Techniques Class

Carlos in action

Scrambled eggs

Scrambling eggs are one of the most important things you need to know as a chef. In fact, most high end restaurants ask chefs to prepare eggs when applying for a job. Below we will review both the classical French method as well as the more practical every day style.

Vegetables

I know you are probably thinking why am I learning how to cook vegetables? I know how…Well, the recipes below explain certain techniques used to achieve a certain way of cooking vegetables. These techniques are as follows: Boiling/shocking, and caramelizing.

Trussing & Roasting a chicken

Sear-Roasting a steak

Whenever it is too cold, too hot, or I just don’t want to deal with my grill, especially if not gas, this is a great technique to utilize. Essentially, you sear the steak in the pan first and then place into a hot oven to finish. It is a fast method and one in which delivers a juicy and flavorful steak! Just as the name implies, there are two steps to this cooking method. The initial searing is where you get good color and flavor; the roasting phase gently completes the cooking without toughening the outside of the food.

Making a Pan sauce

A pan sauce essentially starts with the pan that you cooked your protein in. Aromatics like shallots can be sautéed in the pan with the leftover oil to get even more flavor into the sauce. However, the idea is to use the browned bits known as the fond or as some chefs call “yum yums” that are stuck to the bottom of the pan. Deglazing the pan is where, with the assistance of a wooden spoon and a liquid (i.e. wine, beer, stock), you scrape up all those delicious bits off the pan. This is great for a fast weeknight meal for the family.