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Cooking Techniques In this section you'll find basic cooking techniques for meats, vegetables, desserts overall. The French phrase for the cooking method is noted, as well as comparable methods. Example: Baking and Roasting are similar procedures.
Baking-Roasting:
As stated above, dry heat is used in preparing the food. To make sure the heat is dry, the oven is preheated to about 450?, and the heat is gradually reduced as the food warms to a low of about 325?. When the quantities are small, the food can be placed in a continuously 425? oven for a shorter time. The idea behind adjusting temperature and baking time is to insure browning without drying out the food.
Roasts should never be covered; they should be basted from time-to-time with butter or oil and, when done, should be placed on a hot platter until their cooking stops.
You can test the doneness of meat by inserting a skewer into the thickest part of the meat, leaving it there for 1.5 to 2 minutes before removing it and putting it on a white plate. If the juice that drips from the skewer is red, the meat is rare; if it is pink, the meat is medium. When the juice is clear, or white colored, the meat is well done.
Braising:
For the best results in braising food, you should cook it in a liquid that has been enriched with stock, or the liquid of vegetables. A less tasty version is made just using water, but the water doesn?t make much of a sauce.
I like to braise with a combination of either white or red grape or apple unsweetened juice together with a stock made from such vegetables as celery, carrots, mushrooms, onions, parsley and shallots. Other good combinations are garlic and tomatoes. The fact of the matter is that virtually any combination of fruit and vegetables juices will work.
Broiling-Grilling:
As previously mentioned, broiling-grilling is the result of placing oiled foods on to a hot grill or into a preheated oven. There are two keys to this cooking approach: The food must be pre-oiled and the oven or grill must be pre-heated.
A good rule of thumb is that the thicker [or bigger] the item to cook, the longer it should be cooked and at a further distance from the heat source; thin cuts of fish and meat should be broiled-grilled quickly and without turning. But, no matter how long they have been cooked, they should be placed on a warm platter with their grilled-broiled sides facing up.
Flamb?ing:
The final cooking stage after saut?ing beef, chicken, pork, veal, fish, seafood or vegetables, by pouring a liqueur, wine, brandy or other spirit over your food, and igniting it to flamb?. You must use extreme caution when doing this. Especially women with long hair and the use of hairspray, their hair can also be ignited. This can happen with shortert hair too, so be very cautious. You must light the liqueur and remove your hand instantly, so that you do not burn you hand and ignite your clothing. This is very volatile, so again USE CAUTION.
Frying:
Cooking food in a shallow skillet or pan with oils or butter or grease from meats is called frying. This process can be applied to almost any type vegetable, meat or other food. Food should not be fried in high saturated fat oils such as meat fats, lard, etc. However, olive oil and other low saturated fat oils should be used, and used sparingly. Thus it becomes 'saut?ing', see below. French-frying:
Cooking food in deep, hot oil or fat is called French-frying. But, to do it right, you should use a fat or oil that has a high flash point. I personally like peanut oil with a few drops of olive oil. But, tasteless vegetable oil will do fine.
Foods that are not coated or that contain considerable water are first fried at about 360? until there is a mere hint of oncoming brownness. After cooling, they are fried a second time at about 390?, until golden brown, to give them an enjoyable crispness. Foods that are coated should be fried only once at about 390?. But, make sure the coating is thin; a thicker coating causes more grease to be absorbed.
When you drain your French-fried food, place it on absorbent paper towels. To prevent sogginess, don?t stack the food and don?t cover it. And, always serve this food on oven-hot plates.
Poaching:
Poaching is the simmering or cooking of food in liquid, at just below the boiling point, to prevent high protein foods from becoming tough. Should these foods be boiled, they would definitely toughen.
When poaching thick foods, it is best to place them in cool liquid that you rapidly bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Small pieces of food should be placed in already simmering liquid.
The poaching liquid you use can be seasoned milk, water, wine, stock, mushroom broth, tomato juice, etc. Put very little salt, if any, in the liquid, and reduce the liquid to half to make a sauce for the poached food.
Saut?ing:
Saut?ing is the cooking of thin foods in just enough fat to keep the food from sticking to the frying pan. The pan should be hot, and not be tightly covered, and the food being saut?ed should be tender and quick cooking. To insure that the sides of the food are browned, there should be space between all pieces of food in the pan.
