Many recipes call
for broiling, but what is it? Broiling is actually a setting
on your oven - most ovens have off, bake and broil. With broiling
you are heating food by using the top element in your oven
to cook. The bake setting instead bakes your food by surrounding
the food by an even heat. Normally, you use the broil setting
with the oven door open ajar.
Broiling is often
used for browning the tops of dishes, particularly with cheese
such as a lasagna. It can also be used to cook a steak when
a barbeque isn't available.
If you are broiling
anything that drips juices or fat, use a broiling pan. This
is a pan that is similar to a rimmed baking dish on the bottom
but the top (that you place the food on top of) has slats
that allow the fat or juices to drop down to the bottom. This
prevents the fat from then spitting up onto the heat element.
It also helps reduce fat.
