The Broiler
I honestly didn’t know what the broiler was until after I started cooking professionally. No one ever seems to use it, and are we absolutely sure they’re not just mispronouncing boil?
In the old school restaurant sense, broiling (or charbroiling) means direct cooking over hot coals or an open flame (what we now refer to as grilling). By contrast, sauteing or roasting involve less intense forms of heat transfer through a conductive medium (a metal pan or the air in the oven).
To make things more confusing, the modern broiler is a home appliance built into the oven. Some gas ovens have a broiler drawer, but most electric models have a heating element above the top rack. Thus, broiling now specifies directionality: direct heat from above.
The broiler is a low-mess tool for fast cooking. For those living in apartments, it’s the closest thing you have to a grill.
High heat. Don’t bother using the broiler on low. Intense heat is already difficult to generate with a non-commercial kitchen setup. Give it a few minutes to preheat: we’re looking for crispy skins, golden brown crusts, and charring. If you need to lower the intensity, increase the distance from the heat source (that is to say, lower the top rack).
Use a foil-lined sheet pan. Foods subjected to high heat tend to split and drip. The broiler is only low-mess if there’s something to catch the drippings. For better air circulation, we sometimes set foods directly on the oven rack. In that case, position a sheet tray on the rack below.
Pay attention. This is not a set-it-and-forget-it technique. Especially for fish filets, which already cook quickly, 5-6 minutes is all it takes. You don’t have to kneel down in front of the oven with a stopwatch, but maybe don’t leave the kitchen. If there’s a fan, turn it on.
Test it out. Expecting company? Not the best time for a maiden voyage. A good way to gauge the intensity of your broiler is finishing a sunny-side-up egg. Set the top rack at least 4-5 inches from the heating element. Melt some butter in a small nonstick skillet. Set the bottom of the egg and transfer it to the oven (no rubber or plastic handles). Oven mitts are your friend.
We’re glad you’re cooking with us.
Cheers,
Sten and Mac
Chef Snacks
Cooking Tip
Finishing salt helps you avoid oversalting. Finishing salt isn’t just a fancy indulgence. The larger crystals dissolve on your tongue and make you salivate, prepping your mouth for the flavors and textures to come. Since you encounter the salt first, the rest of the dish requires far less, and you can let the other flavors shine.
Restaurant Lore
In restaurant kitchens, a broiler is almost exclusively referred to as a salamander (or sally for short). The eighteenth century version was a tool somewhat resembling a salamander: a flatiron with a long wooden handle and two feet to position it above food and toast it. The term itself originates in European folklore, where the salamander was master of fire, immune to extreme heat. This mythology goes back as far as the 4th century BC in ancient Greece.
