The word "parboil" is a culinary term that means to boil food for a short time before finishing it by another cooking method, such as baking or grilling. It is spelled with the IPA phonetic transcription of /pɑː_ˈbɔɪl/. The "p" at the beginning indicates the pronunciation of the "p" sound, followed by the "ɑː" sound indicating the "a" vowel. The stress falls on the second syllable, which is indicated by the underscore, and the final syllable is pronounced with the "ɔɪl" diphthong.
Parboil, a verb, refers to the culinary technique of partially cooking food items such as vegetables, meat, or seafood by briefly boiling them in water or a liquid mixture. In this process, the food is submerged in boiling water until it is partially cooked or halfway done, before being removed and further prepared or cooked in another manner.
The term "parboil" is derived from the combination of two words: "par," which means partially, and "boil," which signifies the process of cooking in boiling water. It is important to note that parboiling is not intended to fully cook the food, but rather to initiate the cooking process to soften and partially cook it before moving on to the next cooking method, such as baking, grilling, or sautéing.
Parboiling is commonly employed in various dishes and recipes for several reasons. First, it helps to reduce the overall cooking time, particularly for items that require longer cooking periods. This technique is also utilized to partially cook ingredients that have multiple preparation steps, allowing for better control over the final texture and consistency. Parboiling is often used when it is necessary to remove undesirable elements such as impurities, strong flavors, or excess salt.
In summary, parboiling is a culinary technique that involves partially cooking food by briefly boiling it in liquid. This process is used to soften, partially cook, or initiate the cooking process before proceeding with additional cooking methods.
To boil in part; to half boil.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
The word "parboil" originated from the combination of two words: "par" and "boil".
The first part, "par", comes from the Old French word "parir", which means "bring to a boil". It is derived from the Latin word "per", meaning "through", and "fervere", meaning "to boil". In English, "par" evolved to mean partially or almost boiled.
The second part, "boil", ultimately comes from the Old English word "byċgan", which means "to cook by boiling". This comes from the Proto-Germanic word "bukjaną", having the same meaning.
So, combining "par" and "boil" gave rise to "parboil", which means to partially cook something by boiling it.