Burn lightly' is a term used to describe a cooking technique that involves exposing food to direct heat for a short period of time. SINGE, CHAR, and SEAR are all methods of burn lightly cooking. Singeing is the process of quickly passing food over an open flame to remove hairs or feathers. Charring is the process of cooking food over an open flame until it is blackened on the outside. Searing is the process of cooking food over high heat until it is browned on the outside.