Far From Bland: 7 Secrets Professional Chefs Use To Make Their Food Taste Extraordinary
Do you want your cooking to taste better? If so, learn the top-secret tips that chefs use. Quality restaurant food doesn’t taste delicious by accident. Chefs work for years to learn the best cooking skills. Here are a few of the secrets everyone should know.
1. How to Make A Great Broth
Stews, sauces, and soups start with an awesome broth. Chef Marco Canora makes bone broth as people have for centuries. Further, he makes sure the broth starts with quality ingredients. Canora uses bones from grass-fed beef and certified-organic poultry. He recommends using bones that are best suited for making broth. Examples include beef knuckles, turkey legs, and oxtails.
Bones are placed in a pot with an equal amount of water. The end result is different than watered-down broth purchased in the store. Chef Canora puts lots of organic vegetables and the best herbs in the broth. Minced Garlic Ready to Use and onions seals the deal. The broth is cooked for 24 hours.
2. Brining
Chef Ludo Lefebvre has a secret for the best french fries. He brines potatoes in hot water for an hour before using them. Further, brining is an excellent way to infuse the meat with flavor. Mix 1/4th cup salt with one liter of water. Place the meat in the liquid and let it sit for a few hours before cooking. The meat is juicier and much more flavorful.
3. Mise En Place
Mise en place is a French term for setting in place. This is invaluable for top chefs. They make sure everything needed to cook is measured and prepared in advance. Every cook knows the stress of not having an ingredient when you need it. Indeed, the dish may burn while the cook is looking for something. Mise en place includes everything from cooking oil to spices.
4. The Knife is Everything
Chefs really know how to chop quickly. One of their secrets is using the best knives. Most chefs have a set of knives and won’t use anything else. Experts say all cooks need a chef’s knife. It’s used for everything and should have a blade that’s anywhere from six to twelve inches long. Additionally, a paring knife is desirable for precision cutting. It’s ideal for making garnishes and working with small fruits. A knife set should include utility and bread knives.
5. Anchovies
Anchovies are a secret ingredient in many savory dishes. They add a delicious taste to many soups, meats, and stews. In fact, cooks lay anchovies whole on meat roasts. The flavor is added but heat melts the anchovy. Chefs may also use Asian fish sauce or Worcestershire sauce. They are both made with anchovies.
6. Coffee Anyone?
Professionals rely on coffee when they’re working with chocolate. Coffee brings out the richness in chocolate and you can’t taste it. Chef Ina Garten puts a cup of brewed coffee into her chocolate cake. The cake tastes good and no one is the wiser.
7. Lemon Zest
Lemon zest is not just for dessert. Professionals turn to zest because it’s not as acidic as lemon juice. Chef Sara Moulton uses lemon zest in everything from stews to vegetables. For a real flavor treat, Moulton suggests adding lemon zest to scrambled eggs.
Every cook wants their food to taste good and be memorable. You may not be a professional chef but you can cook like one. Start working on your skills today.
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