Latest Articles and Blog Posts

May
15
2011
4

How To Make Sauce Veloute and Its Derivatives

By jacob burton

Sauce Veloute is a very simple member of the Five French Mother Sauces that is used for a base to make many different secondary sauces and leading sauces.
 

Standard Ratio and Recipe for Sauce Veloute

  • 4 ounce blond roux (2 ounces clarified butter and 2 ounces all purpose flour)
  • 1 1/4 quarts hot, White Stock (Veal, Chicken, or Fish)
  1. Heat up your white stock in a heavy bottom sauce pan.
  2. In a separate pan, cook roux to a blond stage.
  3. Allow roux to cool slightly before adding it to the gently simmering stock.
  4. Whisk stock and roux together and bring to a gentle simmer.
  5. Allow to simmer for about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
  6. Adjust consistency by adding more hot stock if necessary. Recipe should yield 1 qt of sauce at the “napé” stage, meaning the sauce should thinly coat the back of a spoon.
  7. Finish by straining through a chinois or a strainer lined with cheesecloth.
  8. Note: Do not season your Veloute. Veloute is always used as a foundation for other secondary sauces and small sauces, at which time you will season the sauce as a whole.

Now that you have the basic recipe for sauce Veloute, lets look at some of its secondary and small sauces.
 

Sauce Vin Blanc (White Wine Sauce)
 

Sauce Vin Blanc is a variation of secondary sauce based on fish Veloute. Not surprisingly, the White Wine Sauce goes great with just about any type of fish or seafood dish.

  • 4 oz dry white wine
  • 1 quart fish Veloute
  • 4 oz heavy cream
  • 1 oz butter
  • Salt, White Pepper and Lemon Juice to taste.
  1. Reduce your white wine by half and then add your fish Veloute.
  2. Reduce your Veloute until it coats the back of a spoon. This consistency is referd to as “napé.”
  3. Temper cream and stir into the Veloute.
  4. Right before serving, swirl in you butter and season with salt, white pepper and a couple drops of lemon juice.
  5. Strain through a chinois and serve.

Sauce Supreme
 

Sauce supreme is a very simple variation based on Chicken Veloute. Since this sauce is so simple, it’s very important to make sure that your chicken stock is made properly and of high quality. Use heavy whipping cream and European butter if you can find them. This sauce is traditionally served with poached or steam chicken, or any other type of poultry dish with delicate flavors.

  • 1 qt chicken Veloute
  • 1 cup heavy cream, warm
  • 1 oz butter
  • Salt, White Pepper and Lemon Juice to taste.
  1. Reduce Chicken Veloute by 1/4.
  2. Add in warm, heavy cream.
  3. Swirl in butter
  4. Season with salt, white pepper and lemon juice to taste.
  5. Strain through a chinois and serve.

Sauce Allemande
 

Sauce Allemande is another simple sauce based on Veal Veloute. But with the richness of the Liason and the brightness of the fresh lemon juice, this sauce is simply amazing. This is a perfect sauce for Veal Scallopini.

  • 1 qt of Veal Veloute
  • 2 egg yolks (for liaison)
  • 4 ounce heavy cream (for liaison)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • White Pepper and Salt to taste

Small Sauces Based on Veloute
 

Although you can use Veloute as a base to make your own, uniquely flavored sauces, there are some traditional “small sauces” that use Veloute as its base.
 

Sauce Poulette

  • Simmer 8 ounces of white, button mushrooms with when making 1 quart of Veloute of your choice.
  • Use Veloute to make Sauce Allemande and then strain out mushrooms.
  • Finish with 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley and lemon juice to taste.

Sauce Bercy

  • Reduce by two-thirds: 2 ounces chopped shallots and 1/2 cup white wine.
  • Add 1 quart Fish Veloute and simmer for about 10-15 minutes, reducing slightly.
  • Turn of heat and finish sauce by swirling in 2 ounces raw butter.
  • Season with chopped parsley and lemon juice to taste.

