Abstract: A simmer plate for use in cooking liquid food materials in a cooking vessel. The simmer plate forming a center section defining a top surface on an upper plane, and a lower surface defining a lower plane displaced from the upper plane. A plurality of radially extending channels project from the center section and terminate at an outer perimeter of the plate, the channels having an inverted generally U-shaped profile with an upper surface located at or near the upper plane and blending into the lower surface. A slanted wall extends concentrically from the center section and between adjacent ones of the channels, and extend from the top surface to the lower surface. One or more holes are formed in the simmer plate between the center section and the outer perimeter for allowing venting of cooking gases.