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Basic Cooking Course Class Syllabus

Jacob Burton — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 06:00:09 +0000

If you’re just learning how to cook or you want to review the basics, then here is the class syllabus for the Free Culinary School Basic Skills Course.

Free Culinary School Podcast Episode 1| Basic Knife Skills

In this class you will learn:

What kind of knives you really need in your kitchen
How to pick out the right kind of knives for you
Basic knife skills such as how to dice, julienne, brunoise and batonnet.

Related Articles

How to hold your knife like a professional chef
How to use your guide hand(...)
Read the rest of Basic Cooking Course Class Syllabus (414 words)

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Meditating On Stock

Jacob Burton — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 05:00:41 +0000

Ahhh, the beautiful simplicities of stock. There’s nothing more calming, more centering, then walking into my kitchen in the wee morning hours, smelling that rich broth, and getting lost in its gaze. I lean my head over the stock, smile and say good morning, and then I start to lovingly skim.

That nice little fat layer that built up overnight while the world was asleep; that’s my therapy.

For those first brief moments in the morning, when I have a hectic day ahead that’s sure to be in constant battle with Murphy’s Law, I clear my mind I and start to skim.

It’s amazing how you can be exposed to some of the best food in the world, and still the simple things are what truely give you joy, what truley keep you grounded. To me, there is nothing more beautiful, more sexy, and more gratifying then bringing a gorgeous stock into the world.

More Resources

FCS Episode 2| Stocks
Test Your Knowledge On Culinary Stocks: Take The Stocks Quiz

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Post tags: Cook Stock, Culinary School Articles

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FCS Episode 15| Classical Salads and Creamy Dressings

Jacob Burton — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 13:47:24 +0000

In this episode of The Free Culinary School Podcast we continue our Garde Manger Course with a lesson on creamy and emulsified salad dressing, and talk about some classic salads such as the Ceasar, Cobb and Louis.

In the Discussion Segment you will learn:

How to make an emulsified creamy dressing.
How to make classical creamy dressings such as Ranch, Blue Cheese and Thousand Island.
When you should and should not use creamy salad dressings.

In the Technique Segment you will learn:

The components of Caesar, Cobb and Louis Salad.
The history of the Louis, Cobb and Caesar, and how they were developed.
How to make these classical salads your own!

And in the Culinary Quick Tip:

Secrets ingredients used by professional chefs in their creamy salad dressings!

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If you haven’t already, please take a moment to complete the FCS listener survey. Your opinion counts and will help shape the future of FCS!

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Don’t Forget Your New E-Mail Bonus!

If you’re already signed up for the free FCS Newsletter then don’t worry, I’ve already sent you a copy of the new bonus video on How To Sharpen Your Knife Like A Pro.

If you haven’t signed up for the free FCS Newsletter than simply enter your primary e-mail in the form below to receive your free bonus content including the video on How To Sharpen Your Knife Like A Pro. And don’t worry, like anyone who’s already on my list will tell you, I never send spam, I never sell your e-mail and you can unsubscribe at anytime and still be my friend.

I respect your privacy and adhere to a strict privacy policy.

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Post tags: Cooking Podcast, Culinary School Articles, Recipes

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Three Classical Salads: Caesar, Louis and Cobb

Jacob Burton — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 13:00:12 +0000

In the Free Culinary School Podcast Episode 15 we discussed three classical salads that are commonly found in U.S. restaurants. These salads are the Caesar, Louis and Cobb salad. Here is a quick break down on each salad’s components and their corresponding salad dressings.