Sauce Normandy

  • Bring 1 quart of Fish Veloute to a simmer.
  • Add 4 ounces of mushrooms and 4 ounces of oyster liquid or fish fumet.
  • Reduce by 1/3.
  • Finish with a liaison of 4 egg yolks and 1 cup heavy cream.
  • Strain and swirl in 3 ounces of raw butter off the heat.

Further Information

May
15
2011
1

How To Make Hollandaise | A French Mother Sauce

By jacob burton

Hollandaise is by far the most finicky of all the French Mother Sauces. Numerous things can go wrong when making this sauce; whether your emulsification breaks, the eggs start to curdle, etc. Many cooks allow this sauce to frighten and intimidate them. However, if you understand the underlying principles of hollandaise, then it really isn’t that scary.
 

First and foremost, hollandaise is an emulsified sauce in which egg yolks not only serve as the emulsifier, but also as a thickening agent. The final viscosity of your sauce will be determined by how much fat is emulsified in and to what degree the egg yolks are cooked. The more you cook the egg yolks, the thicker your hollandaise will be. However, the more you cook your egg yolks, the more chance you have of ending up with scrambled eggs instead of sauce.
 

To prevent their eggs from scrambling, a lot of less experienced cooks will heat their egg yolks in a stainless steel bowl placed over a pot of gently simmering water (aka double boiler). The gentle heat of the steam is much more forgiving than a direct flame. With that said, lets go over a couple guidelines.
 

Guidelines for Making Hollandaise
 

  • Eggs start to curdle at around 160-170°F/71-76°C. The trick is to heat your egg yolks enough to get them thick, but stop right before they reach this temperature.
  • Acid (usually in the form of lemon juice and/or vinegar) will help to keep your egg yolks from coagulating. If the PH in you egg mixture is around 4.5, then the curdling temperature of the yolks is raised to about 195°F/90°C. This is why most classical version of hollandaise call for the addition of a vinegar reduction to be cooked with the yolks.
  • When making hollandaise, some chefs use whole butter while others use clarified. Although it really comes down to personal preference, just remember that whole butter is about 15% water whereas clarified butter is straight butter fat. Because of its water content, more whole butter is needed to thicken a hollandaise then just straight clarified butter.
  • Make sure your acid reduction is cool before the egg yolks are added or they may curdle.
  • The fresher your egg yolks, the easier it is for you to make your emulsion.
  • Use a stainless steel, round bottom bowl. The round bottom will make it easier for you to beat the egg yolks evenly and the stainless steel will not react to the acid and discolor your hollandaise.
  • When adding your butter to the egg yolks, make sure that it is warm (about 130°F/55°C) but not hot. If your clarified butter is too hot it will instantly curdle your egg yolks.
  • Whenever making any type of emulsion, always add the fat or oil slowly at first, a couple drops at a time. Hollandaise is no different. If you add the butter too fast, then it will give the fat a chance to “coalesce,” which will cause your sauce to separate.
  • Another common reason why hollandaise will break is the addition of too much fat. The standard ratio is 6 egg yolks to 1lb of clarified butter.
  • If concerned about the consumption of raw egg yolks, heat yolks to at least 165°F/74°C or use pasteurized egg yolks to make your hollandaise.

