There are many cooking techniques used for preparing your vegetables. You can fry them, sauté, caramelize, or pan roast them. But among the many ways to use your stovetop, one stands out as simple, creative, and providing a mouth-watering smoked flavor to your food. That’s right: grilling directly over the heat of your stovetop burners. Keep reading to discover some tips on the process itself, as well as the health and taste benefits of cooking your food this way.
Open the Window
Whether you are using an electric or gas stove, you can expect the result to be a bittersweet and smoky taste. To facilitate the cooking process, don’t use the ventilation hood. Go for opening the window instead.
The Tools You Will Need
You won’t have to invest much to start with this technique. The essential tools you will need for open-flame stove cooking are a metal wire rack for grilling and a pair of tweezers. The rack will have to fit over the stovetop burner. So, once you get those and the delicious food you are planning to char grill, you can take it to the stovetop.
A Grilling Technique For Delicate Vegetables
Veggies are softer in their natural state and are characterized by quick grilling time. You must be careful because once you put them on the stovetop, it is a matter of just a few minutes to get them ready. Some even may take seconds to start blistering. Whether it is green beans, asparagus, or cherry tomatoes, get them off the flame as soon as they are ready and toss them with some olive oil and spices. This way, they are ready to serve within a few minutes after being exposed to the heat.
How to Handle Solid Vegetables
The sturdier the vegetable you are about to grill over your burner, the longer it will take them to cook thoroughly and get that smoky flavor. This is where those tweezers will come in handy. Use them to turn the veggies over so that each side gets enough exposure to flame. This will make their interiors jammy and sweet while they stay singed on the outside. But don’t worry, the skin can peel off easily if you let them sit in their own steam for a few minutes, right after you get them off the heat. Cover them with a bowl and let them sit.
If you love your veggies tasty and juicy, and you want to impress your guests, use this cooking technique and let the smoky flavor do its job!