a bare simmer

[David Bowie]

From:    Barbara Need <nee1 at MIDWAY.UCHICAGO.EDU>

: A recipe for a dish I made this evening asked me to "cook [the
: chicken] at a bare simmer". Well, I knew what was meant* but it
: seemed odd to me. On the other hand, Google gives me 1800 hits for
: the phrase!

: Is there anyone familiar with this use?

Well, cooking's probably my primary hobby, and not only am i familiar with
the term "bare simmer", i've used it in writing up original recipes.

: * I suspect it is from something like "barely a simmer" or "barely
: simmering". The adjectival use of _bare_ meaning 'mere' is not in the
: OED.

"Bare" can certainly mean "very slight", though, as in something like "Cook,
stirring constantly, until the mixture leaves a bare coating on the back of
a wooden spoon." Probably comes from "barely", maybe through backformation?

The sorta-telegraphic nature of recipe English may make these usages more
likely.

David Bowie                                         http://pmpkn.net/lx
    Jeanne's Two Laws of Chocolate: If there is no chocolate in the
    house, there is too little; some must be purchased. If there is
    chocolate in the house, there is too much; it must be consumed.