To cook food using gentle heat so that the water is barely bubbling

• A. Boil
• B. Roast
• C. Braise
• D. Simmer

Answer: (D)

Simmering means cooking food in liquid at a temperature just below boiling, where the surface shows tiny bubbles that rise gently and break. This gentle heat lets flavors meld and ingredients soften without the vigorous agitation of a full boil, which can break apart delicate foods or strip flavor. That controlled, mild bubbling is exactly what the description calls for.

Boiling, in contrast, involves vigorous, rolling bubbles and higher heat, which is too harsh for many foods. Roasting uses dry heat in an oven, not cooking in liquid at all, so it doesn’t match the idea of water barely bubbling. Braising does involve cooking in liquid, often with a lid and a smaller amount of liquid, but the defining characteristic here is the calm, barely-there bubbles—an attribute of simmering itself.

So, when you’re aiming to cook with gentle heat and just-barely-bubbling water, you’re using a simmer.