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Bain-marie
Appears in
By Bo Friberg
Published 1989
The French name for a water bath—bain translates to “bath” and marie means “married.” Some sources report that the name first came about as bain de Marie, meaning “Mary’s bath,” with Mary being either the sister of Moses or the Virgin Mary.
The purpose of a bain-marie is to protect delicate foods from high heat during cooking or to maintain food at a consistent temperature. A bain-marie can be used in any of three ways:
- A container may be placed over a pan of hot water on the stove to cook a delicate sauce or to melt chocolate (like a double boiler).
- A bain-marie may be used to keep cooked foods warm until they are served, as in a steam table.
- A container—a ramekin filled with custard, for exam-ple—can be placed in a pan of water during baking to help ensure that the custard does not get too hot, which can cause it to curdle.