Cooking Techniques Class-Proteins handout #1

Cooking Techniques & Tips Class Class #1: It’s All About the Protein This class will be covering the different ways of preparing a protein; from roasting, baking, searing, sautéing, braising & poaching! Chef Keith will be discussing the above cooking techniques and preparing a classic Au Poivre sauce for steaks along with a yummy Scalloped Potatoes recipe! How to Sauté: By cooking foods quickly over medium to high heat in a small amount of fat, you can create a delicate, crisp-yet-tender texture. A quick sauté minimized enzyme and nutrient loss, while a long cooking time will bring out more color and texture. Tips: 1. Avoid over crowding the pan 2. Make sure the bottom of the pan is coated with butter or oil to keep meats and vegetables from sticking to the pan. Technique: 1. Use a traditional sauté pan with a large, flat bottom (for maximum cooking surface); low, straight sides to allow steam to escape. 2. Preheat your pan (medium to high heat) and add only enough oil to lightly coat the bottom for up to medium-high heat (olive oil) or high-heat (vegetable oil or coconut oil) How to Sear: This high-heat technique creates a brown crust on the surface of foods, which in turn develop a deep, nutty, meaty, savory flavor. It’s often the first step in a two-part process. Searing cooks the outside of foods at high temperatures, then the inside of the food may be further cooked at a reduced temperature in the oven or a sauté pan, on the grill or by braising. Tips: 1. Use dry ingredients (blot water or moisture off of meats & vegetables) 2. Select a pan that is large enough so there’s space around each piece of food 3. Pay close attention, as food can burn quickly at such high heats. Technique: 1. A heavy stainless-steel or copper pan with a flat bottom works well for scallops or thin-skinned fish; a cast -iron skillet is better for steak, pork or chicken. Avoid nonstick skillets as well as lightweight pans. 2. Preheat the pan over medium-high heat. Use a higher-smoke-point oil like rice-bran or ghee. Heat oil to a shimmer (but not to smoking) then add the food. (Avoid using olive oils for this process.) 3. Let food sizzle in one place until a gold-brown crust forms: The food will release from the pan easily when a crust has formed. How to Braise: Braising uses a combination of moisture and slow, low heat to cook meats and vegetables, creating moist, tender foods and harmonious flavors. Food is immersed in, but not covered by, an aromatic liquid such as wine, broth, or stock and allowed to steam on top. The liquid can then be reduced to a beautiful glaze or sauce.

(Braising Cont’d) Tips: 1. Keep sliced meats at least 1 inch thick, if possible, use a full cut butcher’s twine to retain moisture. 2. Choose bone-in meats for enhanced flavor and nutrients from the bone and marrow. 3. Take care not to overcook veggies, which can get soggy. Technique: 1. Use a heavy, deep pan with a tight-fitting lid to prevent moisture evaporation; a Dutch oven works great. 2. First sear every side of the meat or vegetables in a little oil in the uncovered pan on the stovetop. Then add liquid such as broth, tomato sauce or wine to the pan to submerge the food by about two-thirds. Cover the pan. 3. Temperature is key in braising. It should be kept low and below boiling, around 250 to 325 degrees F, so that the liquid in the food itself doesn’t begin to boil. 4. Cooking times vary: Dark leafy greens will braise in just a few minutes, while a roast can take several hours. How to Roast Meat: Roasting is a dry, indirect heat that’s great for cooking large cuts of meat. Start by preheating your hove for at least 20 minutes. Tips: 1. Never make this mistake: Never take the roast straight from your refrigerator and pop it into the oven. Instead, bring the roast to room temperature by placing it on a clean surface. This gives you control over doneness and even cooking. 2. Use a wide, open roasting pan or a baking dish to get the roast to cook evenly. A rack helps increase the circulation of hot air around the entire roast. If you don’t have a rack, use vegetables such as leeks or carrots to support the roast 3. Tying the Roast: Usually the roast is tied when bought. This keeps the roast at the same thickness throughout, resulting in an evenly cooked roast. 4. Keep it Juicy: Cover the roast with oil or butter to help the salt and pepper stick; don’t be stingy with the salt & pepper. 5. Roasting the Meat: Cook the roast as indicated by the recipe. Some reci- pes cook high and fast, while others cook low and slow. Some even sear leaner roasts first to seal in the juices. Tip: You lose 50 degrees of heat each time you open the oven. No peeking! 6. When is the meat done? Test it with a meat thermometer 30 minutes be- fore the recipe says it should be done. Tip: Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the roast for best accuracy. If there’s a bone, avoid it or the reading could be inaccurate. If it’s not done, put the roast back into the oven. When you’ve hit the correct temperature of doneness, remove from the oven and let the roast rest. The temperature will increase 15 degrees at rest, so keep this in mind. 7. Don’t cut the roast for at least 10-15 minutes.

