooking methods used are based on how the liquid is combined with the food, such as steaming, braising, boiling, simmering, and my favorite, blanching.
Blanching is one of the most important steps when it comes to preserving the color and texture of vegetables. If you blanch your vegetables first, it will keep the color when the vegetable is reheated in-flight.
This is what you will need to blanch vegetables:
- Large bowl of ice water
- Pot of water to a boil
- The vegetables, cut into uniform sizes
- Salt to add to boiling water
The process is easy and quick, all you have to do is add the vegetables to the boiling water in small batches, then count to 15 seconds, then remove and place in the ice water. Once the vegetables are cooled, drain and dry. This process will keep your vegetables nice and bright for your passengers or guests, when it’s time to cook them.
Questions?
If you have any questions about this article or flight crew culinary training, contact me at jdetloff@airculinaire.com. For questions about in-flight catering, contact weborders@airculinaire.com.