Basic Techniques And Guidelines For Making Yeast Doughs 1.Measuring the ingredients: Accuracy is crucial when baking. Using kitchen scales and measuring cups and spoons is essential. Follow the guidelines for measuring dry and liquid ingredients. 2. Using yeast: both dry and fresh yeast must be dissolved in tepid water to activate. This should be done just before adding the yeast to the flour. Its better to use a glass bowl or jug to prepare the yeast as metal bowls or utensils sometimes impart an aftertaste to the yeasted mixture. 3. Water temperature: the ideal temperature for preparing yeast is 37C/98.4F. The easiest method for achieving this (if you don?t have an instant read thermometer) is to mix two-thirds room temperature(tap) water with one-third boiling water. The water should be comfortable to the touch ? not too hot but not cool. Yeast is a living organism and is very sensitive to temperature. This step is crucial for making yeast doughs, so remember: too hot and the yeast is killed; too cool and its growth is inhibited. 4. Mixing: The primary objective of mixing is to combine the basic ingredients into a soft, pliable dough ready for kneading. The quantity of liquid required will often vary according to the type of flour used, as well as the level of humidity and temperature on the day of baking. A little less or a little more liquid than the recipe states may be required. Add extra liquid one tbsp at a time it is best to be on the side of too soft than too dry. 5. Kneading: first it completes the mixing process by distributing the activated yeast throughout the dough. Then it allows the flour?s proteins to develop into Gluten, which gives the dough the ability to stretch and expand. As the dough is kneaded, Gluten transforms itself into a network that traps carbon dioxide produced by the yeast. 6. Using Appliances: Food processors and heavy duty eletric mixers can be used as an easier alternative to mixing by hand (although its recommended that you learn the hand method first to get a feel for the right consistency of dough at all stages). You will probably need to mix and knead the dough in batches according to the capacity of your machine. Some kneading by hand may still be necessary. Just be careful not to overwork the dough; high speeds stress the dough, causing it to rise incorrectly. Make use of the pulse button or low speed setting on your appliance. 7. Rising the dough: the speed of rising depends on certain factors, such as temperture and humidity. On a warm, humid day the dough should rise more quickly than on a cold, dry one. The dough should be covered tightly and left to rise in a warm draught-free spot. If you have a busy schedule it is possible to let the dough rise overnight in the fridge. To achieve a complete rise, refrigerate for at least 8 hours. After rising , remove it from the fridge. Leave it at room temperature for 2 hours before proceeding to the shaping stage. Once the dough has risen completely, knock back or deflate by hand by pressing down with your fist. Beef Fillet Roasting Guide: Roasting at 200C/400F
Rare: 15-20 mins /500g of beef (60C internal temperature)
Medium: 20-25 mins /500g of beef (70C internal temperature)
Well Done: 25-30 mins /500g of beef (75C internal temperature)
| Cooking Rice Types of Rice:
- Short Grain Rice Like egyptian rice, risotto rice...etc.
For every cup of rice add an equal measure of water.
- Medium Grain Rice like amber rice.
For every cup of rice add an equal measure of water.
- Long Grain or Basmati Rice
For the first cup of rice, add 2 cups of water, then for any additional cup of rice add only 1.5 cups of water / cup of rice.
Cooking Methods:
There are 2 different ways to cook rice boiling and steaming (absorption method). The method most widely used is the absorption method described below.
Important Rules:
- Always measure the rice and water using the same cup.
- The amount of salt is related to the amount of rice not the amount of water, usually allow per cup of rice ? to ? tsp of salt, or to taste.
- After adding the water and salt, stir only once, bring to the boil, and cover the pan tightly. Lower the heat, and let the water simmer very slowly to be absorbed by the rice. If using an aluminum pan use a heat diffuser underneath it to distribute heat more evenly.
Cooking time varies due to many reasons like shape and material of cooking pot, amount of heat generated from underneath, kind of rice?etc. As a rough guide allow 8-10 minutes for 1 cup, 16-18 minutes for 2 cups and so on. To test if rice is done or not, uncover the pan and quickly test a grain for doneness, also check if there is any water unabsorbed yet. If need be allow for an extra 5 minutes and test again. Leave rice to rest, covered, for 10 minutes before serving. Low Fat Baking Tips: |
* Fat plays such an important role in baking that it's not easy to reduce the amount used and still maintain the flavor and texture that it supplies. Here, however, are some tricks I've come up with to replace some of the fat normally used in baking.
* Use egg whites for some of the whole eggs. My fresh fruit cake calls for two egg whites instead of a third whole egg.
* Replace some of the butter or oil with mashed or pureed fruit, such as bananas or dates. In my banana cake, the fruit puree stands in for about 50 percent, or four tablespoons, of butter.
* Substitute unsweetened cocoa for most of the unsweetened chocolate called for in a recipe. My chocolate cake uses the unsweetened cocoa plus the buttermilk and some of the butter in place of about three ounces of unsweetened chocolate.
* Punch up the flavor of diced or sliced fresh fruit that's added to the batter by tossing it with a little cinnamon-sugar.
Add low-fat buttermilk instead of cream or whole milk; use it also in place of some of the butter and oil. How To Prepare Chicken For Roasting: Preparing the Chickens
Line a cutting board with wax paper before working with raw poultry. You can toss out the paper when you're done and won't have to disinfect the board. Follow these instructions when making Thyme-Roasted Chickens with Potatoes or Spicy Enchiladas with Pumpkin Sauce. | 
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| Make Thyme Seasoning
In a small bowl, combine thyme leaves with 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 2 teaspoons salt. Toss to blend. |
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| Loosen Skin
Working from neck end of chickens, use your fingers to gently separate skin from flesh, including thigh and leg areas. |
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| Season Chickens
Distribute thyme mixture under skin of each chicken, dividing evenly; season cavities generously with salt and pepper. Tuck wings under breasts. |
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| Tie the Legs
Using kitchen twine, tie legs together securely on top of chickens. Besides helping them cook evenly and stay moist, this will also help preserve their shape. |
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