Chafing Dish - A chafing-dish (from the Old French chauffer, "to make warm") is a kind of portable grate ("a dish of Coles") raised on a tripod, originally heated with charcoal in a brazier, and used for foods that require gentle cooking, away from the fierce heat of direct flames. The chafing dish could be used at table or provided with a cover for keeping food warm on a buffet. Double dishes that provide a protective water jacket are known as bains-marie and help keep delicate foods such as fish warm while preventing overcooking.*
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