Definition

Adjective: 1. Cooked quickly at a high temperature to brown the surface: Describes food, especially meat, that has been subjected to intense, direct heat for a short time to create a flavorful, browned crust. 2. Scorched or burned on the surface: More generally, describes something that has been superficially burned or marked by intense heat.

Usage

The adjective "seared" is primarily used to describe a cooking technique and its result. It emphasizes the application of high heat to create a browned exterior, often while leaving the interior less cooked. It is most commonly followed by the type of food (e.g., seared steak, seared tuna).

Examples

• Culinary Context:

  • For dinner, we had seared scallops with a lemon butter sauce.
  • The chef recommends a seared duck breast cooked medium-rare.
  • The recipe instructs you to pat the fish dry before getting a perfectly seared skin.

• General Context (less common):

  • The seared landscape bore witness to the forest fire.
  • He touched the hot iron and winced at the seared mark on his finger.

Advanced Usage

• "Pan-seared": A specific culinary term indicating the food was seared in a hot pan, usually with a small amount of fat.
  • Pan-seared chicken thighs are quick and flavorful.
• Metaphorical Use: Can describe something that feels intensely hot or has left a sharp, burning impression.
  • The seared memory of her words stayed with him for years.

Variants and Related Words

• Sear (verb): The action of burning or scorching a surface. In cooking, to brown the surface of food quickly with intense heat.
  • Sear the steak for two minutes on each side.
• Searing (adjective): Extremely hot or intense; capable of searing. Often used metaphorically.
  • The searing heat of the desert.
  • She faced him with searing honesty.

Synonyms

• Scorched: Burned superficially so as to change color or texture.
• Charred: Burned or reduced to charcoal, often more deeply than "seared."
• Brown (verb, in cooking): To cook until the surface turns brown.
• Sizzled (informal, verb): Cooked in a way that makes a hissing sound.

Antonyms

• Raw: Uncooked.
• Steamed: Cooked by steam, without browning.
• Boiled: Cooked in boiling water.
• Unmarked: Not burned or discolored.

Adjective

1. having the surface burned quickly with intense heat
   • the seared meat is then covered with hot liquid for braising