What's the purpose of adding water to a skillet when cooking solid food?

I recently came across a recipe for cinnamon skillet apples. One of the steps was to put the chopped apples into a skillet, along with half a cup of water and ground cinnamon. This reminds me of the instructions on seasoning packets, which involves stirring the contents into water, and then pouring it on top of meat in a skillet.

Is there a technical term for this cooking method? Does the water impact how the apples cook, or is it there for the sole purpose of evenly distributing the seasoning?

skillet

Best Answer

In this case, you are braising the apples. The water is the braising liquid, which helps to cook the apples, reduces, integrates with the other ingredients, and becomes a sauce. It also keeps the apples from sticking to the pan and burning.

Pictures about "What's the purpose of adding water to a skillet when cooking solid food?"

What's the purpose of adding water to a skillet when cooking solid food? - Person Adding Flour into a Bowl

What's the purpose of adding water to a skillet when cooking solid food? - Person Cooking on Black Pan

What's the purpose of adding water to a skillet when cooking solid food? - Man in Black Vest and White Dress Shirt Standing Beside Man in Black Vest

Why do you put water in a pan when cooking?

Do You Add Water When Roasting Vegetables? Adding water to the pan when roasting vegetables will steam them rather than roast them. This will cause you to lose some flavor, but it is a healthy way to cook vegetables.

Can you use water instead of oil to fry?

It's as simple as it sounds when learning how to saute without oil or stir-fry, and yes, all you need is water. The best technique is to start with a small amount of water (about 1-2 tablespoons), adding in an extra tablespoon at a time, if it gets dry until you're finished sauteing.

Why does oil prevent sticking?

How to prevent sticking or why hot oil prevents sticking? The oil, being liquid, fills in the valleys and caves of the pan surface. Although the pan may look smooth at a microscopic level the surface of even the smoothest metal pan looks rough with hills, valleys and even caves.

Does vegetable oil prevent sticking?

Season your pan.Seasoning a pan refers to the formation of a protective layer that can act as a buffer and prevent food from sticking. Seasoning a pan is dead simple. Rub your pan down with some canola or vegetable oil (you need a neutral, high-smoke-point oil) and throw it in a 425\xb0F oven for 30 or so minutes.

Minecraft wait what meme part 128 realistic minecraft fluids (lava, water, portals)

Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Pixabay, Nicole Michalou, cottonbro, cottonbro