smother
v.v. to cover something completely with a thick layer of something else, like soil or a liquid. In cooking, it often means putting a lid on a pot to finish cooking food slowly.
v. to cover something completely or to cook food in a covered vessel with a small amount of liquid. Often used in the context of culinary preparation to describe the final stage of a dish.
The chef smothered the vegetables in a thick sauce.
After searing the meat, the cook smothered it in a rich mushroom broth to finish the dish.
The traditional recipe requires that the fish be smothered in a garlic and herb paste before being sealed in a clay pot to ensure it remains moist and tender.
From Middle English smothren, smortheren, alteration (due to smother, smorther (“a suffocating vapour, dense smoke”, noun)) of Middle English smoren (“to smother”), from Old English smorian (“to smother, suffocate, choke”), from Proto-Germanic smurōną (“to suffocate, strangle”), probably related to smallijan (“to burn”) or Old English smoca (“smoke”). Cognate with Middle Low German smoren, smurten (“to choke, suffocate”), West Flemish smoren (“to smoke, reek”), Dutch smoren (“to suffocate, smother", also "to stew, simmer”), German schmoren (“to stew, simmer, braise”).
From Middle English smother, smorther (“a suffocating vapour, dense smoke”), from Old English smorþor (“smoke”, literally “that which suffocates”), from smorian (“to suffocate, choke”) + -þor (instrumental suffix).