Classical Hollandaise Recipe
 

To make 2 cups of hollandaise, you will need:

  • 1 1/4 lbs of butter, clarified (you should end up with about 1 lb of clarified butter)
  • 1/8 teaspoon Peppercorns, crushed
  • 1/8 teaspoon Salt, (kosher preferred)
  • 1.5 oz White Wine Vinegar
  • 1 oz cold water
  • 6 Egg Yolks
  • 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice
  • Salt and Cayenne Pepper to taste

Hollandaise Procedure
 

  • Clarify your butter.
  • Place salt, vinegar and crushed peppercorns into a sauce pan and reduce by 2/3. Remove from heat and add water.
  • Transfer reduction to a stainless-steel mixing bowl.
  • Add egg yolks and beat over a simmering pot of water until the egg yolks become thick and creamy. (If unsure about the thickness, monitor with an instant read thermometer and make sure the eggs do not exceed 150°F/65°C).
  • Once the egg yolks have reached the desired thickness, remove from heat. Using a ladle, slowly drizzle in the warm clarified butter, starting with just a few droplets first to get the emulsion going.
  • Continue streaming in the clarified butter until it is completely incorporated. If the hollandaise becomes to thick before all the butter is emulsified in, thin the hollandaise with a couple drops of warm water.
  • Finish by seasoning your hollandaise with salt, lemon juice and cayenne pepper to taste. Add just enough cayenne to help cut through the fat of the hollandaise and to add depth of flavor; your hollandaise should not be spicy.
  • Adjust final consistency with a little bit of warm water to both lighten the sauce and give it better flow.
  • Keep warm over a double boiler (ban-marie) until ready to serve. The best holding temperature is about 145°F/63°C. This temperature both discourages the growth of bacteria and is hot enough to keep the fat in your hollandaise from solidifying. For both food safety and quality control, hollandaise should not be held any longer than two hours.

How to Fix a Broken or Curdled Hollandaise
 

If your hollandaise breaks or curdles, it’s not the end of the world. Simply follow the steps below to salvage your sauce.
 

  • Pass through a chinois to strain out any curdled portions of the hollandaise.
  • Make sure to keep the whole strained portion of the sauce warm.
  • Add 1 yolk plus 1 tablespoon of warm water to a new stainless-steel mixing bowl and whisk in your strained hollandaise.
  • Congratulations, hollandaise saved!

Further Information

May
15
2011
2

How To Make and Use a Liaison

By jacob burton

A liaison is a mixture of egg yolks and cream that is used to finish some classical French sauces. Although a liaison will slightly thicken a sauce, it’s biggest contribution is richness and mouth feel.

When using a liaison it is important to understand that pure egg yolks will curdle around 140-150 F and about 60-70 C. When you mix the egg yolks with cream, it raises the curdling temperature to around 180-185 F and about 83 C.
 

Standard Ratio for Liaison

The standard ratio for a liaison is 16 x 1 x 2. So for every 16 ounces (or one pint) of sauce, you will need 1 egg yolk and 2 ounces of cream.
 

Incorporating a Liaison Into a Sauce

To incorporate a liaison into a sauce, first beat your egg yolks and heavy cream together in a separate bowl. Heat your sauce to about 180 degrees F or 80 degrees C, which is just below the simmering point. If you allow your sauce to simmer or boil, it will curdle your eggs.
 

Now slowly add some of your hot sauce to your cream and yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Once you have added about 1/3 of your total sauce to your liaison, add the entire mixture back into your original sauce.

Heat the sauce to about 180 F (80 C) and strain through a fine chinois before serving.

For more information on how to make and use a liaison, listen to SCS 9| Sauce Hollandaise. Or you can check out our Complete Guide to the Five French Mother Sauces.

May
15
2011
0

Some Quick and Dirty Tips For Deep Frying

By jacob burton

Although most people are pretty familiar with the process of deep frying, here are some tips to make it a little easier, allowing you to end up with a better finished product.

