Temper is a culinary verb meaning to adjust the temperature of an ingredient gradually before combining it with another preparation. The method is used to prevent sudden temperature changes that could cause curdling, scrambling, splitting or other unwanted texture changes. In chocolate work, “to temper” has a more specific meaning involving controlled cocoa-butter crystallisation.
When making crème anglaise or pastry cream, a portion of hot milk or cream is gradually whisked into the egg mixture. This raises the temperature of the eggs progressively before they are combined with the remaining hot liquid. The process reduces the risk of localised coagulation and scrambled egg texture.
Tempering can be used when incorporating hot liquid into yogurt, sour cream or other temperature-sensitive ingredients. It may also refer to controlled temperature adjustment in chocolate work, where a specific heating and cooling curve is required.
Example: whisk a small amount of hot milk into egg yolks and sugar before returning the mixture to the saucepan to finish a crème anglaise.
Tempering gradually adjusts temperature before combining ingredients. Heating simply raises the temperature and may not include a staged addition or controlled cooling process.
Chef’s tip: add hot liquid gradually while whisking continuously. For chocolate, follow the specific temperature curve for dark, milk or white chocolate; egg tempering and chocolate tempering are different techniques.
This term is one of hundreds covered in depth across OCS courses, learning paths, and 1-on-1 coaching with Chef Eric.
