Hello, fellow food adventurers and welcome to the second instalment of the All the Things Culinary Series! As a follow-up from the last post and continuation of all the things learned, this post covers a further 7 things I learned while studying culinary.
These include some useful tips and tricks that you will be able to implement in your home kitchen. Continue below for the details…
1. Experimenting Has Its Time and Place
Sometimes this takes all the willpower you’ve got to not test that new idea that you’ve been brewing. I for one, get easily inspired and enjoy trying new things, including some interesting flavour combinations. It is, however, best to pick and choose your moments of experimenting. Sometimes the risk is not always worth the reward.
If you ever happen to find yourself cooking an important meal for a special occasion, then it’s often best to do what’s familiar to you and know will work out. Even if this means simplifying a menu of all the greatest aspirations. It’s advised not to attempt something you haven’t done before. Keep it simple and don’t do something just to impress. Or at the very least, ensure that you have practised it first, more than once. A backup plan is another good idea.
Accordingly, this knowledge came in handy when we were doing our practical assessments. Don’t risk it all for a mark or your curiosity. It’s generally easier if you’ve made something before. Not only does the process go a lot smoother but you’re also able to accomplish tasks with more efficiency.
Avoiding unfamiliar situations when under pressure or in a stressful situation is key. It could potentially take longer than expected, an unknown outlier may occur or even some troubles along the way. You may find yourself having to navigate from what was once a great idea into something that has not realised its full potential in actuality. Obviously or rather hopefully there are fewer pressures in a home kitchen but you get the idea.
While the temptation may be high… experiment when you have the freedom to do so and will be a little less subject to criticism.
2. Garnishes Should Always Complement a Dish
They should also always be edible. Garnishes mean the items you put on as the finishing touch/ decorative element. Commonly seen in the form of a lemon wedge, microgreens or a sprinkling of herbs.
Having something on the plate that doesn’t add to the dish effectively diverts attention from the main focus point. While it’s important to keep in mind the presentation of the dish (as people eat with their eyes), particular aspects mustn’t work against others. It’ll create conflict. And other than visual appeal, it won’t enhance the plate itself. Hence it should be edible, always and complimentary. Allow the dish to speak for itself. It shouldn’t have to rely on a fancy garnish to enhance it.
With an intended purpose, a garnish can do more than you think. It can hint towards the flavours of the dish, the cuisine and the history of its origins. Furthermore, it can add to the perceived flavour and smell of a dish, just from a small sprinkling. Much like how a few sprigs of mint are commonly placed on the top of ice cream. Mint is such a strong element, that often it’s the first thing one can detect. From that moment it’s placed in front of me the first thing I focus on is that very thing, the mint. Let alone what’s hiding beneath it. Sometimes it’s not something that’s mint-flavoured, so it must complement what you are eating.
Without being edible or complimentary, the decorative feature will be abandoned and tossed to the side of the plate. Not only a waste of resources but also a waste of your time and energy, better spent on developing the dish itself. Save yourself the hassle.
Garnishes should embellish a dish and not complete it.
3. Storing Herbs to Stay Fresher Longer + a Tip for Rosemary
A great way to keep herbs fresh and not so wilt-y is to keep them in a container along with a damp paper towel, right in the fridge. Said towel can either be lining the bottom of the container or placed gently over the top of the leaves, like a little blanket. Container, referring to either a bowl or an airtight container. Airtight container is the most ideal.
Lined or covered, or even a bit of both. Not only does this extend the shelf life of the herbs, but it also keeps them crisp and well-prepared for all your garnishing/cooking needs.
If you ever happen to need a bunch of rosemary leaves minus the stem, then prepare yourself for this one…
The best way to separate rosemary leaves from their stems is to strip the herb backwards. Not normally how you would expect, at least not how I did at first. But instead of attempting to take the leaves off herbs like you normally would, try flipping it. Not only will it make it easier, but the leaves will remain intact. Turning a menial task into a more manageable one.
This technique works particularly well for things such as rosemary as it comes clean off the stem without bringing strands of the stem with it. Seeing as the stem is also inedible (as it’s woody and not chewable) we win both ways. Furthermore, it ensures that the leaves are not bruised and contain all their flavours.
So, change the direction you hold the rosemary and the problem is solved! Nothing is as tedious and time-consuming as trying to get the leaves off the stem of a plant.
Blanket and chill your herbs to keep them fresh and sharp and don’t forget to turn those herbs (rosemary) upside down.
4. Resting Time is Required
Similar to how we need to recharge through sleeping. Food also requires a resting period. This particularly applies to bread, pastry, cooked meat, pasta and anything else that is ‘worked up’. Resulting in a better finish overall and enabling the product to reach its full potential.
Resting allows bread, pastries and pasta to maintain their shape and prevents weird misshapen finishes and things such as blowing up or bubbling out the sides.
In bread, the gluten can develop and double in size for a light and fluffy finish, also known as proving. In pastry, the mixture can relax and hold its shape when cooked and won’t shrink. A similar thing goes for pasta.
In proteins such as chicken and duck, it allows the meat to relax and some of the moisture to reabsorb. Making for a more tender outcome. This was all explained in a reference we were given by Guy Crosby, a rather interesting read to understand the science of it all.
