Lightly burning an ingredient with high heat.

What are the fundamentals of charring?

Charring is a technique where you intentionally burn an ingredient, or part of an ingredient, in a controlled manner using direct, high heat. This can be done in a pan, grill, oven, or with direct flame.

  • Charring is a great way to achieve & contrast and a controlled flavor in a dish.

Why?

  • Charred, carbonized bits of food get you complex flavors that taste like it was cooked over a charcoal fire (even if it wasn’t).
🍳 Kitchen Tool: Pan, Grill, Torch, Oven
🔥 Heat Type: Radiation or Conduction
🌡️ Temperature: 400-500°F/204-260°C
🧪 Food Reaction(s):

Example Foods

  • Deeply roasted carrots
  • Seared onions
  • Grill marks on a chicken breast

Charring in Action

The Mouthful

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