What is a Bain Marie?

Invented by the alchemist Mary the Jewess, the Bain Marie is a unique cooking device used to warm food gently. The name is derived from the medieval Latin term balneum Mariae, meaning "Mary's bath".

The name of this cooking device has been translated into Tamil as 'banua rai', meaning "double boiler". The Bain Marie is often used to heat chocolate, but it is also used for making custards and steaming soft doughs. The Bain Marie is a straightforward device to make. First, you put a bowl over a saucepan. The saucepan is then filled with hot water. It allows for indirect heat, which is ideal for delicate foods and keeping ingredients consistent in temperature.

Initially, the Bain Marie was used in alchemy. Mary was an early alchemist who lived in Alexandria in Egypt in the first and third centuries A.D. She was also known as Mary the Prophetess. Although none of her writings survived directly, they were recorded in the writings of others.

Today, the Bain Marie is used to heat foods that may become overcooked, curdle, or keep dips and sauces warm. In addition, the water bath is a preferred heating source for flammable chemicals. The water bath is also used in making egg-based custards.

The Bain Marie is often used to keep delicate foods warm for guests. For example, it is used to warm chocolate, custard, and cheesecakes. It is also used to make creme brulee and several milk-based sweets. Bain Maries are also used in the food display industry and are usually used in assisted buffets and other food displays.

When making a custard, the liquid should be at most 150degF. The eggs must be warm but not too hot to make a hollandaise sauce. You can make hollandaise by stirring the eggs and butter together while the eggs are in the bain-marie. The eggs will cook, and the water will cool for over three hours.

A Bain Marie is used to gently heat foods that are too fragile to be cooked over a conventional open flame. Some foods are cooked in a bain Marie because they are moist so that they can carry more heat than dry air. However, uneven heating can cause ingredients to break down, resulting in the wrong flavour.

The Bain Marie is also used to liquefy chocolate. The heat from the water bath helps to evenly melt the chocolate without burning the product. Using a bain Marie can also prevent sauces from separating. It helps make a variety of spices, including hollandaise, creme brulee, and molten chocolate.

Bain Maries are usually made of a metal bowl that fits over a more significant, smaller bowl or pan. The smaller pot is typically filled with water, while the larger pool is filled with simmering water. It should be placed close to the smaller bowl, as the water in the larger pot will cook evenly.