Caesar Salad Components

Romaine Lettuce, usually just the hearts. The romaine can be chopped, but was traditionally left whole and eaten with the fingers instead of utensils.
Garlic Croutons: Don’t over think this one. Croutons are nothing more than toasted bread, in this case tossed with crushed garlic, olive oil and salt and pepper after being toasted. My favorite way to toast croutons is to fry them in oil, but you can also bake, pan fry or toast in a toaster oven.(...)
Read the rest of Three Classical Salads: Caesar, Louis and Cobb (541 words)

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Roasted Beet Napoleon

Jacob Burton — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 07:02:39 +0000

For me, beets and goat cheese are one of the best flavor combinations out there. This is the beet napoleon that we are currently serving at the restaurant:

Beet Napoleon, Honey Goat Cheese Mousse, Golden Beet Vierge, Beet Oil and Dust.

First, review this post on How To Roast and Peel Beets.

Once your beets are roasted and peeled, cut off the root end making it flat.
Next, slice on the thickest setting on a Japanese Mandoline, to insure nice, even slices.
Take a ring mold and cut out the center of the beet slice. This is more for visual appeal than anything else. Cutting out the beet with a ring mold will insure that all the beet slices are the same size.

For the Beet Vierge

Review this post on how to make vierge if you’re not familiar with the process. For the golden beet vierge you’ll need:

4-5 Oz/110-140g of Roasted Golden Beet Trimmings.
1 Oz/28g Rice Wine Vinegar
2-3 Oz/55-85g Cold Water
1 Clove Raw Garlic
Pinch of Xanthan Gum (If available)
1-1.5 Cups/240-360ml Canola Oil

The Process

Combine all ingredients except for the oil in a good blender. Blend on medium speed, until a medium body puree is achieved. Add an extra ounce or two of cold water if the puree is too thick.
Although the addition of the Xanthan Gum isn’t necessary, it will make the emulsification process much more forgiving.
Slowly start to stream in the Canola Oil, a couple of drops at a time, until the emulsion starts to form.
Once the emulsion starts forming, turn the blender speed up to high, and continue streaming in oil until a thick consistency along the lines of coleslaw dressing is achieved. The higher the rotation speed of the blender blade, the tinier the oil droplets will be, and the more stable your emulsion will become.
If you have incorporated all of your Canola Oil into your vierge and it’s still not as thick as you would like, you can add in a small amount of Xanthan Gum to bring it to the desired consistency without diluting the flavor with more oil.
Finish by seasoning with kosher salt, and then pass through a chinois or a fine strainer to insure a smooth consistency.

For the Beet Oil

Take the outer trimmings from the roasted red beets, and combine in a blender with canola oil at a 1:2 ratio of beets to oil. Blend on high for about 60 seconds, or until the beets are broken up into a fine particle size.
Pass through a chinois. I prefer the look of beet particles in the oil, but if you would rather have a thin, evenly colored oil, let the oil sit overnight to infuse color, and then squeeze through a dinner napkin.

For the Beet Dust

Dehydrate beet scraps in a dehydrator for about 12 hours, or until all their moisture has evaporated. If you do not have a dehydrator, you can bake the beet scraps in a 175 F/80 C oven for about 3-4 hours, or until crisp and dehydrated.
Take dehydrated beets and grind in a clean coffee grinder until a fine powder is reached. Pass through a tamis if available to insure consistent “dust” granules.

For Goat Cheese Mousse

It is important to note that the word mousse is a very loose interpretation as used here. Classically speaking, a mousse is a light foam that is made “airy” by folding in either whipped cream or egg whites and is stabilized with gelatin. The goat cheese mousse used here is nothing more than Chevre Goat Cheese slightly sweetened with honey and seasoned with salt and pepper. The basic recipe is:

8 Oz/227g Goat Cheese
2-3 Oz/55-85g Honey
Salt and Black Pepper To Taste

This is simply a guide line. If you want your goat cheese a little sweeter, add more honey. If you prefer it more on the savory side, then add less honey.