How to Poach Proteins: Poaching is a very gentle way of cooking. It is a perfect way to preserve the structure of delicate proteins such as fish, chicken and eggs using very little fat or oil. You can dress up the liquid any way you see fit, adding traditional aromatics like wine or broth. Poaching is ideal for foods that are going to be cooked or used again. You can poach a chicken ahead of time and then shred it for chicken salad, enchiladas, etc. Poaching salmon is another wonderful way to use salmon in a salad or served hot from the oven. While liquid poaching is the most common way to poach, butter poaching is a very elegant way to cook fish and shellfish. It’s a very simple method of cooking, using seasoned butter, shallots, and lemon juice. The fish cooks in the seasoned liquid until just flaky and cooked through; all the butter gives the fish an otherworldly taste and texture. Other fats like olive oil can also be used for poaching. Advantages and disadvantages of poaching: Moisture/tenderness: A definite advantage of poaching is that the food you cook will turn out succulent and tender, which is certainly a desirable outcome for fish, which can dry out using another method of cooking. Also, the low temperature makes overcooking almost impossible. Delicate process: However, poaching is a delicate process that does require a certain amount of finesse and patience. It isn’t something that can be rushed and produces results that are quite a bit more subtle than perfectly executed grill marks or a crusty sear. The shallow poaching technique: If you’re cooking boneless, naturally tender smaller servings, or sliced or cubed pieces of meat, poultry or fish, consider shallow poaching. This method involves sometimes coating the inside of the pan with butter and adding aromatics. The food is then placed on top of the aromatics, with the presentation side up. Cold poaching liquid gets poured into the pan until the food is only partially submerged. The liquid is then heated, but should never be allowed to boil, instead being kept as close to poaching as possible. The liquid used for shallow poaching is called a cuisson, and it can be reduced and used as a base for a sauce for the food. The submersion poaching technique: This technique is similar to shallow poaching, but the food is completely sub- merged in the cooking liquid. Whatever pot you use, it should hold the food, liquid, and aromatics comfortably, with enough room to allow the liquid and the food to expand somewhat as it cooks. There should also be enough space to skim any liquid off of the surface. Also, a tight-fitting lid may be helpful for bringing the liquid up to temperature.

Types of poaching liquid:  Water: Water will most likely make up the bulk of your poaching liquid, but if you can, add something else for some subtle flavor.  Milk: You can use milk or coconut milk to poach chicken or fish.  Stocks: Chicken stock, vegetable, or fish stock are all good choices, depending on what you poach, as long as you dilute them somewhat.  Broths: Perfect for poaching, broths are the lighter version of stock.  Aromatics: Traditional ingredients like bay leaves, herbs, celery, garlic, spices can be added to the poaching liquid to enhance the flavor of what you’re cooking. For a twist, try lemongrass, ginger, or kaffir lime leaves.  Wine: Wine or port can be a beautiful way to poach fruit, and who wouldn’t appreciate a white wine poached halibut?  Court bouillon: Fish and seafood are traditionally poached in a liquid called court bouillon which con- sists of an acid (wine, lemon juice) and aromatics (bouquet garni and mirepoix), although any flavorful liquid can be used in poaching. Benefits of poaching Once considered a boring technique only for the diet conscious, poaching is gaining popularity for its health benefits. It definitely has its uses in today’s modern diets.  Time: While not action-packed, poaching is still a relatively quick technique that doesn’t take the whole day.  Taste: Poaching allows the actual flavor of the food to shine, front and center.  Texture: Since it’s one of the most gentle cooking methods we explore, the texture of poached food is tender, soft, and supple.  Nutrition: Poaching in a liquid is one of the healthiest ways to cook your food, with mini- mal fat and oil. Buttered Poached Fish

