Tag: Methods

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METHODS

Vegetable stock


3 onions, coarsely chopped
1 leek, coarsely chopped
2 celery sticks, coarsely chopped
6 carrots, coarsely chopped
1 whole head garlic, split in half
1 lemon, cut into 6 wedges
4 white peppercorns
4 pink peppercorns
½ bay leaf
4 star anise
8 cups/1 liter cold water
1 sprig each of tarragon, basil, coriander, thyme, parsley and chervil
½ cup/125 ml dry white wine

Place the prepared vegetables, the lemon wedges, peppercorns, bay leaf and star anise in a large pot.  Add the water and bring to the boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.  Remove the pot from the heat and add the herbs and submerge it.  Set aside to cool and to allow the herbs to infuse the stock. Pass the stock through a double layer of muslin and leave to cool. Pour small amounts in suitable containers and freeze for up to 2-3 months.

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METHODS

SAFETY AND PRACTICAL TIPS FOR DEEP FRYING


  • To check the temperature of oil without a thermometer, test by carefully putting a cube of bread in the hot oil.  If the bread browns within —

60 seconds, the temperature is about 160°C/320°F (low)
40 seconds, the temperature is about 180°C/356°F (moderate)
20 seconds, the oil is about 190°C/374°F (hot)

  • To cool the oil down when it is too hot, turn off the stove or fryer and add slices of bread to the oil to help cooling it down. Discard the bread when the oil has reached the correct temperature.
  • If using an electric fryer, dip the basket of the fryer in the hot oil to coat the wires before adding the food.  This will prevent the food from sticking.
  • Cook the food in small batches.  If you crowd the pan, the oil will cool down and the food will absorb too much oil, thus preventing it from becoming brown and crispy.
  • Always drain deep-fried food on paper towel placed on top of folded newspaper to absorb the excess oil.
  • Fried food needs a free circulation of air to stay crisp when keeping it warm.  Spread it out on an oven rack and leave in a warm oven with the oven door ajar.
  • Deep fryers are preferable to chip pans because they are less likely to tip and generally have thermometers to prevent overheating and fires. 
  • Water in hot oil cause splatters and fires. In case of fire, do not use water, use a fire blanket or suitable extinguisher.
  • Have a fire blanket immediately to hand, to smother fires, or a specialized fire extinguisher
  • Do not overheat the oil .  Oil is flammable and oil fires are extremely dangerous.  Oil for deep frying  is generally between 175º and 190 °C/345–375 °F.
  • Do not overfill the fryer.  There must be space in the fryer for food to be added otherwise the oil can overflow causing fire or burns.   Always cook smaller quantities at a time.
  • Use metal utensils to manipulate food in a fryer – a wire cage is the main tool, and a spider or long-handled chopsticks can be used for additional manipulation.
  • Valuable rules:
    • do not leave unattended
    • do not allow small children near the frying area
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METHODS

Lamb stock


5 kg/11 lbs lamb bones
2 pig’s trotters, cleaned thoroughly and split in half (ask your butcher to do it for you)
50 ml olive oil
2 medium onions, roughly chopped
4 carrots, roughly chopped
1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
6 liters/12.5 pts/ cold water
5 medium size ripe tomatoes, cut in quarters

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F.
Place the lamb bones and the trotters on an oven tray and cook in the preheated oven until browned all over.  In a large stockpot, heat the oil and lightly fry the onions, carrots and celery, then add the lamb bones and trotters. Add the water, and bring to the boil.  Turn down the heat and simmer gently over low-medium heat, regularly skimming the brown foam that forms on the surface.  Simmer for 5 hours, then remove from the heat. Cool to room temperature, then strain, do not press down on the solids as this will cause the stock to become cloudy.  Cover and refrigerate until cold, then remove the fat from the  surface.  Refrigerate for up to 2 days or frozen in smaller containers for up to 3 months.  Discard the solids.

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METHODS

Marzipan (almond icing) — make your own


Marzipan is an almond and sugar paste used to ice cakes and other pastries, and sculpted into a variety of shapes to be eaten as candy or used as cake decorations. It is simply a mixture of almond paste, powdered sugar, and a moistening agent such as water, corn syrup, glucose, fondant, or egg whites. After the ingredients are mixed, marzipan reaches a consistency of dough or soft rubber and can be rolled, shaped, cut, or molded.

To make your own:
This recipe will cover a cake of about 20-22 cm/8-8.6 in.
500 g/17.6 oz sifted icing sugar
450 g/1 lb ground almonds
2 egg whites
½ teaspoon/3 ml vanilla flavoring (optional)
1 teaspoon/5 ml lemon juice

Please note: this recipe contains raw eggs.
  • Sift the icing sugar in a bowl with the ground almonds.
  • Add the remaining ingredients and mix to make a stiff paste, then knead until smooth.
As a substitute to raw eggs, it is possible to use a little water mixed with brandy to bind the paste.

 

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Preserved lemons


8 to 10 lemons, un-waxed and scrubbed thoroughly
1 tablespoon/15 ml kosher salt for each lemon
1 wide mouth jar with lid big enough for all the lemons to fit.