  • Although deep frying is an incredibly versatile technique, it is used mainly for poultry and chicken because it keeps these products from drying out while allowing them to achieve a nice, crispy exterior.
  • Cooking temperatures range from 300 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a lower frying temperature for items that take a little longer to cook such as frying chicken at 325 degrees. Also, potato chips are usually fried at about 300-310 degrees F to allow enough time for all the water to be fried out of them before they become burnt.
  • Fast food joints use special pressure cookers that raise the internal boiling temperature of water to 250 degrees F (which is usually 212 degrees F at sea level). The higher boiling point allows the food to cook without as much moisture loss, ultimately resulting in a juicier finished product.
  • When frying fish, first salt with a little bit of kosher salt and then dredge in flour. The salt will bring a protein rich fluid to the surface of the fish which will allow for better adhesion to the flour. The flour will give the fish a nice protective coating, keeping the flesh from becoming fibrous and chewy. It will also allow for even and thorough browning.
  • When making batters for deep frying, use a flour that has a lower gluten content such as cake flour. Too much gluten can produce a tough, bready coating. However, gluten also aids the clingy properties of your batter so you don’t want your flour to be completely gluten free.
  • When using all purpose flour (AP) for batters, the addition of cornstarch and corn meal can be added to the lessen the negative effects of gluten in the flour.
  • When breading items with bread crumbs, first dredge the product in flour, then dip in egg, and then coat with bread crumbs. The flour will allow for the adhesion of the egg, and the egg will allow for the easy adhesion of the bread crumbs. Panko bread crumbs are a favorite among chefs.

For more information on proper frying technique, listen to SCS 8| Frying, Confit & Deep Fat Poaching.

May
15
2011
0

How To Render Duck Fat

By jacob burton

In SCS Episode 8, one of the main techniques that we discussed was confit. One thing we discussed is that when making duck confit, true duck fat is always preferable. Not only does the fat give great flavor to your duck, but its also an extremely versatile cooking medium that can be used for slow poaching, sauté ing or even frying.

When butchering a whole duck, save all the skin trimmings especially the large pieces that are taken from the neck and the flaps of skin at the opening of the cavity. Don’t forget to trim all the skin off of the back of the duck.

If you’re not breaking down the whole duck, try and sweet talk a local butcher into saving the skin for you. If all this sounds like too much of a pain, you can simply buy good quality duck fat online. I've never done this so I can't recommend one company over another, but I'm sure you can do a quick Google or Amazon search.

  • Place all your duck skin trimmings in the bottom of an appropriate sized pot and add a couple tablespoons of water. The steam from the water will help the initial release of duck.
  • Place the pot on the lowest setting on your stove top and cover with a lid. Make sure you keep a small crack in the lid for the steam to escape so that it doesn’t condense back down into your duck fat.
  • Let the fat render out on the stove for about 2-3 hours depending on how low you have your flame. Be sure to give the fat a good stir with some tongs about every 1/2 hour.
  • Once the fat is rendered out, strain it through a strainer and allow to cool.
  • Once cooled, store the fat in an airtight, light resistant container in your refrigerator for up to 1 month or freeze for up to 6 months.
  • By the way, don’t throw that duck skin away after you have rendered out the fat. Instead, spread them out on a sheet pan and bake until they become golden brown and crispy.
  • These duck “cracklins” can be eaten like chips, chopped and tossed into a salad like bacon bits, or used to make cracklin’ corn bread. The possibilities are endless.

Further Information
 

May
15
2011
14

How To Season A Cast Iron Pan

By jacob burton

A well seasoned cast iron pan is one of the most jealously guarded tools in a kitchen. Back before teflon pans were invented, these were the original non-stick pans that people used to cook eggs and other delicate items. Also, nothing really gives you a better seared crust than a good cast iron skillet.

To Season Your Cast Iron Pan

  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

  • If the pan is new, scrub with soapy water and dry thoroughly.

  • Place a table spoon of vegetable shortening or vegetable oil in the center of the pan.

  • Place the pan in the oven and allow the shortening to melt.

  • Once the shortening melts, rub it all around the inside of the pan with a paper towel.

  • Place pan back in oven, upside down, and back for about an hour.

  • Turn off the oven and let the pan cool down inside.

  • Wipe off any excess fat with a clean paper towel and store.

  • To clean your cast iron pan, after you are done using it, add some kosher salt and a little oil and scrub. Do not use soap or water. Wipe clean with a paper towel.

