mjmchef

Hello Imarshal1, I have had the best luck by cooking the eggs on a preferated hotel pan in the steamer for 11 minutes. Then they are submerged in an ice bath. They come out perfect everytime! When you want to get more daring and technical I can tell you of how to cook and egg for an hour and when it is finished comes out just cooked but still wobbly!

Hey nathan, I could be wrong but I thought the u.s came up with the idead of storing food in vacuum packaging during the second world war and then the Europeans enhanced it (Grace Cryovac) by doing a different style of papillote. We know that it helps to remove air causing less oxidation to happen. Also, It helps to ensure a better product by it's method of cooking at a lower temperature where less loss of valuable food components,(water, vitamins, and flavor) are now not compromised. These components are lost during open cooking. As far as cooking: When we cook a 6 oz. piece of hake fish or salmon or something similar, we make a flavored beurre blanc (vanilla, caper, red wine,etc.) and place the fish inside and cookin a water bath at 58-59c (138f )or so and cook it for about 35-40 minutes. So I find it hard to believe that Paul Sale can cook his in 10 minutes(ART CULINARE)! Cooking Lamb and squab with other styles of marinades in the same fashion come out a perfect medium where it still takes on a rare look. No juices are lost during the cooking. When I was at The Fat Duck Heston changed the method of cooking the saddle of Lamb from oven top to water baths giving a better end product reducing the watch time cooking the lamb turning every few minutes. Also cooking foie gras in this fashion helps reduces shrinkage. So I would play with different marinades in cooking but change the times you may have seen, and use a probe (thermometer) if you have one to ensure stable temperature.

I first had these 6 years ago and was hoping to make a vending stand at flea markets and fairs like when I saw them outside amsterdam. The recipe on the thread given from strropwaffle.com isn't really a good one as all the ones I had all where a yeast based dough and it is the quality of the cinnamon used to attract everyone to the smell and the taste. Also the caramel syrup is usually made with a dark corn syrup base. I have the recipes somewhere that I had translated from dutch. I'll post it when I get to it. While we are on this topic has anyone ever got to try a true belgium waffle? Similar yeast dough with large sugar granules throughout the dough to give you that nice caramel crunchy center after it is baked!

I would like to hear some thoughts from other chefs as to whether or not certain new techniques that are applied in cooking methods or pastry for that matter are reallly worth the trouble. Examples: cooking fish in a 140 degree water bath for 40-50 minutes or in a 180-200 degree oven basting vigoursly every 3 minutes for 20 minutes with an end product looking like sushi and having a softer mouth feel. Same technique apllying to meats and certain poultry.only different cooking times. If the overall end product is going to be better in flavor and texture,etc. then by all means I'm for it but when you take away the crispness of sauteed fish or the roasted flavor of meat where do you draw the line. Because a science book tells us that it is the perfect correct way to cook these items to retain all it's natural flavor and so on. I'm not so sure now. I think as chefs we all want to remain cutting edge in any way shape or form, but when it comes to the patrons I think it goes beyond wanting to educate them. We have to listen! IF they love sautee'd salmon for the crispy texture and roasted flavor, who am I to tell them that the new way I cook it brings out all the more flavor in it and is the best way to cook it. Another example would be "FOie GRas". Would you rather have this delicate item prepared in a foam state, cooked in a water bath, or have that nice caramelized flavor with a crisp velvety texture? There are good points also take for example the old rule of thumb when they told us not to mix water and chocolate. Well i using the proper ratio, if you mix white chocolate with water and melt it together and place in a whip cream gun and keep it warm you have a great tasting hot white chocolate mousse textured product with no sugar or cream needed. What's good is good so why mess with it.

SINCE YOU already have a sauce and would like to enhance it with a hint of pernod, why don't you make a reduction with pernod being dominate and pour into a spray mister and finish the dish that way. I do this on certain dishes whether it be a slad with a mist of blue cheese essence or a meat dish with a mushroom essence, etc. Although foams are great to work with there are other techniques to enhance flavour in a dish. If it is a foam you want do you want it cold warm or a hot foam?

You should sprout the mustard seeds to get another texture in your dishes. If you can find them jewel weed seeds have a natural popping effect and have the same flavour profile as mustard seeds!

Hello CDH, Two questions I have for you is what cut of meat are you using and what cooking method. If you are using a saddle or rack eye you can try and cook it in a water bath with a temperature of about 140 f. If you have a cryo vac ( hope I spelled that right) you can seal the meat and cook until you acheive an internal temp of the same whic will give you an all around even color and texture as well as a perfect medium rare. This is one technique I used at The Fat Duck In England. Another is if you slowly rissole the cut of meat with brown butter to acheive the caramelization effect so many care to have, and then slowly cook in a 2oo f oven for around 20 minutes. This is on a 16/18 oz. rack eye or equivalent to a loin cut. Hope to be of some help.