Putting It On The Plate

Start by spreading one ounce of the vierge in a cirucular motion in the center of the plate with a one ounce laddle.
Place a little dollop of your goat cheese mousse in the center of the vierge.
Center two slices of the red beets on top of the goat cheese. It’s important to put this layer on the bottom, so that is does not bleed down onto the other layers of beets.
Season the beet layer with Fleur de Sel or a good sea salt, top with more goat cheese, and repeat layering process until the napoleon is three layers high.
Garnish two opposing corners with the beet oil, and the other opposing corners with the beet dust.
Garnish with a chive and serve.

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Post tags: Culinary School Articles, Recipes, Roast Beets, Salad

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Roasting Beets: A How To Guide

Jacob Burton — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 06:49:01 +0000

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.

To Roast Beets:

Start by wrapping each beet individually in foil and then group by size.

Roast in a 500 F/260 C oven until you can easily poke a wooden skewer into the center. (For approximate roasting times, see below).
Once beets are done roasting, let cool in foil until cold enough to easily handle.
Unwrap the foil and peel off the beet skin by rubbing with a clean kitchen towel until the skin is completely removed.
Note: If peeling different colored beets at the same time, start by peeling the lightest colored beet and working your way up to the darkest, (the red beet). This will prevent the darker beets from staining the lighter beets.
Note #2: When handling red beets, it’s advisable that you wear plastic gloves so you won’t stain your hands, and be conscious that the beet will stain just about anything it comes into contact with.

Approximate Roasting Times For Beets @ 500 F/260 C Oven

Baby Beets (Golf Ball Size): 0:45 min-1:30 hours
Medium Beets (Baseball Size): 1:30-2 hours
Large Beets (Softball Size): 2-2:30 hours
Note: These times are just approximations and everyone’s oven is different. For true accuracy, use these times as a guideline and check for desired tenderness with a wooden skewer.

OK, Now What?

Now that you’ve successfully roasted and peeled your beets, here are some ideas of what you can do with them. First, check out this post that I did on a Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Napoleon that I serve at the restaurant. Some other ideas are:

Dice up and use as a salad garnish.
Beets go great with cheese, especially Goat Cheese, Gorgonzola, Ricotta and Queso Fresco.
Beets also go great with Dijon Mustard, Sea Salt, Walnuts, and Tarragon.
Try combining some of the flavors and ingredients from above, and adding your own spin on presentation and flavor structure.

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6 Tips For Prepping Your Salad Greens Like A Pro

Jacob Burton — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 03:12:45 +0000

Although prepping a salad is seemingly a simple culinary task, there are a few tips and tricks to keep in mind when selecting your greens and then later turning them into a delicious course.

When at all possible, try to use young, fresh greens. Young salad greens have a more tender and delicate flavor, where as older, “over-grown,” salad greens tend to be more fibrous, giving off a somewhat rubbery texture.
Slice your greens, don’t tear. There is a common misconception that for some reason tearing your salad greens is better than slicing them with a sharp knife. However, tearing salad leaves force you to grip them firmly, potentially crushing cell walls, which will ultimately cause bruising and wilting. Instead, use a sharp chefs knife to cut your leaves down to size if you feel they are too big.
Don’t wash lettuce leaves directly under running water. The pressurized water coming from the faucet has enough force to crush the lettuce green’s cell walls, causing bruising and browning. Instead, place the lettuce greens in a sink filled with cold water and agitate gently with your hands. Switch out the water when it becomes dirty and repeat until the salad greens are nice and clean.
Soak your greens for a couple of minutes in ice water, especially if they aren’t quite as crisp as you would like them to be or they’re showing signs of wilting due to age. Soaking them for a few minutes in ice water will replace any water-loss from their cell walls, bringing back their nice, crispy texture.
Use a salad spinner to dry greens. The centrifugal force of a salad spinner will make sure that salad greens are thoroughly dried. Patting dry with a towel is inefficient and could cause bruising. Also, salad greens that have too much excess moisture on the surface of their leaves will repel a vinaigrette, making it hard to actually dress the salad properly.
Store in a clean container, with damp paper towels. Wet some paper towels and then ring out the excess moisture until they are just slightly damp. Line the bottom of your storage container with damp paper towels, and then cover the top of the greens with more damp towels. Do not store in an airtight container or cover with plastic wrap. Salad greens need to breath.

