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I have been cooking vegetables, such as pea, green beans, broccoli, etc, and even eggs, by placing some butter and water in a fry pan, then cooking the food with a lid on to steam until the water evaporates.

Is there a term that describes this kind of cooking?

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  • It sounds a bit like a risotto – Yohann V. Apr 23 '15 at 8:00
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    Risotto has rice in it @YohannV. – GdD Apr 23 '15 at 9:23
  • @GdD I am talking about leaving a liquid evaporate while cooking. Just pointing that it may be a track to follow. – Yohann V. Apr 23 '15 at 9:28
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    That's not what really happens in a risotto @YohannV., the water is absorbed by the starches in the rice, only a bit evaporates. – GdD Apr 23 '15 at 10:39
  • Oh o-kay. My bad then. – Yohann V. Apr 23 '15 at 12:02
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The word you are looking for is glazing.

Quote from source:

Glazing, a technique taught in culinary schools but underutilized in home kitchens, quickly renders root vegetables (like the yellow beets and carrots pictured) sweet, tender, and glossy. Start by cutting vegetables into uniform pieces and arrange them in a single layer in a sauté pan. Add a few tablespoons of butter, a dash each of salt and pepper, and a pinch of sugar. Add water to nearly cover the vegetables; lay a piece of parchment paper on top; and simmer. As the water cooks off, fat from the butter combines with the vegetables' starches and sugars to form a rich glaze; a shake of the pan distributes it throughout, transforming humble vegetables into elegant side dishes.

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  • You can also do it without adding sugar. – Max Apr 23 '15 at 13:20
  • You can, but a bit of sugar enhances most veggies quiet a bit :). No idea what the chemistry behind that is, but the difference can be tasted. – Layna Apr 23 '15 at 13:27
  • People are primed to like sugar, and I imagine the sweetness emphasizes the natural sugars in most root vegetables. No need to invoke chemistry! – logophobe Apr 23 '15 at 14:50
  • I'm definitely not doing it with sugar. I eat a low carb paleo diet - hence the reason I'm using butter and cooking it this way. – Enigmativity Apr 23 '15 at 23:00
  • +1. Excellent guidelines, we enjoyed our glazed carrots this dinner :) – Willem van Rumpt Jul 14 '15 at 18:26

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