Update: This article was written a while back and is a method that's worked for me in the past. Yet we live in an ever changing culinary landscape. As more research is done, new techniques and methods are developed. Case in point, this great article by Sheryl Canter, Chemistry Of Cast Ironed Seasoning: A Science-Based-How-To

This was originally shared by Wisconsin Limey in This Forum Thread

May
10
2011
6

How To Make Bechamel And Its Derivatives

By jacob burton

Sauce Bechamel is a milk based French Mother Sauce. It is used as a simple base to make popular secondary sauces such as Sauce Mornay, Cheddar Cheese Sauce, or even a simple cream sauce.

Standard Bechamel Recipe

  • 4 oz/125 grams white roux

  • 1 qt/1 L milk (Any milk will use but whole milk is preferred)

  • 1/4 white onion, skin peeled off

  • 1 whole clove

  • 1 whole bay leaf

  • Salt, White Pepper and Nutmeg To Taste

     

  1. Combine flour and butter in a small pan, and cook over moderate heat, to make a white roux.

  2. In a separate pot, heat up milk to a simmer.

  3. Add roux to the milk, making sure that both the milk and the roux are not too hot.

  4. Whisk the roux and milk together and bring to a simmer.

  5. Stick your bay leaf to your white onion with your whole clove, and place in simmering milk.

  6. Simmer for about 30 minutes, and thin with milk if necessary.

  7. Season with salt, white pepper and nutmeg to taste. The nutmeg should not be prevalent, but instead should add depth of flavor.

  8. Finish by straining through a chinois.

Bechamel Based Secondary Sauces

Almost any milk or cream based sauce that you will make, will be based on classical Bechamel. Below are some popular secondary sauces that are based on this recipe. Each recipe below is based on 1 qt/1 L of Bechamel, which is what the recipe above yields.

Standard Cream Sauce

  • Add 4-8 oz of heavy cream, heated or tempered

  • Season with salt, white pepper and lemon juice to taste

  • Add your favorite  herbs and spices to taste

  • Strain through a chinois to insure a smooth, creamy texture

Mornay Sauce

  • Stir in 4 oz of Gruyere and 2 oz of Parmesan cheese, both grated

  • Turn off heat and swirl in 2 oz of raw butter

  • Adjust consistency with warm milk as necessary

Cheddar Cheese Sauce

  • 8 oz cheddar cheese, grated

  • 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

  • Stir all ingredients into warm Bechamel until cheddar cheese is melted

Simple Mustard Sauce

  • Stir in 4-6 oz of good dijon mustard

  • Finish off the flame by swirling in 2-4 oz of raw butter

  • Strain through a chinois

More Info

May
10
2011
2

How To Poach

By jacob burton

Poaching is a great way to cook delicate proteins such as fish. It is a moist method of cooking that gently and evenly cooks a protein without allowing the protein molecules to coagulate too quickly which can result in the finished product becoming chewy.

Basic Technique For Poaching

  • Heat poaching liquid (usually stock, wine, or court bouillon), to anywhere between 160-180 degrees Fahrenheit. A good visual guide is when bubbles start forming on the bottom of the pan but do not break the surface.
  • Some chefs will heat their poaching liquid to upwards of 200 degrees to counteract the cooling that will occur when the protein is placed in the liquid.
  • Monitor the temperature of your poaching liquid with a good thermometer to make sure that the temperature remains consistent.
  • Poach your protein to the desired finished temperature (about 130-135 degrees for fish and 135-140 for meat).
  • Remove protein and allow to rest for about 5-10 minutes depending on size and weight.

More Info

May
10
2011
1

How To Cook A Prime Rib

By jacob burton

The term “prime rib” is often incorrectly used for what is really a rib roast. The word prime is derived from the highest grading beef can obtain from the USDA, due to its marbling and fat content. Most true “prime ribs” are used by high end steak houses and swanky hotels, leaving only the choice USDA grades to be found at most supermarkets.

