Cooking Secrets

When cooking it is always good to Mise en place first. Mise en place means to get all your ingredients together and weight out and ready to use.

When making an omelet the secret to the egg not sticking if you're not using a nonstick pan. You should salt the pan by putting salt in the omelet pan first let it cook for about 1 minutes. Take a napkin rub it out then cook omelet using clarified butter. Guaranteed it will not stick.

When cooking vegetable such as broccoli or string bean or carrots if you blanch and shock them first it gives good color to the vegetables making it look fresher and more presentable for serving. This method is done by using boil water and then an ice bath. Just place vegetable in boil water for 2-3 minutes then take them out putting them in ice water (ice bath) this is good for when you're making a party tray. This method is called blanching and shocking.

When making house gravy it's best to skim the gravy as it cooks to get out the impurities (the stuff floating on top) it makes the gravy taste and look better. Also when simmering, the pot should be a little off the burner to make all the impurities build to one side which makes it easier to get using a ladle. You should have a big cup of water on the side for dipping the ladle. Like using ice cream scooper and water to dip ice cream.

(This method is call skimming).

When using potatoes meaty potatoes (starchy potatoes) are best use when baking or deep frying. Russets potatoes are a meaty potato.

Waxy potatoes (low starch) are best for boiling, for potato salad. A meaty potato will fall apart.

For fluffy eggs add a little water.

When cooking rice the ratio is 2 to 1. Meaning one cup of rice two cups of water. When cooking rice the best rice to use is parboil rice, best non stick rice.

It's important to have a sharp knife. Easier to cut. A dull knife will make a worsier cut, if you get a cut yourself.

When frying make sure grease is hot before added meat to insure a crispy taste.

When using oven pre heat oven first. (Get oven cooking temp)

When making noodles make sure the water is boiling before the adding noodles to insure best taste in doness of noodles.

A sachet is three parsley stem, three pepper corns, 2 garlic gloves cut in half and 2 bays leafs in a cheesecloth tied closed.

When cutting peppers cut in half and cut out the seeds. When slice or dice cut from the meaty side not the skin.

Knife & Utensils

Paring
Chef
Boning
Ladle
Spatula
Tongs
Measuring utensil for dry and liquids
Whisk
Peeler
Portion scoop
Strainer
Skimmer
China
Chinos
Cheesecloth

Cuts

Small dice
Julienne
Large dice
Circle
Minced

Pots

Small sauce pot
Big sauce pot
Medium sauce pot
Frying pan
Sauté pan
Non stick omelet pan
Wok
Baking pan

Cooking Temps

Food is warmed to 165f and kept at 145f for serving.

Serve hot food hot and cold food cold.

Thaw food in refrigerator or under cold water to keep from being contaminated.

When using cutting board always wash board after cutting each item to avoid contamination.

Use a cooking thermostat

chicken cooking temp 165f
fish 145f
ground meat 155f
roast 145f well done 135f medium well
(medium well recommended).

Clarified butters & Compound butters

Clarified butter is when you take butter, using a saucepan and cook butter on low medium heat with pan a little off the fire, skimming the stuff that float on top using a ladle then dipping the ladle in a large cup of water, dip ladle in water like you would when dipping ice cream. Repeat process every 2-3 minutes till there is no more floaty stuff. It's called clarified because you skim out the impurities.

Clarified butter is usually used to cook pancakes, omelets and roux. There are many other things it's used for also.

Compound butter is good for steaks or baked fish it can also be used for bake potato. Just add on top of cooked food and it will melt in.

Compound butter

2 recipes below


Ingredients

1 sticks of butter (soften)
1/2 tbsp of minced garlic
1 tsp of small diced red onions
1 tsp of fresh chopped parsley


Ingredients

1 sticks of butter (soften)
1/2 tsp of fresh chopped parsley
1/2 tsp of fresh chopped thyme
1 tsp of hot pepper seeds

Directions

Mix all ingredients together then tightly roll in plastic wrap making sure no air can get in and but in freezer. Keep in freezer till ready to use.

Roux, Stocks and Sauces

Roux

White- is usually good for cream sauce, such as a béchamel
Blond- is usually good for chicken
Brown- is usually good for beef


Ingredients

1/2 cup clarified butter
1/2 cup flour

Directions

In a sauce pan add ingredients together and cook. white roux just cook 1 minute blond cook till light brown 2 minutes. brown cook till brown 3 minutes not burned.

Stocks

Stocks are important to the meals it adds flavor, especially well for use of soups and sauces. Stocks can be refrigerated for longer life and also frozen for even more life. It's very important to skim stocks to get the impurities out and it's important to strain when complete. When you're done it should look like broth.

Short cut to making stock is a gallon of water and some chicken, beef or seafood base and cook off a 1/3 by bringing to a boil then bring to a simmer.

Chicken stock yield half gallon

Ingredients

8lbs chicken bones
mire pox - carrot, celery and onions
(1/2lb onion, (1/2 lb carrots and celery)
sachet case- 3 stems, 2 gloves, 3peppercorn and 2 thymes
leafs but in a cheesecloth and tide
1 1/2 gallons of cold water

Directions

Put chicken in large pot add cold water cover chicken add mire pox and sachet cook to it boils then turn down to middle heat. Put pot a little off the fire and frequently skim till stock is done. 3-4 hours. Strain when done.

Beef stock yields half gallon

Ingredients

5lb beef bone
1lb of mire pox (carrot, celery and onions)
1/2 onion, (1/2 half carrots and celery)
1/2tbsp tomato paste
sachet case- 3 stems, 2 gloves, 3peppercorn and 2 thymes
leafs but in a cheesecloth and tide
1 gallons of cold water

Directions

Brown bones in the over 375F put bones in stockpot reserving the grease. Use grease to caramelize mirepox, brown don't burn, add tomato paste. Cover bones with cold water then add mirepox and sachet. Cook for 4 hours skim when needed. Cook off fire...