Lastly, don’t forget to rest your mind. Sometimes it all gets a bit much in the kitchen. It’s important to recharge, refresh and come back prepared for what’s ahead. It is as much about how you feel and your mindset as anything else. Therefore, it’s important to rest everything, including yourself.
Good things indeed take time, resting time.
5. Tea Towels are More Than Just Dish Drying
They can be a handy sidekick and your everything in the kitchen. As a result, it’s useful to have a number of them at the ready.
Tea towels are brilliant for heat protection.
Including, but not exclusive to gripping hot things such as a pot off the stove or taking freshly baked goods out of ovens (one of the best smells/things ever!). A chef will tend to have them on their side at all times tucked right into their apron. Meaning that they are prepared for any situations demanded of them and can act fast if required.
As a side note, if you do intend to use a tea towel for this purpose, make sure that the tea towel is dry. A wet tea towel does not have the same properties as a dry one would and is ineffective. It is particularly dangerous if you attempt to hold hot things with a wet tea towel. It will do more harm than good and take on the heat, rather than disperse it.
Another thing, that makes tea towels so useful, is that they can be used to stabilise a bowl that just won’t sit still.
Particularly great for holding a bowl in place if you need to do tasks such as whisking. A tea towel at the ready underneath the bowl is a great solution. It also frees up one of your hands, so you can even upgrade your multitasking skills to incorporate both pouring and whisking. Problem solved and no need for a third party to get involved.
Speaking of thirds, third in the list of tea towel uses is dough proofing.
If you have ever made bread, you will know that one of the most important steps is allowing gluten to develop. To do so, you need to create the right environment (as mentioned in our previous step). A damp tea towel over the top of the bowl is the best option to create this while it sits in its cosy warm corner developing.
As shown, tea towels are a useful thing to have around, they are multifunctional and versatile.
6. It’s All About Temperature
I don’t think I realised how important this was until we started making things such as mayonnaise. Even more so in baking.
Temperatures are an important thing to keep in mind when you are doing any sort of cooking. It plays an important role, in the mixing and combining of ingredients. Not only as a final result but also throughout the process of cooking and preparation.
Temperatures also enable you to identify when things are cooked properly and are safe for consumption.
Such as ensuring that chicken reaches a temperature of 75*C so that it is fully cooked through. So essential as we never want to be the cause of the dreaded and oh-so-dangerous food poisoning.
Furthermore, using temperatures as a reference ensures that you can get the result, you have been only dreaming of…
Including that smooth, creamy panna cotta. The process of heating can combine the liquid ingredients with the agar/ gelatin and the process of cooling ensures that it sets to a wobbly jelly-like consistency.
Effectively, if you want to prevent outcomes such as the dreaded splitting/ separation, then you have to pay attention to the temperatures of your ingredients amongst everything else. If we use mayonnaise as an example, the oil and egg yolk should be at the same temperature when combined. Ideally, 20*C will help the emulsification process, so that the oil gradually mixes with the egg, to create that rich sauce with the perfect mouthfeel. Before it gets spread on all the things.
Ideally, you want to make sure things are at the same / a very similar temperature, so they don’t split. Split, meaning that the fats/oils have separated from everything else. A common occurrence is using room-temperature eggs, for example when adding to batters and mixtures.
Remember to keep in mind temperatures, particularly if you’re mixing ingredients.
7. Add a Touch of Salt
Salt has many different purposes in cooking including…
Masking, balancing and reducing bitterness in particular foods.
It enables such foods to become more palatable and in turn, reveal/expose the other flavours present. Meaning that we have the opportunity for a new experience and taste!
An example of this is tonic water and the bitterness that is derived from the quinine contained in it. We can counter the bitterness, by adding salt. It also changes our perception of the acidic taste. Another good example would be lemon juice, as salt can combat some of the bitterness present.
Secondly, salt can be used to bring out the sweetness in foods.
This is often used on fruits such as watermelon or pineapple. It makes them appear sweeter, with a heightened and more intense flavour. Consequently, giving it depth and complexity, with even just a sprinkling.
And it’s not just the sweetness in foods either.
Salt, in general, enhances the taste and flavours of foods overall, allowing the ingredients to shine.
Making them more than just lacklustre. If added to smoothies, cakes or desserts it can enhance the flavours with more intensity.
Salt also has the power to hide unpalatable flavours including intense sweetness or sourness.
Many different types of salt can also be used for a lot of different purposes, so it pays to try them out. Ranging from fine, flaky, sea and rock salt to varieties including Himalayan pink salt, smoked, mineral or even Himalayan black salt. All with different uses, sharpness, applications and flavour properties. Some can be used for finishing and some for cooking, some can be used for both. When you discover all the different variations, it is a whole other world.
Lastly, salt makes your mouth water, which develops juiciness in your mouth. It can stimulate your sensations and prepare you for a tasty result.
So, if a recipe requires even the smallest pinch of salt, don’t forget to include it!
And that concludes part 2, of the things I learned while studying culinary.
I hope it was just as thrilling as the first part of the series.
If you missed part 1, don’t forget to give it a read here.
And if you’re ready for more, follow on for the next instalment of the series, 6 knife hacks, tips and tricks for better knife use.
Until next time, stay curious!
Stay connected
