Kitchen Preparation Techniques

Kitchen Preparation Techniques - Video IndexKitchen Prep is the life blood of any restaurant or meal. Also known as "mise en place," meaning everything in place, kitchen prep is what allows you to cook and serve a complex meal, "a la minute."

The job title of "Prep Cook" is an entry level position in most kitchens, a proving ground where you learn basic techniques which will serve as the foundation for the rest of your career. While it's impossible to give you real life experience through a video series, with practice and mastery, this series will teach you the techniques any professional cook looking for a prep position would be expected to know ...

... and then some!

KP 001| How to Make Clarified Butter

How to Make Clarified Butter - Video

Clarified butter, (aka drawn butter), is whole, unsalted butter that is melted down and allowed to separate so that the milk solids can be removed. This clarification process raises the smoke point and makes it great for cooking.

The easiest way to clarify butter is over a water bath or double boiler. This allows you to gently heat the butter to the boiling point (212°F/100°C at sea level). What happens next is the water bubbles up out of the butter and evaporates, and the whey proteins form a "foam" on top.

KP 002| How To Blanch Garlic

Blanched garlic is a great way to remove the harsh, bitter bite of raw garlic while still keeping the floral, garlic aroma and flavor. In Thomas Keller's The French Laundry Cookbook, his technique calls for the use of milk instead of water. I've found that for most purposes, water can achieve fairly comparable results and it's more cost effective.

 

KP 006| How To Peel & Blanch Asparagus

How to Peel and Blanch Asparagus - Video Technique

This video will teach you how to peel and blanch asparagus. After blanching, the asparagus is now ready to be finished with a high heat cooking method including grilling, sauting, roasting, etc.This video will teach you how to peel and blanch asparagus. After blanching, the asparagus is now ready to be finished with a high heat cooking method including grilling, sauting, roasting, etc.

 

 

KP 008| How To Prep And Blanch Salsify

How to Prepare Salsify - VIdeo Technique

I first fell in love with salsify when working at a French Restaurant in San Francisco. The edible root portion most commonly served in restaurants, looks like a dirty tree branch but when properly prepared, has an extremely unique flavor and texture that closely resembles a cross between parsnip and potato. A member of the sunflower family, salsify is a tuber that can be used just like any other common root vegetable.

 

 

KP 010| How To Layout & Design A Fruit Tray

How to Layout and Design a Simple Fruit Platter - Video Technique

Fruit trays are a great way to welcome guests to a party or event and can add a festive, visual "pop" when done correctly. Demonstrated in this video is an easy and efficient method for laying our a fruit platter or mirror. I chose to make the above video part of the "Kitchen Prep Series" because as a prep cook, your value will be greatly increased if you can properly prep and compose a fruit tray.

KP 016| How To Roast Beets

How to Peel and Roast Beets - Video Demonstration

Beets are one of my favorite food products to work with during fall and winter. They are extremely versatile, come in all different shapes and sizes, and have an earthiness that just screams “winter comfort food.” Although there are many different ways to prepare and serve beets, one of my favorites, and most classical methods, is roasting.

KP 020| Oil Poached and Pressed Fingerling Potatoes

Oil Poached and Pressed Fingerling Potatoes - Video Recipe

This video demonstrates the prep process for making oil poached and pressed potatoes. Fingerling potatoes are first slowly poached in flavored oil until tender, slightly cooled and then pressed with the skin still on. These potatoes can then be fried in olive oil or clarified butter until the exterior is crispy, finished with fresh herbs and sea salt and served as is or as an accompaniment to a meat course.

KP 024| How to Make Basil (Herb) Oil

How to Make Green Herb Oil Using Basil

Flavor infused oils are a great way to add colorful contrasts and interesting tastes to a dish, especially as a last minute garnish. When making your own oils infused with the essence of a fresh green herb, you'll be walking a fine line between extracting the most flavor and color, and completely breaking down the chlorophyll molecules which will give an off taste and appearance.

KP 028| How to "Dehydrate" Fats Using Tapioca Maltodextrin

How to Dehydrate Fats Using Tapioca Maltodextrin - Video

Tapioca Maltodextrin is a light weight bulking agent derived from tapioca starch that has no perceptible flavor. When mixed with fat, it has the ability to absorb it, transforming the fat into a powder like substance. Further adding to the "dehydrated fat illusion," the maltodextrin disappears almost immediately when it comes into contact with a small amount of moisture. This sensation most notably occurs when a dehydrated fat is placed in one's mouth; the saliva dissolves the maltodextrin leaving behind only the fat, which gives the impression that it's "rehydrating" back to its original form.

KP 031| Reconstructed Chicken Thigh Using Activa GS Slurry

Reconstructed Chicken Thigh Using Activa GS - Video Technique

In a previous video, I demonstrated how to bond two chicken breasts together using Activa RM. In this video I demonstrate how to bond two chicken leg and thigh portions together using an Activa GS slurry. This form of slurry allows for a tighter bond, making it ideal for large pieces of meat.

My preferred method of finishing is to cook the legs sous vide at 60C for four hours, which makes them extremely tender and juicy. After the fours, I'll ice bath to cool and then portion. For service, both sides of the leg and thigh are pan fried and then finished in the oven until the core temperature is warm.

KP 032| How to Make Candied Nuts

This video will teach you how to make candied nuts to use as a garnish for salads, pies, desserts, and more.

This video demonstrates one of many methods for candying nuts. Once candied, these nuts can be used as a garnish for desserts, salads, or any dish that would benefit from a salty-sweet crunch

The basic method used in this video is extremely simple; powdered sugar is thinned with liquid until it forms a light glaze, and then seasoned with salt, spices, and acid. Nuts are then tossed in this glaze and baked until a candy like shell is achieved.

KP 033| How to Properly Dress a Salad

Learn how to properly dress a salad using oil and vinegar.

In this video I demonstrate how to simply dress a salad using oil and vinegar. As simple as this process is, I'm always surprised how many people don't fully grasp (and frequently use) this approach.

The truth is, once you master this technique, you can quickly create any number of delicious salads, especially if you stock your pantry with a few good oils and vinegars.

KP 034| Clarifying Animal Fats for Cooking & Baking

This video demonstrates how to take fat from the stock making process and refine it for use in cooking and pastry.

Animal fats are all the craze, and rightfully so. They're a great way to add flavor to a dish, whether you're using them in high heat cooking applications such as searing and sauteing, or cutting them into your pastry doughs when making tarts or pie crusts for a pot pie.

A good place to harvest animal fat is from stock. During the stock making process, fat is skimmed off the top, and even more is removed the following day after the stock has a had a chance to cool in the fridge.

KP 035 | How to Form a Hamburger Patty

How to Make a Hambuger Patty Video Thumbnail

In this video, we'll go over how to properly form a hamburger patty from freshly ground beef. It's important to use proper technique when making your own hamburger patty so it doesn't become chewy and dry during the cooking process. Using the tips and tricks shown in this video will yield a juicy hamburger that will give you great results no matter what hamburger recipe you're using.

Meat Weights and Diameters

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