Well I would just like to add that I tottaly agree with life in the kitchen about american lamb by far outweighing Austrailian or New Zealand lamb when it comes to quality and sizing. As for rosen lamb I spoke with him a few times as he deals with many meat companies. One thing to add when buying lamb. If the butcher tries making you beleive that you can purchase their whole racks at say $6.00 a pound when other guys are at $7.50 ( not real prices)you must ask yourself 1.Are the bones 3inches or are they 5 inches and up which is my bet. 2.what grades are they 4,5, etc. showcasing how much fat cap. I had someone try and think I was getting a great deal But to his surprise I knew alot about meat fabrication and costing. I wound up deducting $600 off my total bill. when somoene is $1.00 to $3.00 a pound less then the other guy it is very questionable when most meat purveyors will work on a difference of a dime, or a quarter or somewhere in that range. Sorry to go off on a tangent but just some usefull information. I prefer the mini New Zealnad Racks over the Austrailian. I cut it so that I have 1 big chop. trim off the other 7 bones leaving one on the good eye side taking 2 chops away for hors for parties. something visually dfferent. I rissole the lamb in butter just to give it caramelization and a nutty flavor. Not charring it in the pan so it has sulfur tendencies. then it is cooked in a 200 degree oven for about 25-30 minutes to come out a perfect medium rare. I hate seeing the old presentation of the typical rack cut in 1/2 or the three double chops.Hope I could enlighten.

Thank you for the geography lesson Bux, but to clarify that while living in Spain and speaking spanish fluently I must tell you that the Spaniards classify the countries language into 3 categories as I mentioned 1. Is the spanish that you regard to that we speak in N.Y but with a lighter lisp on certain words. 2. Catalan spoken by the castilians. When Ferran spoke we understood but when he involved words of catalan you got confused.3. as far as the french part I observed that basque had alot of french influence in the words they spoke and had no understanding to me in spanish tongue. gingerchef! I suggest you get a spanish dictionary as well as a cataln dictionary translated to english, because at least if you are housed with others from work you can learn much quicker as they will want to learn English just the same.

Hello gingerchef, Congrats on your stage. You should feel good going to Berasategui's restaurant. I worked at El Bulli and Ferran Adria's main man in the kitchen hails from berasategui and told me of the time spent there. He feels that berasategui is the most influentila to him when it comes to cooking. He does have 3 stars and they spek catalan spanish also with a mixture of proper spanish and basque! It is a little difficult to understand at first but since you will probably be the only english speaking fellow their I am sure you will pick it up easy. If you are looking for an excellent place to eat when you get there besides El Bulli. there is a restaurant called El celar de con Raca. It was one of my top 3 dining experiences I have ever ate at. He is in Girona. Try and visit the twins at Jardin des seins in montpellier France. I hope I was of some help.

Well, all these thoughts are very interesting. Besides talking about certain peppers, you should also mention how each one can bring out different flavor aspects when you are using different salts. we use about 6 different ones at my place. But also are you putting the same s&p mix on your meat fish and poultry? Try black sea salt with fresh ground white pepper with a hint of groundnutmeg on your fish. Compare that to red clay salt and course ground pink peppercorns. and english flake salt with crushed black pepper on beef,etc. When you eat each you should do it blindfolded so your flavor senses work harder and you can depict everything going through your mind rather than seeing what you are consuming and have a pre notion of what you think it will taste like. Maybe tasting the pepper will make a better impression on you!

Hello Aix. As to your question on the terrine a couple of suggestions. 1. I don't know what style of terrine you are making but the addition of eggs and butter within a ratio are great stabalizers. 2.The teperature that youare ccoking it at is too high. Try and cook at a lower teperature of around 200. So the melting point does not get reached. 3. Take the foie out at 59-60 degrees celsius. I don't use farenheit. Ususally 20-30 minutes is proper. 4.When using foie gras try to have your supplier get you foie that is flash frozen from freshly slaughtered carcass. The reason is that the longer this organ is left at room temperature or slightly colder temperature the enzymes within the foie eat itself away. Freezing stops this process and is used in all highend restaurants in europe, namely those of The Fat Duck, El Bulli, Pierre Gagnierre, to name a few. This is due to the new foundings from french food chemists and researchers. Herve This is the leading researcher. 5. Also using salt peter helps in maintaining the color as well as preserve the foie. Hope this helps you!