RECIPES FOR THIS CLASS CLASSIC AU POIVRE SAUCE FOR STEAK: Equipment Needed: 1. Cast Iron Skillet 2. Kitchen tongs 3. Click lighter or long stick matches 4. Wire whisk Ingredients:  4 (8) ounce ach beef filet mignon steaks butchered no thicker than 1 1/2 inches  Kosher salt  2 tbsp. whole peppercorns  1 tbsp. unsalted butter  1 tsp. olive oil  1/3 cup + 1 tbsp. Cognac  1 cup heavy whipping cream, warmed Instructions:  At least 30 minutes (and up to 1 hour) before you plan to cook, remove the beef filet mignon steaks from the refrigerator. Sprinkle all sides LIBERALLY with Kosher salt. Allow the beef to rest undisturbed on the counter.  Set a non-stick saucepan on the stove top over very low heat and warm the heavy whipping cream slowly. It needn’t be hot, simply warmed.  Use a spice grinder, mortar and pestle, or a plastic baggie and a meat mallet to coarsely crush the peppercorns.  When you are ready to begin cooking, pour the crushed peppercorns in a pie plate. Take each steak and press it into the peppercorns being sure to coat all sides.  Place a large cast iron skillet atop the stove and add the unsalted butter followed by the olive oil. Heat until they’re melted, golden brown and almost at the smoking point. Add the filets and allow the steaks to sear undisturbed for 4 minutes per side for medium rare. Up the time by 1 minute per side for medium.  Remove the steaks to a plate and wrap with foil to keep them hot and allow the juices to redistribute, 5 to 10 minutes.  Remove the cast iron pan from the heat. Blot the fat from the pan using a paper towel but leave the browned bits and the abandoned peppercorns. Hold the pan away from your overhead cabinets-add the Cognac all at once. Tilt the pan slightly. Light a match (or click lighter) and wave it just above the surface of the Cognac. The vapors in th4e alcohol will ignite. Hold the pan as you swirl and swish the liquid. The flames will extinguish once the alcohol has burned off.  Replace the cast iron to the heat and turn the heat to high. Pour off any of the juices from the steaks into the Cognac. Add the warmed heavy cream and whisk as the mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat slightly and thicken the mixture, about 5 to 6 minutes.  Add an additional tablespoon of Cognac to the now thickened sauce, whisk to combine and take off the heat. Add the steaks back to the pan and spoon the sauce over top. Serve immediately. Note: Please note that table salt and iodized salt are NOT substitutions for Kosher salt. Do not use tables salt or iodized salt in any of the recipe you find requesting that Kosher salt is to be used, unless specified otherwise.

FLEMING’S STEAKHOUSE FAMOUS SCALLOPED POTATOES INGREDIENTS:  1- 1/2 cups heavy cream  1 cup half and half  2 tsps. Kosher salt, flakes  2 tsps. finely ground white pepper  1 small jalapeno pepper, seeds removed and minced  3 ounces leeks, chopped (white part only)  3 cups good quality cheddar cheese, grated  4 lb. russet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick DIRECTIONS:  Preheat oven to 350° F.  Spray bottom and sides of a 9x12 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.  Place cream, half and half, salt and pepper in a heavy sauce pan and bring to a simmer over medium high heat.  Place jalapeno, leeks and cheese in a large mixing bowl; add cream and mix thoroughly.  Add potatoes and mix.  Spread potato mixture evenly in prepared baking dish, cover tightly with foil and bake 45 minutes or until browned and potatoes are tender. This is how Fleming’s serves their Scalloped Potatoes– Yum!