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FCS Episode 14| Salad Greens and Vinaigrettes

Jacob Burton — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 08:35:22 +0000

In this episode of the Free Culinary School Podcast, we start or next series with a 4 episode basic course on Garde Manger, which is also know as the “pantry” or “cold kitchen.” Traditionally, Garde Manger is the first station that every cook will work when just starting out in a professional kitchen, and the techniques of Garde Manger must be mastered before the cook is allowed to move onto the hot line.

In this Episode’s Discussion Segment:

How to choose and classify salad greens.
How to make an informed decision on when to use certain types of greens for salads.
When you should use bitter greens vs crispy and tender greens.
How to make a balanced mesculin mix.

In the Technique Segment:

We talk about what makes up a classical vinaigrette.
We discuss the molecular make up of vinegar, and why its important to making a vinaigrette.
How to make a balanced vinaigrette by understanding basic flavor structure.

And in the Culinary Quick Tip:

How to wash and store salad greens for maximum freshness and shelf life.

Supporting Articles for this podcast:

Books Referenced In This Episode:

The Pasta Bible by Silvi Rizzi

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How To Make A Vinaigrette: Technique and Recipes

Jacob Burton — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 08:35:15 +0000

One of the simplest sauces out there is a standard vinaigrette used to coat lettuce greens as a nice, light dressing. But don’t be fooled by its simplicity, a good vinaigrette is something that takes knowledge and time to master; but if you don’t want to wait, here’s the basic run down.

The standard ratio for a classical vinaigrette is:

3 Parts Oil to 1 Part Vinegar

Now this ratio can be varied from chef to chef, sometimes as low as 2:1 and as high as 5:1, but the classical jumping off point is the one listed above. But before I give you a couple of quick recipes to make a vinaigrette, lets review its two major components: Oil and Vinegar.

Vinegar

The word “vinaigrette” comes from the French word for vinegar, which will be the major flavor component upon which all your other secondary flavors build.

Vinegar is made when bacteria use oxygen to metabolize alcohol, and release acetic acid as a by product, which is what gives vinegar is distinct sour bite.

The molecular make-up of vinegar is partly responsible for its abilities to hold robust flavors and really add to a dish.

The vinegar molecule is basically able to exist in two forms: The intact molecule which consists of Oxygen and Hydrogen, and the broken molecule where there is a free floating Hydrogen Ion.

The broken version with the free floating ion, is what gives the main impression of acidity to the palate, but the unbroken molecule is more volatile, and gives the aromatic acidic impression to the nose. The cool part is, both versions of these molecules co-exist side by side.

What really makes this concept important is that at least half of vinegar’s molecules readily dissolve aromatic molecules muck like fat does. In this fashion, vinegar is extremely capable of dissolving both flavor and aroma molecules, allowing for extremely robust flavors to be dissolved into a liquid form.

Remember that most aroma molecules, which are responsible for our finer sense of taste, are usually only fat soluble. But since the broken acetic acid molecule acts like a fat molecule, it allows you to dissolve complex flavors into your vinaigrettes.

Oil

Many different types of oils and fats can be used for making a vinaigrette. When choosing the oil you will use, the one thing that you really need to keep in mind is the effect on your overall flavor structure.

If you want the vinegar you’re using to really shine through, use a neutral flavored oil such as cannola or safflower.

If you want to add a flavored oil, such as nut oil, truffle oil or sesame oil, be conscious of how its taste will affect the overall flavor structure of your vinaigrette.

For example, if you want to make a vinaigrette using Extra Virgin Olive Oil, you may wish to dilute it with a little bit of neutral cannola oil so the flavor doesn’t become overbearing.