Sterilize the jar in boiling water for 15 minutes. Add a tablespoon or two of salt on the bottom of the bottle.  Cut each lemon in quarters (but not right through) so that the pieces are still attached at the stem end, then stuff each lemon with a tablespoon of salt and squeeze it closed.  Place each lemon in the jar, pushing down on them and squeezing them to release the juices. Fill the jar but leave some headroom. The lemons should be completely submerged in juice. If you can’t get enough juice out of them, squeeze some additional lemon and top up the jar.  Add more salt on top, then seal the jar.

Let the jar sit at room temperature for 2 to 3 days, turning it over every day.  After 3 days, put the jar in the refrigerator and continue turning it upside down every other day or so. The lemons will be ready in three weeks when the rinds have softened.  Before using, scoop out and discard the pulp, and rinse the lemon peel under the tap to get rid of the salt. These preserved lemons will keep in the refrigerator for six months.

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Chive oil


CHIVE OILFill a bowl with ice cubes and water. Blanch a bunch of chives in boiling water for 30 seconds, then drain immediately and put in the ice water. Drain, then with paper towels squeeze out the excess water. Chop the chives (about a cup full) and add to a processor with one cup of extra virgin olive oil, peanut oil or sunflower oil.
Blend for 2 minutes and let infuse for a few hours, then strain through a fine sieve. Transfer the oil to a plastic squeeze bottle if you like. The oil can be refrigerated for up to a month.  Bring to room temperature before using.

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METHODS

Clarifying stock for clear soups or aspic


As used in Quail egg and prawn set in aspic molds

Clarified stock is used for clear soups and savory jellies. During the clarifying process a certain amount of flavor will be lost.  To avoid this, add additional finely chopped aromatic vegetables (vegetables, celery, leek, parsley, etc) together with the specified amount of gelatin to the stock.   Then add lightly whisked egg white (2 or 3 depending on the volume of the stock) and bring the stock up to the boil.  The egg white will start to form a crust on top to which all the impurities (that make the liquid cloudy) in the stock get trapped.  Do not stir the stock at all. This process will take about ten minutes after boiling started, then turn the heat of and carefully remove the crust.  Through a sieve lined with double cheesecloth and over a large bowl, slowly ladle the stock through. Do not squeeze the cheesecloth or force the liquid through. The stock is now clarified.  Seasoning are added then to flavor the aspic according to the recipe of the dish you are preparing.

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Tomato sauce


TOMATO OIL

4 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 small clove of garlic, roughly chopped
1 sprig of thyme
4 tablespoons/60 ml extra virgin olive oil
a pinch of sugar, optional

Preparation method
In a food processor, blend the tomatoes and garlic and strain into a small pan. Bring to the boil and add the thyme. Turn the heat down and simmer until the liquid is reduced to half. Remove from the heat, strain the juice again and leave to cool.

Whisk the olive oil, season and add a pinch of sugar if necessary.

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TOMATO WATER


Tomato water is an extremely interesting ingredient with its unexpected intense tomato flavor that can be used in a variety of ways.  It is also a great way to use excess quantities of ripe tomatoes and is very easy to make.

Take 2 kg/4.4 lbs very ripe tomatoes, chop roughly and scrape into a food processor.  Add 1 tablespoon coarse salt and blend thoroughly.  Line a sieve with a double layer of cheesecloth and let it rest over a deep bowl.  Ladle the processed tomatoes into the cheesecloth and let it sit overnight in the refrigerator.  You might be tempted to push the tomato to force the juice through, but don’t!  Their own weight will be sufficient to extract the water.

Without squeezing the cloth, discard the contents.  Tomato water keeps, covered and chilled for 4 days, otherwise freeze for later use in small containers for up to 3 months.

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GLOSSARY / METHODS METHODS

CHICKEN STOCK


¼ cup/60 ml olive oil
4 celery sticks, coarsely chopped
2 leeks, coarsely chopped
3 large onions, quartered
3 large carrots, coarsely chopped
½ whole head garlic, unpeeled
3 kg/6.6 lbs raw free range chicken carcasses
5 liters/10.5 pts cold water
6 black peppercorns
6 coriander seeds

Bouquet garni:
1 large leek
1 celery stick
1 large sprig thyme
1 small bunch of parsley
1 bay leaf
Tie the leeks, celery, thyme, parsley stalks and bay leaf together with
kitchen string.

In a large stock pot, heat the olive oil and lightly fry the celery, leeks, onions and carrots.  Add  the raw chicken carcasses and cover with the water. Add the peppercorns and coriander seeds, and bring to a gentle simmer, frequently skimming the brown foam that forms on the surface.

Add the bouquet garni to the pot, return to a gentle simmer for about 4½ hours, still skimming frequently but do not stir the stock.  Remove from the heat and let it cool to room temperature, then strain it by ladling the contents of the pan through a muslin-lined colander set over a large bowl. Try not to disturb the solids at the bottom, it will make the stock cloudy.  Cool the strained stock, remove all traces of fat, then chill or freeze in smaller containers until needed.  Discard the solids.

For a brown chicken stock simply brown the chicken carcasses or joints in the oven at 200°C/400°F for about 15-20 minutes, before adding to the stock pot.