Slow cooking a dish at a fixed temperature, or keeping it warm for a long period without burning, can be tricky. But a handy technique to know for such circumstances is the bain-Marie, or ‘water-bath’.
By creating a water barrier between your ingredients and the direct heat of the oven or stove, you can cook your dish slowly and evenly, to get the precise result you want.
Bain-Marie is often used when melting chocolate, or making custard or warm sauces such as Hollandaise where curdling can easily occur. Terrines and pâtés are also often cooked using an oven baine-Marie.