Animal fats can also be substituted for part or all of your oil in a vinaigrette as well. Rendered bacon fat makes a great bacon vinaigrette, (especially with the addition of a little dijon mustard), and duck fat works great in the company of vinegar to dress a nice salad of bitter greens to serve with your duck confit.

Vinaigrette Recipes:

Let it be known that I’m a little hesitant to list any vinaigrette recipes here because I fear that it might stifle your creativity. In fact, anything that has an acidic base (grapefruit, blood orange, meyer lemon), and anything that is an oil base (truffle oil, duck fat, bacon fat), can be combined to make a great vinaigrette. So here is your jumping off point for a couple of boring yet classical recipes. All I ask is that you don’t get tunnel vision and fail to venture outside of the box.

Escoffier’s Classical Vinaigrette:

2 Cups/470 ml Oil
2/3 Cups/80 ml Red Wine Vinegar
2 Ounces/56 g Small Cappers
3 Tbsp/45 ml Finely Chopped Herbs (Shallots, parsley, chervil, tarragon, chives)
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. This vinaigrette was classically served with calf’s head or sheep’s shank. Sometimes, 2-3 Tablespoons of the cooking liquid would be whisked into this vinaigrette before dressing the shank or head and serving.

Italian Herb Vinaigrette

1 Cup/240 ml White Wine Vinegar
1 Oz/28 g Dijon Mustard
1 Oz/28 g Chopped Capers
1 Tbsp/15 ml Minced Garlic
1 Whole Shallot, Minced
1 Tbsp/15 ml Sugar
1 Tbsp/15 ml Lemon Juice
1 tsp/5 ml Dried Tarragon (or fresh if available)
1 tsp/5 ml Dried Thyme (or fresh if available)
1 tsp/5 ml Dried Basil (or fresh if available)
1 Cup/240 ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1.5 Cups/360 ml Canola
Salt and Pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients except oil in a blender and mix on medium speed. Combine canola oil and olive oil in separate pitcher, and slowly stream into blending ingredients until the oil is fully incorporated and emulsified. Check seasoning. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Note: A KitchenAid with a whisk attachment or a good ol’ fashion mixing bowl and whisk can be used if a blender is not available.

Sherry-Shallot Vinaigrette

This is my personal recipe that goes great with any number of greens, but especially Butter Lettuce salads.

1/2 Cup/120 ml Rice Wine Vinegar
1/2 Cup/120 ml Sweet Sherry
1 Whole Shallot, Diced
2 Tbsp/30 ml Mirin (Optional)
1 Lemon Juiced
2-3 Tbsp/30-45 ml Honey (Or add to taste)
Salt and Pepper To Taste
2 Cups/480 ml Canola Oil

Combine all ingredients in a blender and mix on medium speed. Slowly stream in canola oil until completely incorporated and emulsified. If the flavor of the sherry and rice vinegar are too strong, you can either dilute with the addition of more canola oil, or balance with the addition of more honey.

For more information on vinaigrettes and salad greens, please listen to The Free Culinary School Podcast Episode 14.

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Garde Manger Class Syllabus

Jacob Burton — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 07:59:42 +0000

In the next series of The Free Culinary School Podcast, we will be discussing basic Garde Manger techniques. Garde Manger is the French term for the Pantry, also known as the “Cold Kitchen,” and is responsible for everything ranging from salads and cold apps, to charcuterie and platters.

So here is the course syllabus for the upcoming Basic Garde Manger Course, which will be launched this week.

Free Culinary School Podcast Episode 14: Salads and Vinaigrettes

In the Discussion Segment you will learn:

How to choose and classify salad greens.
Make an informed decision on when to use certain types of greens for salads.
When you should use bitter greens vs crispy and tender greens.
How to make a balanced mesculin mix.

In the Technique Segment you will learn:

What makes up a classical vinaigrette?
The molecular make up of vinegar, and why its important to making a vinaigrette.
How to make a balanced vinaigrette by understanding basic flavor structure.

