Heat Control
Steam with Lid Control
Shift the lid a few millimetres and steam escapes on purpose. The food stays moist but not soggy.
Key Points
Close it fully for the first three minutes. Then leave a five millimetre gap. Wipe the lid before you open it at the end.
Common Failures
Opening the lid straight up drops all the collected water onto the food. A fully sealed lid for the whole time makes the surface soggy.
Do this
Close the lid fully for the first three minutes. Then slide it to leave a gap of about five millimetres. Keep the heat at medium.
Why it works
A sealed lid traps water and it falls back as drops. Those drops wash off seasoning and make the surface wet. A small gap balances it.
When to skip it
Keep the lid fully closed for rice. Rice needs every bit of that steam to finish cooking evenly.
