Everything about Casserole totally explained
A
casserole, from the
French for "sauce pan," is a large, deep pot or dish used both in the
oven and as a serving dish. The word
casserole is also used for the food cooked and served in such a dish.
Casseroles originate from the ancient practice of stewing meat slowly in
earthenware containers. Types of casserole include
ragout,
hotpot,
cassoulet and
carbonnade. A distinction may be made between casseroles and
stews: stewing is a cooking process whereby heat is applied to the bottom of the cooking vessel (typically over a fire or on a hob), whereas casseroling is done in an oven where heat circulates all round the cooking vessel.
Braising is similar to casseroling except that the pieces of meat or vegetable are larger and cooked in a smaller quantity of liquid. Casseroles tend to be thicker than
soup. However the choice of name is largely a matter of custom; it's possible for the same dish to be described as soup, stew, and casserole.
Early
18th century casserole recipes consisted of
rice that was pounded, pressed, and used as a
filling. Casseroles are cooked in
Europe and Canada and the United States, and are found in other forms in many other
cultures around the world. The culinary term
en casserole (also from French) means 'served in the vessel used for cooking'.
Casseroles usually consist of one or two meats or vegetables as the main ingredients. Liquid in the form of stock, alcohol (in the form of
wine; for example
coq au vin or
beef Bourguignon),
beer (for example
lapin à la Gueuze, gin, or
cider) or vegetable juices is added. Further liquids are released from the meat and vegetables during cooking. Binders such as
pasta,
potato,
rice or other grains are added to thicken the sauce. It is cooked slowly and may be served as a main course or a side dish.
Meat is usually precooked or
browned before placed in the casserole.
Use of term in the US and Canada
A characteristic method of preparing casserole in the United States and Canada is to use
condensed soup, especially
cream of mushroom soup. Examples for casseroles that can be prepared in this manner are
tuna casserole (with canned tuna, cooked noodles, sometimes peas, and cream-of-mushroom soup) and
green bean casserole (
green beans with cream of mushroom soup, topped with french fried
onions). A similar staple,
macaroni and cheese, can also be prepared as a casserole.
Casseroles are a staple at
potlucks and family gatherings.
Hotdish is a
US Midwestern (and particularly
Minnesotan) term for a casserole; it's one of the quintessential foods of that region. That is legacy of the
Scandinavian immigrants of the area; casseroles are immensely popular dishes in all Nordic countries.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Casserole'.
|
External Link Exchanges
Do you know how hard it is to get a link from a large encyclopaedia? Well we're different and will prove it. To get a link from us just add the following HTML to your site on a relevant page:
<a href="http://casserole.totallyexplained.com">Casserole Totally Explained</a>
Then simply click through this link from your web page. Our crawlers will verify your link, extract the title of your web page and instantly add a link back to it. If you like you can remove the words Totally Explained and embed the link in article text.
As long as your link remains in place, we'll keep our link to you right here. Please play fair - our crawlers are watching. Your site must be closely related to this one's topic. Any kind of spamming, dubious practises or removing the link will result in your link from us being dropped and, potentially, your whole site being banned. |