And in the Culinary Quick Tip:

How to wash and store salad greens for maximum freshness and shelf life.

The Free Culinary School Podcast Episode 15: Classical Salads Discussed

In the Discussion Segment you will learn:

How to make an emulsified creamy dressing.
How to make classical creamy dressings such as Ranch, Blue Cheese and Thousand Island.(...)
Read the rest of Garde Manger Class Syllabus (227 words)

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Post tags: Cooking Podcast, Culinary School Articles, Garde Manger

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The Five French Mother Sauces: The Mother of all Resources

Jacob Burton — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 10:27:26 +0000

Since we covered so much ground in the French Mother Sauce Series, both on the blog and podcast, I figured it would be a good idea to place all the information in one, easy to find post. The mother of all mother sauce resources if you will.

So here it is; a list of the mother sauces with their corresponding podcast episodes, classical components, serving suggestions and how to posts.

But first, a quick history lesson.

A Brief History of The Mother Sauces

The French mother sauces were originally four base sauces set forth by Antonin Careme in the 19th century. Careme’s four original mother sauces were Sauce Tomat, Bechamel, Veloute and Espagnole. Then in the 20th century, Chef Auguste Escoffier added the fifth and final mother sauce, hollandaise, with its derivatives covering almost all forms of classical emulsion sauces including mayonnaise.

One Last Thing…

Some of the classical versions of these sauces use different thickening agents to bring the sauce to its proper consistency. If you’re unfamiliar with thickening agents such as roux, liasons, or emulsions, you can follow the corresponding links for more information.

Sauce Bechamel

Base: Milk (Usually Whole Milk)
Thickening Agent: White Roux
Classical Flavorings: White Onion, Clove, Bay Leaf, Salt, White Pepper, Nutmeg
Common Secondary Sauces: Cream Sauce, Mornay, Cheddar Cheese Sauce, Mustard Sauce, Nantua
Classically Served With: Eggs, Fish, Steamed Poultry, Steamed Vegetables, Pastas, Veal
Technique and Recipe: How To Make Bechamel and its Derivatives
Corresponding Podcast Episode: FCS Episode 10| Bechamel

Sauce Veloute

Base: White Stock (Classically Veal, but Chicken and Fish Stock can also be used)
Thickening Agent: Classically a Roux, but sometimes also a Liason is used.
Classical Flavorings: None, used specifically as a base
Common Secondary Sauces: Sauce Vin Blanc (White Wine Sauce), Sauce Supreme, Sauce Allemande, Sauce Poulette, Sauce Bercy, Sauce Normandy
Classically Served With: Eggs, Fish, Steamed Poultry, Steamed Vegetables, Pastas, Veal
Technique and Recipe: How To Make Sauce Veloute and its Derivatives
Corresponding Podcast Episode: FCS Episode 9| Sauce Veloute

Sauce Tomat (AKA Tomato Sauce)

Base: Tomatoes (Raw, Tomato Paste, Tomato Puree, Stewed Tomatoes)
Thickening Agent: Classically a Roux, modern versions commonly use a reduction or purees
Classical Flavorings: Salt Pork, Mirepoix, Garlic, White Veal Stock, Salt & Pepper, Sugar (Just enough to balance acidity, not enough to make the sweetness perceptible).
Common Secondary Sauces: Modern variations concentrate more on seasonings giving rise to sauces such as Creole, Portuguese and Spanish Sauce Tomat.
Classically Served With: Pasta, Fish, Vegetables (Especially Grilled), Polenta, Veal, Poultry (Especially Chicken), Breads and Dumplings such as Gnocchi.
Technique and Recipe: How to Make Tomato Sauce and Its Modern Variations
Corresponding Podcast Episode: FCS Episode 11| Sauce Tomat

Sauce Espagnole (AKA Sauce Brune or Brown Sauce)

