How to use a bain marie to keep food warm

Many times we look for ways to keep the food warm, either because we have to cook several things at once or because it’s those times when we have guests who are late at the last minute. The truth is that on many of these occasions it is very difficult for us to ensure that the food we have been preparing is not cold when it is served.

Why most restaurants use bain maries?

There are many techniques to keep food warm, although most require certain machinery and utensils, such as hot tables, plate warmers or grills. But just as there are these techniques, there are also those that, with a little imagination, we can use in our home and thus make each dish go from the kitchen to the hot table without losing its taste or texture.

One of the best ways to keep food hot is the bain marie, besides being one of the options that are most used especially in restaurants and hotels, this is because one of the uses of bain marie is to keep a preparation hot; it is an ancient, simple and also traditional technique, which means that it is a wonderful ally in our kitchen.

The bain marie is special especially when it comes to keeping a preparation hot that contains liquid, be it sauces, stews, creams or stews. These are preparations that if we left them on the fire even if it is soft, they would lose some of the water, which would cause as a consequence the concentration over its flavor and even they would get burnt.

The bain marie allows us to conserve its heat without reducing the broth or water, and so these very important aspects are not sacrificed.

One of the great virtues of the bain marie is that its method of preparation is very simple, as simple as the fact of submerging a pot with the food in it in a container that is larger and full of water, as long as we make sure that the pot containing the food is well covered so that no water enters it.

How to use a bain marie to keep food warm?

To use the bain marie to keep food warm, one of the options is to place a large container, as well as a deep one, of rectangular size and full of hot water. Inside the container is a smaller one with all the food you want to keep warm. To keep the heat better, you will have to cover the surface well using aluminum foil, this will make the constant heat that will keep the food warm more efficiently.

Another way to use the bain marie to keep your meals warm is to fill a pan, which is large enough, with water up to halfway, then put it on the stove at medium-low heat. You should check that the water temperature is 70C (160F), for this you can use a thermometer and be more confident. Then you should put the pot containing the food in it into the water.

You can use this method as long as your stove is on low heat, and you should replace the water that has evaporated with more hot water.

Finally, you should stir your food from time to time so that it does not burn at the bottom.