Bain Marie

Though a Bain Marie sounds very fancy, it is little more than a bowl sitting above a smaller bowl of hot water.  The water in the smaller bowl should not touch the bowl above.  Think of melting chocolate for rice krispie buns when you were a kid.

A Bain Marie has two functions:

1. To keep food warm (the stainless steel version favoured by carveries)
2. To apply heat gently without burning