Base: Roasted Veal Stock (Roasted Chicken Stock Is Sometimes Used In Modern Variations).
Thickening Agent: Brown Roux
Classical Flavorings: Mirepoix, Sachet (Bay Leaf, Fresh Thyme, Parsely), Tomato Puree
Common Secondary Sauces: Demi-Glace, Bordelaise, Sauce Robert, Lyonnaise, Sauce Madeira, Sauce Bercy, Sauce Chasseur
Classically Served With: Roasted meats, especially beef, duck, veal, lamb
Technique and Recipe: How To Make Sauce Espagnole and Demi-Glace
Corresponding Podcast Episode: FCS Episode 12| Sauce Espagnole

Hollandaise Sauce

Base: Egg Yolks and Butter (Classically Clarified Butter)
Thickening Agent: Emulsification
Classical Flavorings: Peppercorns (Black), White Wine Vinegar, Salt, Lemon Juice, Cayenne Pepper
Common Secondary Sauces: Bearnaise, Maltaise, Mousseline, Foyot, Choron…Also check out this post on How to Make Mayonnaise and Its Derivatives, which is based on the hollandaise technique.
Classically Served With: Eggs (Eggs Benedict), Vegetables (especially Asparagus), light poultry dishes, fish, Beef (Bernaise Sauce)
Technique and Recipe: How To Make Hollandaise: Guidlines and Techniques
Corresponding Podcast Episode: FCS Episode 8| Hollandaise

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FCS Episode 12| Sauce Espagnole: Mother Sauce Series Part Five

Jacob Burton — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 22:10:19 +0000

In this Episode of the Free Culinary School Podcast, we finish our five part series on the French Mother Sauces with a lesson on Sauce Espagnole, also know as Sauce Brune or Brown Sauce.

Sauce Espagnole is the classical brown mother sauce from which modern age demi-glaces and their secondary sauces are derived. Chances are, if you’ve eaten at a fine restaurant lately, one of their signature sauces is a “Demi” based sauce.

In This Episode

Discussion Segment: We talk about methods and techniques used in modern day sauce making, including how to reinforce the flavors of your sauce and sauce “a la minute.”
Technique Segment: We go over the classical recipe and technique used to make Sauce Espagnole, and talk about some of its more popular derivatives including Demi-Glace, Sauce Robert, and Sauce Bordelasie.
Culinary Quick Tip: We talk about the three components needed to finish your sauce just like a pro.

Also, the next episode of The Free Culinary School Podcast will be a listener question and comment show. So if you have a question about the information covered in the last 12 episodes, or any other question restaurant or culinary related, e-mail them to jacob [at] FreeCulinarySchool.com or click on the contact link above.

Cook With Passion!

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Thickening Agents For Sauces and Soups Reviewd

Jacob Burton — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 22:07:11 +0000

In the last few episodes of the Free Culinary School Podcast (Episodes 9, 10 & 11), we talked about different thickening agents and how to use them. Here’s a quick review of the thickening agents that we’ve discussed in the last three episodes.

Roux – Equal parts flour to fat (clarified butter is traditional). There are three different stages for rouxs including white, blond and brown. Full thickneing power is not relized until sauce or soup is brought up to a simmer after the roux is incorporated. For ratios and more detailed guidlines, check out this post on how to make and use a roux.
Liason – A mixture of heavy cream and eggs, added just at the end of the cooking process to slightly thicken, but mostly enrich, sauces and soups. The standard ratio for a liaison is 16:1:2. So for every 16 ounces (or one pint) of sauce, you will need 1 egg yolk and 2 ounces of cream. The liason will be tempered with up to 1/3 of the warm sauce or soup before incorporated. This helps to keep the eggs from coagulating. For more information, check out this post on how to make and use a liason. (...)
Read the rest of Thickening Agents For Sauces and Soups Reviewd (532 words)

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Sauce Tomat (AKA Tomato Sauce): A French Mother Sauce

Jacob Burton — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 23:14:35 +0000

Sauce Tomat, better known as tomato sauce, is a French Mother Sauce based on tomatoes. This base can consist of fresh tomatoes cooked down into a liquid, canned tomatoes, tomato puree or even tomato paste.

