If you don’t have a grill but want to give your vegetables a delicious smoky flavor, you can do so with a gas stove. Here are some helpful tips for charring.
Vegetables are a necessary part of our diet, but that doesn’t mean we always look forward to eating them. One way we can make sure to eat more vegetables is by improving their flavor. While there are many ways to enhance the taste of food, adding a smoky flavor through charring is one of the most popular. If you don’t have a grill to char with, that’s okay. We’ve gathered some tips for charring vegetables on a gas stove to help you do so without a grill.
Invest in Tongs
Although you’re not charring the vegetables on a grill, which is the more traditional option for cooking over an open flame, you still need to exercise caution. Open flames can still burn, even if you have more control over a gas stovetop than over an entire grill. Invest in a good pair of metal tongs that can withstand high temperatures. Use these tongs to place your vegetables over the flame and to remove them when they’ve finished charring. Make sure they’re smooth so that you don’t puncture the vegetables.
Choose the Contact Level
There are two ways you can char vegetables on a gas stove. You can choose a high level of direct contact between the vegetable and flame, placing the vegetables directly onto the gas burner. You can also choose to place a metal mesh rack over your burner, then place the vegetables onto the rack for less direct contact. The flame will cook your vegetables either way, but some people prefer more separation, especially when cooking small vegetables. Regardless of the size of the vegetable or the contact level, you must still use the pair of tongs we mentioned above. While charring is one of the reasons people love gas cooking stoves, getting burned isn’t.
Let the Vegetables Sit
Charring alone doesn’t cook your vegetables. While it does provide an excellent smoky flavor, you must continue the cooking process away from the open flame or risk burning them. The best way to finish cooking charred vegetables is to allow them to maintain the heat you gave them from the open flame. Pick your vegetables up using tongs, and place them in a bowl. Cover the bowl tightly with a lid or plastic wrap and leave the vegetables in the bowl for about 20 minutes. Smaller vegetables may need less time than bigger vegetables. For example, green beans will be ready more quickly than eggplants. However, 20 minutes is typically a safe time frame. After that period is over, you can remove the lid or plastic wrap and enjoy your vegetables.
Charring vegetables on a gas stove is a great way to give your necessary vegetables a delicious, smoky flavor. We hope these tips make it easier for you to char your food so that you don’t have to spend money or time on a grill.
