Hello everybody. This is my first post on the SC forum. I'm a pretty busy home cook and wanted to share something I discovered.
I just had an epiphany this morning while making beef stock. Using the gravy separator as the discard container while skimming fat.
While cooking, maximum yield is always on my mind. Quality ingredients these days are expensive. I'm a home cook so this may not apply to high volume kitchens, but I've got to believe there is still some application there. My stock pot is 12 Quart.
Hello Stella community,
I just had an introduction to Vacuum packing in an unrelated thread (How to make duck confit). Jacob made reference to the fact that modern technologies and techniques are what give you the edge.
Anybody have anything to add?
Anybody own a vacuum pump machine?
If you have had any positive or negative experiences, please share them?
As you know, bad equipment decisions cost in more ways than one.
We can share impartial opinions which will be of help to everybody.
I find knowledge in relation to equipment is very important. Here at Stella, I realized that when you understand the workings if a unit, it has much more applications than you think. Therefor, I would like people to to give their views on the equipment which is relevant to controlled temperature cooking.
I can't sleep. Anyway, I'm on a roll,
I want to hold some chicken wings,
I want them to maintain their moist interior.
However, I also want them to maintain their crisp skin.
Now, there's a lot on the market.
Having worked in KFC, I can tell you that they use a henny penny smart hold cabinet. Now, that's breaded chicken so maybe that can keep them crisp despite steam being present. Maybe, I need a one of those draws as holding cabinets are relevant to breaded chicken.
Back when I put this rig together I really couldn't afford an immersion bath circulator, and now that I can I just don't feel compelled to buy one because this works so bloody well. My budget immersion circulator kit consists of an electric roaster, a small pond pump, and an oil thermometer....and it costs a grant total of about $60 and is shown below.
Finally bit the bullet and ordered a Thermapen thermometer. I've been wanting to get one for a long time, but they aren't cheap. Hoping for a better deal, I signed up for their email list a few weeks ago and today I received an email from them saying that they are discontinuing the "British Racing Green" colour of Thermapen and have dropped the price on those to $79,instead of the usual $96.
Well I don't care what colour the thermometer is and the food can't tell the difference, so I went ahead and ordered one.
I have been using terra cotta tiles for quite a while. I am considering getting a normal baking stone. I would like to hear from anyone who has switch from those kind of tiles to a baking stone and has noticed a considerable difference. It's a big expense for me just want to make sure its worth it.
Anybody in the restaurant business here?
My pressure fryer is three phase electric. The place I'm looking at does not have three phase power.
Most places in the UK don't have three phase power.
It does have gas but I can't use my electric pressure fryer.
A three phase power installation would cost too much money.
Anybody ever have this problem?
Is there a generator which could work?
I used to hold my wing sauce in a bain marie but they reduced. Jacob recommended an air pot.
I'm about to purchase my coffee air pot for the sole use of sauces, not coffee.
Do air pots vary much in quality, should I buy an expensive one?
Or are air pots the same either way?
Anybody have one?
Here's a cheap one but it says flask, does that make a difference?
http://www.tesco.com/direct/zodiac-c100071-air-pot-vacuum-flask-ss-19ltr...
The french fry thread got me excited to make fries again after some disappointing attempts using a single fry only method. My twin daughters asked me to make them ff's for their b-days...What better occasion is there? Very excited to try the boil, fry, freeze and fry method! Looking for a recommendation for a french fry cutter for home use, but of restaurant quality. Would prefer not to spend more than the ~$150-175 range for it. Will likely mount it horizontally on a cutting board to start and would like to be able to use it occasionally for vegetables too.
Thanks!