Here's a nice, straightforward infographic from the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, outlining 18 different cooking techniques and exactly what foods they're best suited to.
If you've ever sat there puzzled when someone talks about "blanching and shocking" vegetables first, or serving a duck leg, "confit," then this is the infographic for you. Have you tried "cold oil spherification" and do you know what cooking "sous vide" actually means? Check the explainers below.
Read across the chart from each cooking method and you'll discover which is the best way to cook the juicest steak, for example, or how to keep your vegetables nice and crunchy.
The seasoned cook will know these methods like the back of their hands of course, but as an overview of 18 different cooking techniques this is a useful resource.
You might also want to check out this guide to how to sear anything perfectly, as the searimg method is mentioned below.
See more great food infographics
Produced by Fairmont Hotels and Resorts