Tips and Tricks from the Professionals
Leftovers
It’s not just the cold and flu germs you need to watch out for this festive season – the prized turkey Christmas dinner you’ve spent hours slaving over could strike you down with a nasty case of food poisoning. As many as 20% of Brits, or one in five of us, will end up with …
How to avoid getting food poisoning from your Christmas leftovers Read More »
Tonnes of turkey, piles of roast potatoes and bowls and bowls of Brussels leftover post December 25? [Read more: How to avoid getting food poisoning from your Christmas leftovers] These professional chefs have a few ideas for what you can do with all those day old veggies and turkey offcuts… Who? Tom Aikens, Michelin starred chef …
Christmas leftovers? – What the professional chefs do with theirs Read More »
Let me preface this post by saying that I am not writing this as a warning or an expose. I am just writing this as an informative piece on the business that is running a professional kitchen. I just want to provide a little insight into how things work behind the scenes give everyone a …
In the universe of cooking, fond is the dark matter. Undetectable in a finished dish, these concentrated brown bits may seem small, but the impact they have on flavor is huge. Fond, quite simply, is the stuff that sticks to your pan after browning meat or vegetables on the stove top, or at the bottom …
Eggs last a while, but not forever. If you need to preserve yours a little longer, you can stick them in the freezer. Of course, you don’t want to just toss them in, shells and all. That’s where an ice cube tray can help. Use ice cube trays to hold each egg. You can also …
When storing empty airtight containers, throw in a pinch of salt to keep them from getting smelly.
If you have a block of cheese or loaf of bread that is showing signs of mould, you might think it’s OK to just slice off the mouldy bits and enjoy the rest. In some cases, that’s perfectly legitimate, but it’s a really bad idea in other cases. This video explains when it’s OK and …
Pour into ice cube trays and freeze for later use.
If you make your own soy milk, the ground up soy grounds can be used as vegetarian mince, and veggie juice grounds can be a base for veggie burgers.
I seem to always have bits of jams and jelly in my fridge. I use them in my salad dressing. Just melt them in the microwave and add to any vinaigrette. The sweetness compliments the acid. The pectin adds just a bit of emulsifier. And the interesting flavors are endless
Store Sour Cream Or Cottage Cheese Upside Down For Longer Shelf Life.
Always make stock in a large quantity and freeze it in plastic bags. That way, when you want to make a nice soup or boil veggies, you can simply pull the bag out of the freezer.Charlie Trotter – Charlie Trotter’s, Chicago
Remember schmaltz? Your mom and grandmother probably used a lot of it in their home cooking. Schmaltz, or chicken fat, has a great flavor and richness; it has a deeper flavor than duck fat and can be used on nearly everything. I also love poaching fish in it.Tony Maws – Craigie On Main, Cambridge, MA
For an easy weeknight meal, save and freeze leftover sauces from previous meals in ice cube trays. The cubes can be reheated in a sauté pan when you need a quick sauce.David Burke – David Burke Townhouse, New York City
Just cut in half and remove the seed. Wrap in saran wrap (a vacuum sealer is the best option if you have one) then place into a freezer safe container or bag. I have never kept mine more than three months so not sure how long they will keep. When you are ready to use …
A standard tip for freezing ground foods or thick sauces in small portions is to first put the food into a large freezer bag and press it out as flat as possible, eliminating air pockets. (Making it thin speeds up defrost time due to the increased surface area, and pressing out excess air guards against …
Roll into cylinder shape using cling film as a mould. Freeze. You can also portion it before freezing. From: Martha Stewart
Clean and wash lettuce as usual. Cut into the regular size you use. Put into plastic bag and vacuum seal it. Refrigerate up to 1 week or even longer if your lettuce started out very fresh.
Didn’t have a chance to use all of your fresh herbs? Freeze them in ice-cube trays with water or chicken broth to use later.. prevents wastage and spoilage. Carol Carlton
Freeze green onions in water bottles – shake out the right amount and return to the freezer.