Editing Sweating

The gentle heating of vegetables in a little oil or butter, usually results in tender, sometimes translucent, pieces.

Sweating in cooking is the gentle heating of vegetables in a little oil or butter, with frequent stirring and turning to ensure that any emitted liquid will evaporate.[1] Sweating usually results in tender, sometimes translucent, pieces.[2] Sweating is often a preliminary step to further cooking in liquid;[1] onions, in particular, are often sweated before including in a stew.[a] This differs from sautéing in that sweating is done over a much lower heat,[2] sometimes with salt added to help draw moisture away, and making sure that little or no browning takes place.[2][4]

The sweating of vegetables has been used as a technique in the preparation of coulis.[5]

In Italy, this cooking technique is known as soffritto, meaning "sub-frying" or "under-frying".[1] In Italian cuisine, it is a common technique and preliminary step in the preparation of risotto, soups and sauces.[1]

[[Category:Cooking techniques]]