Appears in
Oxford Companion to Food

By Alan Davidson

Published 2014

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Simmer a verb which means to cook something in a liquid which is just below boiling point, i.e. (at sea level) about 90–96 °C (194–205 °F). Such a temperature is more than sufficient to achieve the coagulation of protein, which is commonly the result desired in cookery, and is often preferable to boiling something, since it avoids undue agitation of the liquid and may be slightly more economical in the use of fuel. The surface of a liquid which is simmering shows occasional bubbles and some movement, but not much.