Welcome to Stella Culinary's Cooking Techniques Video Index. If you're a fan of Chef Jacob and his podcasts, you've probably heard him proclaim "technique is king" time and time again. Understanding how a technique is used and executed on a professional level will give you the foundation needed to take you're cooking to the next level.
Once you've mastered various cooking techniques, you can start creating your own dishes and recipes by "painting" flavor structure over the top.
For a crash course in cooking techniques and how to choose them, please watch chef Jacob's culinary boot camp lecture video, T is for Technique.
This video will teach you how to pan roast duck breast, a technique that we discussed in-depth in SCS 6| Sauté ing, Searing & Pan Roasting.
Sautéing is a technique in which you cook food very quickly in a small amount of fat, in a skillet or sauté pan, over very high heat. The word sauté in French means “to jump.” This refers to the sautéing motion of flipping the contents in your pan from front to back, causing them to “jump” out of the pan.
Although there are numerous ways to cook a rack of lamb, one of my favorite methods is pan roasting. Pan roasting is the process in which you first sear your meat in a pan and then finish the "roasting process" in a hot oven. This is the most common method among professionals to cook most proteins, including poultry and fish.
Pan roasting at the simplest level is starting a food product in a hot pan on the stove-top and then finishing in the oven. In this video, we pan roast a piece of halibut to give it a great crust and a succulent texture. The number one key to this technique is to never peak at your crust side and trust your judgment.
This video will teach you how to cook a steak using the basic pan roasting technique. As an added bonus, the video will also demonstrate how to make a pan sauce from the "fond" left behind in the roasting pan.
The most important decision one can make in their kitchen is which methods of cooking to apply to any given product. It doesn't matter how expertly a cooking technique is executed, if it's the wrong technique for the end product, you'll never achieve a good result. For example, you would never braise a filet mignon or steam a beef short rib. Understanding how different cuts of meat or even vegetables react to heat and time will allow you to make an informed decision, choosing the best method of cooking to apply; an understanding which is the very foundation of the culinary arts.
Here's a quick video on how to pan roast a chicken breast. In this technique we use an airline chicken breast that is first brined, seared skin side down and finished in a hot oven without ever flipping.
Polenta is coarsely ground yellow corn meal and is a staple of northern Italy. It is served as an everyday starch, either by itself with a little tomato sauce, or as a starch accompaniment to a protein (as part of an entrée). Polenta is extremely versatile and absolutely delicious, making it a must-know addition to any cooks technical repertoire.
In a previous video, we went over how to make a basic version of creamy polenta. In this video, we take the leftover creamy polenta, let it set in a mold overnight, slice and pan fry. The fried polenta cake is then topped with a simple caprese that makes a great summer dish that's perfect for a quick lunch on a sunny patio.
In this video, I demonstrate the technique of covered saute and glazing that can be universally applied to most produce, especially root vegetables such as carrots, onions, parsnips and radishes. To demonstrate the glazing technique, we take a trip down "Classic Flavor Lane," using minced ginger, carrots and turmeric as our main flavor profiles.
This video demonstrates how to pan roast a fillet of salmon.
Here's a quick video that demonstrates how to fry herb leafs in the microwave. When done with a tender leaf like basil, it will become flat and translucent which gives the leaf a cool effect.
In this video, I demonstrate the restaurant method of par cooking risotto and then finishing it later on the "pick-up." While the par cooking step is optional, it allows for a faster execution which is necessary in a restaurant environment. It can also be used to make the risotto cooking process more convenient for week night dinners or parties. Risotto can be par cooked and stored in your refrigerator up to three days in advance.
In this Culinary Q&A, I answer a viewer question on the difference between braising and stewing.
In this video, I answer a viewer question on when to use, and not use, a non-stick pan:
I don't often see professional chefs using nonstick pans, probably because of the heavy use one would get, resulting in more scratches and throwaways. However, for a home cook, do you have suggestions as to when to use a nonstick pan versus an all-metal pan? I have high quality pans and can't seem to get the food I cook not to stick. Is there a video that addresses this?
James W,
Dutton, Michigan
When it comes to roasting a whole chicken, this is my absolute favorite method to use. And although this approach is fairly simple, there are some finer points that you may want to examine if you're unfamiliar with process of spatchcocking.
Quick Correction: In this video, I refer to the technique applied to the chicken as Spatchcooking, when it's really Spatchcocking. I feel compelled to make a witty joke here, but I have to remind myself that we're not in a closed kitchen. Feel free to create your own punch lines...
