Blanching

Is a term which includes both boiling and poaching, and is especially applied to the initial cooking of vegetables, sweetbreads, brains, calves’ feet, etc., before submitting them to further preparation. In the case of vegetables boiling is maintained; in the case of sweetbreads, etc., after a few minutes the temperature is lowered. Sweetbreads require 20 minutes’ blanching before they are ready to prepare au beurre noir or in a sauce which uses the blanching liquor as its base. A liaison of egg yolks thinned with lemon juice is more suitable than flour for thickening the sauce.