Blanche

To briefly immerse food, such as vegetables and pasta, in large quantities of salted, boiling water to rapidly par-cook while still preserving colour, texture and flavour. Use large amounts of salted, boiling water so that when food is immersed, the boiling point is maintained. The food is then refreshed by plunging it into iced water to stop the cooking process. Bacon is blanched to reduce salt content. Other foods can be blanched in hot oil or in simmering court bouillon, e.g. sweetbreads.