As Spring transitions into Summer, stone fruits start to ripen and make an appearance at local markets. Since stone fruits and pork have an affinity with one-another, it seemed only natural when I went to cook dinner the other night and saw my favorite stone fruit from a local California farm; cherries! I grabbed a pork tenderloin, some fresh basil, a bottle of brandy and was ready to cook.
In this video I demonstrate the simple technique of cooking pasta and then saucing it in a pan, using the fresh tomato sauce we created in our previous video.
Oven roasted potatoes are one of my favorite, go-to side dishes when cooking at home. In this particular technique, we first blanch the potatoes using a cold water start (just like we would with any other root vegetable) and then roast in a hot oven until golden brown.
Rib Eye is one of my favorite steaks to cook and eat. In this video, I show you a simple preparation that calls for pan searing the steak on both sides, and then we end the video with a simple, mushroom reduction sauce.
Mashed potatoes are classic comfort food 101. To the untrained eye they can appear deceivingly simple, but the best mashed potatoes require proper technique, a decent fat to potato ratio, and being aware of common snares that trip up the uninitiated along the way. By the time you're done watching the above video and reading through this article, you'll be able to whip up a great batch of mashed potatoes every time, whether you're creating a simple Sunday Super, or bringing the thunder on Thanksgiving.
In it’s most basic form, braising consists of a tough cut of meat with a lot of connective tissue, combined with liquid, aromatic vegetables and fresh herbs; this mixture is then cooked in a low oven until they becomes tender. The connective tissue responsible for the chewy texture is collagen, which is a triple helix of gelatin. When moisture along with slow, steady heat are applied, the triple helix unravels into three individual gelatin strands, leaving gaps in the muscle tissue it used to bind together, giving the impression of tenderness.
In a previous video, I demonstrated how to break down a whole turkey into it's individual parts. This allows you to cook the turkey more accurately. In this video, I demonstrate how to pan roast the turkey breast, which will give you an amazing result every single time.
In our previous turkey videos I demonstrated how to break down a whole turkey, and then debone the leg and thigh. In this video, we take our deboned turkey leg and turn it into a beautiful roulade.
In the Stella Culinary School Podcast episode 24, I walked you through the process of spatchcocking a whole turkey. Removing the back-bone, laying the turkey flat, and roasting, allows for more even cooking, juicier meat, and a faster cook time.
In fact, the fourteen pound turkey I spatchcocked in this video was done in 70 minutes! I've done a twenty-four pound turkey in two hours and fifteen minutes! No more waiting around all day for your turkey to cook, on a day where you constantly need more oven space.
In this video we take our leftover turkey and gravy, and turn it into a delicious pot pie. This is a simple dish that will feed an army and quickly use up all of your Thanksgiving Day leftovers.
The crust for this pot pie is a simple 3-2-1 pie dough. This means 3 parts AP flour, 2 parts fat (in this case butter), and 1 part ice cold water.
Look up a classic recipe for glazed vegetables and it will resemble those demonstrated in my turmeric-glazed carrots video. In this classic approach, root vegetables are covered with water and wine, a knob of butter and a pinch of sugar are added to the pan, and the whole mixture is brought to a simmer. As the liquid simmers and reduces, the starches and sugars contained in the vegetables help to thicken the sauce and emulsify the butter.
When breaking down case after case of chicken for the restaurant, I love nothing more than saving the necks for a quick little scooby snack.
Simply toss the necks with oil, salt, and a generous amount of freshly cracked black pepper, and roast at 425°F/218°C for 20 minutes or until a dark golden brown.
Simple as that. You really don't even need to watch this video, but I thought I'd share it anyways.
These are also great if you dust in a little cornstarch and deep fry!
In this video we make beef bourguignon using an immersion circulator to get a controlled braise. If you don't want to use sous vide, you can easily braise it the old fashion way too.
This process is all about handling the vegetables and meat differently, to give you complete control over the flavor structure and presentation.
If you're interested in the F-STEP Curriculum, as mentioned in this video, you can find out more .
Please refer to the bottom of this post for related video techniques and podcasts.
In this video, I demonstrate how to cook any thick steak on a grill, using the reverse sear cooking technique. While I demonstrate this technique using a ribeye on a Weber kettle, this technique will work with any grill or thick cut steak.
This same technique can also be done inside, using a 225F oven and then searing on the stove top to finish.
