Task 91: Activity | Blanching & Parboiling
Estimated Time: 50 mins
Perfect grade - 100%
Instructor Comments
Hi Leela,
Nicely done with your blanching, parboiling, and fully cooked broccoli! I hope that this has illuminated some things for you and has helped you grow your knowledge and skills regarding vegetable cookery.
I can clearly see the difference in the veggies based on your timing. Thank you for your thorough evaluation regarding texture, aroma, flavor, and taste. These critical observation skills will serve you well on your culinary journey.
Keep up the good work and keep pushing!
Cheers,
Sandy
Graded on March 15, 2021 by Sandy SScore Breakdown3 out of 3 Points Mise en place3 out of 3 Points Three samples
Blanching & Parboiling Vegetables Activity
Activity | Image Upload: Blanching & Parboiling
Now that you’ve had a chance to practice blanching and parboiling, here’s a great exercise. For this one, in addition to blanching, parboiling and fully cooking broccoli, we’d like you to submit your observations and analysis in writing. See the requirements, below.
To prepare the broccoli:
Bring a pot of water to a boil and season with salt.
Cut a head of broccoli into small, evenly sized florets.
Add broccoli to the boiling water.
Blanch: After a minute, remove 1/3 of the broccoli, shock it in ice water, drain and set aside.
Parboil: Let the broccoli continue to cook. Remove 1/2 of the remaining broccoli, shock it in ice water, drain and set aside.
Fully Cook: Let the last portion of broccoli cook until it’s fully cooked—as you would want to serve it. Remove it from the pot, shock it in ice water, drain and set aside.
Notes:
Be sure to take well-lit, clear, and relatively close-up photographs that capture the details of your work and highlight the learning outcomes. We will provide guidelines on what to emphasize in your photos.
Remember that perfect scores are reserved for exemplary work and that even good work has room for improvement. Take the time to do your best work before you submit your assignment. And, note in advance that you may not appeal your grade for the purposes of redoing the assignment to get a better grade. Please take a moment to reflect on and learn from your experience and our feedback.
This activity is worth 6 points
Submit the following:
Photo 1: Mise en place
Set out all your ingredients, ready to use in your preparation.
Broccoli should be neatly laid out—not stacked or in a bowl.
Photo 2: Three Samples
Show the difference between blanched, parboiled, and fully cooked broccoli.
Title and Description
Provide a detailed comparison of the textures.
Include the cooking time for each stage of cooking.
Provide notes on taste, flavor and aroma.
View other student photos: Photo 1 | Photo 2
THIS PHOTO IS PUBLIC
Photo 1: Mise en Place (3 pts)
By Leela N.
Blanched, Parboiled & Fully Cooked Broccoli
Blanched – far left – One minute cook time.
Texture: Crisp, close to raw texture, head of broccoli softened.
Taste: Grassy and slightly bitter, especially on the finish.
…
THIS PHOTO IS PUBLIC
Photo 2: Three Samples (3 pts)
By Leela N.
Prep Vegetables in Advance
Parboiling is a great trick if you want to serve a medley of vegetables with different cooking times. Parboil the vegetables until almost fully cooked and dunk them in an ice bath. When you're ready to serve, mix them together and reheat quickly.
Review Video if Needed
If you need a review, here is the video on blanching and parboiling vegetables from the “Cooking Vegetables in Water” lesson on the previous task.
Video: Blanching & Parboiling Vegetables