However, there is no law against a restaurant calling a roasted “choice grade” rib of beef “prime rib” because who’s to say that they didn’t roast it in a “prime” fashion.

So why call this post “How To Cook Prime Rib” even though its really a rib roast? Because that’s what people know it as and will keep calling it no matter how incorrect. But at least now you know the real truth. So without further delay…

How To Cook Prime Rib
 

  • When cooking prime rib, I like to always heavily salt the rib roast the day before and leave it in the fridge overnight. If you salt the rib roast right before cooking, it will draw moisture to the surface through osmosis and retard the browning process.
  • A lot of people like to start their “prime rib” in a 300-350 degree oven in order to keep it from shrinking. Me personally, I like to roast it first at 500 degrees for about 15 minutes to give the meat a little jump start on the browning process
  • Start by heavily seasoning your rib roast with lots of kosher salt and pepper and letting it sit in your fridge overnight if at all possible.
  • Place the rib roast fat side up in a roasting rack, and place the roasting rack in a roasting pan. If the fat cap is thicker than 1/2″, trim it down accordingly.
  • Insert a probe thermometer into the center of the rib roast, (this step can be omitted if you are using an instant read thermometer).
  • Place the rib roast (aka prime rib) into a 500 degree oven for about 15 minutes to help the browning process begin.
  • After 15 minutes, lower the oven to 300 degrees and allow to cook until it reaches the desired internal temperature, (120 degrees F for rare, 130 Degrees F for medium) allowing for about 10 degrees of carryover cooking. This means that for medium, you should really pull the rib roast out of the oven when your thermometer reads 120-125 degrees Fahrenheit. Note: end pieces will be more done than the center.
  • After the desired internal temperature is reached, remove from the roasting rack and allow to “rest” in a warm place for about 15-30 minutes. This will cause the juices to evenly distribute back into the meat, keeping your prime rib moist when slicing.

While your prime rib is resting, it is the perfect time to make your pan jus from the drippings.

  • Put the roasting pan on the stove top on medium-high heat. If there is an excessive amount of fat in the drippings, you can pour some of it off, being careful not to lose any of the meat juices.
  • Throw in some mirepoix (diced onions, celery and carrots at 2:1:1 ratio respectively) and brown in the fat drippings.
  • Once the mirepoix is nice and browned, add in some roasted veal stock at the rate of 1/2 gallon per 10 lb prime rib. Allow to simmer and reduce by at least 1/2, making sure to scrape all of the little brown meat drippings off the bottom of the pan.
  • Strain through a chinois into a sauce pot, and allow to sit off the flame so that the fat has a chance to rise to the top. Skim off the fat, and finish your jus by seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Serve your prime rib with some sort of potato (baked, mashed, fried, etc), a good seasonal veg, some horseradish sour cream, and of course your natural pan jus.
May
10
2011
0

How To Roast

By jacob burton

To roast something is to surround it with hot, dry air. It is a great technique to cook any number of items including fish, poultry, meat and even vegetables.

Roasting and baking are basically the same thing, except roasting is usually used when referring to meat, poultry and vegetables, while baking is usually used to refer to fish, breads and pastries. This is nothing more then culinary semantics, and both techniques are really one in the same.

Proper Technique For Roasting

  • Never cover your product when roasting. Covering will create steam, and instead of roasting your meat or vegetables, you will instead be steaming.
  • When roasting meat or other forms of protein, try to always use a roasting rack. This will keep the product from simmering in its own juices, which will cause the underside to poach and not roast.
  • If using a conventional oven to roast, anticipate hot spots and uneven cooking. The product which you are roasting will cook faster on the back side then the side closer to the front of the oven since most of your heat is lost through the door. To avoid uneven cooking, be prepared to rotate your product, especially when roasting for extended periods of time.

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