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bain-marie

American  
[beyn-muh-ree, ban-ma-ree] / ˈbeɪn məˈri, bɛ̃ maˈri /

noun

bains-marie plural
  1. (in cooking) a receptacle containing hot or boiling water into which other containers are placed to warm or cook the food in them.

  2. British. a double boiler.


bain-marie British  
/ bɛ̃mari /

noun

  1. a vessel for holding hot water, in which sauces and other dishes are gently cooked or kept warm

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of bain-marie

1815–25; < French, Middle French, translation of Medieval Latin balneum Mariae literally, bath of Mary, reputed to be a Jewish alchemist who devised such a heating technique, and sometimes identified with Moses' sister Miriam

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Safety tip: wear oven mitts or use potholders when you remove the bowl from the microwave or bain-marie, as it will be super hot.

From Salon May 12, 2022

Yes, you really have to whip the eggs for 5 minutes; you really have to use a bain-marie; and you really have to cover it in foil and then remove the foil.

From Salon Jan. 6, 2022

Nowadays, nine out of 10 chefs cook creme brulee in a bain-marie in the oven with milk, whole eggs and what have you.

From The Guardian Dec. 8, 2019

Heat over a bain-marie, whisking constantly, until it thickens, then remove from the heat, slowly stir in the butter and leave to cool.

From The Guardian Dec. 15, 2018

It was, quite simply, the first pressure cooker, a sealed bain-marie.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

There were heavy sauté pans, huge stockpots, fish poachers, bakeware, bains-marie, superior knives in many sizes and an array of cutting, dicing and grating tools.

From New York Times Dec. 5, 2015

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