seared
Học thuậtThân thiện
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
- having the surface burned quickly with intense heat
- the seared meat is then covered with hot liquid for braising