Learn how to cook a whole turkey, Peking Style! This approach results in a delicious, crispy skinned, smoke roasted Thanksgiving turkey that's sure to impress your family and friends this holiday season ... or really, year 'round! For more Thanksgiving Recipes, Cooking Techniques & Ideas, check out our 100% free "Turkey Day Domination" Resource page linked here: https://stellaculinary.com/cooking-videos/cooking-techniques/thanksgivin...
Learn how to cook Potatoes a la Burton, an easy & versatile approach to making any number of roasted potato dishes. Burton Potatoes are unique because we combine the normal two stage cooking process of boiling, chilling, and roasting, into one singular step. This leads to a more flavorful potato while streamlining the kitchen execution.
Before we get into how the potatoes are actually made, it's important to note that this technique requires a GOOD non-stick pan that isn't beaten up or scratched. And no, unfortunately, a cast iron pan will not work for this process.
I demonstrate how to cook sliders (mini hamburgers) in your home oven. These little hamburgers are easy to produce in bulk, which make them great for parties.
How do You Like Your Burger?
I demonstrate how to cook a double meat double cheeseburger on the stove top using two, 4 oz hamburger patties that we formed in a separate video. Because these hamburger patties are thin, remember that the trick is the sear hot and fast, whether you're cooking them in a cast iron skillet on your stove top, flat top griddle, or on a grill outside.
In this video, how to make batter fried wedge potatoes!
Lear how to make French fries at home, just like the ones you get at McDonalds.
A traditional french fry is usually blanched twice in oil; once at a lower temperature to soften the fry and cook it through, and once at a higher temperature to crisp and brown the fry. While this gives you good results, they still don't have the crisp exterior and mashed potato like interior that french fries served at McDonalds and other fast food restaurants do.
In this video, I demonstrate how to make seasoned wedge potato fries. To get that perfect crispy exterior and soft, almost mashed potato like interior, we first blanch in acidulated water, then par fry and freeze.
For more videos like this, check out our hamburger cooking resource page at: https://StellaCulinary.com/hamburger
When cooking chicken thighs, pan roasting is usually my go-to technique of choice. It's incredibly simple, fast, and results in a delicious, crispy skin with succulent, juicy meat, every time. The fat and brown bits left over at the end of pan roasting can be harvested to make a delicious vegetable side, which I demonstrate using Chinese long beans. Once you try this pan roasting / sautéed vegetable side combo, I'm confident it will become a mainstay in your cooking arsenal.
In this video I demonstrate how to perfectly cook a tri tip roast on any grill using the reverse sear method.
The problem with trying to create a restaurant level pasta dish at home is achieving the silky-smooth, delicious sauce that lightly clings to the pasta. This is because professional pasta chefs have a secrete ingredient most home cooks don't have access to ...
If you love to cook and eat thick, juicy hamburgers, then try out this reverse sear method. It works great on the stove top or out door grill, and is perfect for large parties or a simple dinner for 1-2.
The thermometer used in this video is a ChefAlarm, but any realiable thermometer that is capable of monitoring items while they cook and beeping at you when done will work.
How do You Like Your Burger?
In this video, I demonstrate my favorite method for cooking a whole roasted chicken on a BBQ Grill. While I use my trusty Weber Kettle, any BBQ grill will work. Notes on modifying this technique to fit other grills can be found below.
**BASIC APPROACH**
Start by lighting a full chimney of charcoal, and letting it get to the point where most of the coals are red and ashed over.
Split the hot coals on either side of the grill, using bricks to contain them.
In this Thanksgiving Day Q&A done at a past boot camp, I answer questions about cooking turkey sous vide, brining, how to make awesome mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, and lots more. This will also kick off our newest playlist, Thanksgiving Cooking Techniques & Recipes.
Check out our full resource page for everything you need to dominate Thanksgiving this year.
Look it. No more messing around.
This is what you've been training for all year.
Hosting and cooking for Thanksgiving is the Super Bowl for cooks. It's the one day you have to get in the kitchen, and show your family and friends why YOU ARE THE BEST COOK THEY KNOW!
The above video playlist exists to serve that goal!
In this video I teach you how to make a whole roasted turkey roulade. We start with a 22lb turkey, and walk through the process of deboning, dry brining, marinading, roasting and glazing.
ALL PURPOSE THANKSGIVING SEASONING
This acts as our dry brine for the turkey, but I also use it as an all purpose seasoning salt for all my Thanksgiving cooking.