“Hey, wait a second now, how is tomato sauce a French Mother sauce when it’s clearly Italian?”

Well, you do know it was the Italians that taught the French to cook right? But that’s a whole other post. Suffice it to say that just like all the other mother sauces, “Sauce Tomat” is an incredibly versatile base sauce that can have any number of variations.

But before we start playing around with tomato sauce, it is important to first understand the classic version. My favorite classical recipe for Sauce Tomat is Escoffier’s version.

Escoffier’s Sauce Tomat Recipe

Although most of the sauce recipes that I’ve been giving for the Mother Sauces yield 1 quart (1 liter), this recipe will yield 2 quarts since you can almost never have enough tomato sauce, and it is always better the next day anyways. For Escoffier’s recipe you will need:

2-3 oz (56-84 g) Salt Pork. Salt pork comes from the belly portion of the pig, just like bacon. However, unlike bacon, salt pork is never smoked, and the fattier (more white), the better.
3 oz (84 g) Carrots, peeled and medium diced
3 oz (84 g) White or Yellow onion, medium diced
2 oz (56 g) whole butter
2-3 oz (56-84 g) Flour, All Purpose
5 lbs (2.25 Kilos) Raw, Good quality tomatoes, quartered
1 qt (1 lt) White Veal Stock
1 clove freshly crushed garlic
Salt and Pepper To taste
Pinch of Sugar

In his book, Escoffier calls for you to “fry the salt pork in the butter until the pork is nearly melted.” The term frying can be misleading, and what he’s really calling for you to do is to render the fat.
To render out the salt pork properly, place the salt pork in a heavy bottom sauce pan with a tablespoon of water, cover with a lid, and place over medium heat. Check in about 5 minutes. The steam from the water will allow the fat to render out of the salt pork before it starts to brown or burn.
After the salt pork is nice and rendered out, add in your butter, carrots and onions, and sweat over medium heat for about 5-10 minutes, or until they become nice and tender and start to release their aromatic aromas.
Sprinkle the flower over the carrots and onions and continue to cook for another few minutes. You’re essentially using the residual fat from the butter and salt pork to make a blond roux.
Add in your raw tomatoes. Roast with other ingredients until they start to soften and release some of their liquid.
Add in your white veal stock and a clove of crushed garlic.
Cover the pot with a lid, and Escoffier says to put it in a moderate oven, which is about 350 degrees F or 175 C. If your sauce pot won’t fit, you can always just simmer it on your stove top. Bake in oven or simmer for 1.5-2 hours.
Escoffier’s classical recipe also calls for you to pass your finished sauce through a Tamis, but if you’re looking for a smooth tomato sauce, I would instead recommend that you first blend it in a blender, and then press it through a chinois.
Once you have passed your sauce through the chinois, finish by seasoning it with salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar.
Note on Sugar: The addition of sugar is used to balance the natural acidity of the tomatoes. Your tomato sauce should not taste sweet, unless you enjoy putting ketchup on your pasta.

Modern Variations on Escoffier’s Sauce Tomat

The major difference between Escoffier’s version of sauce tomat and modern variations that are taught in culinary school are two fold. (1), The Roux is omitted and instead of using fresh tomatoes, canned tomatoes and tomato puree are used in the respective ratio of 2:1 and, (2) Instead of using white veal stock, modern recipes call for the simmering of a roasted ham bone.

Other than that, the process is pretty much the same as discussed above. Follow the same recipe and process, except use 3lbs of canned tomatoes and 2lbs of tomato puree instead of the 5lbs of fresh tomatoes. Simmer for two hours with the addition of a roasted ham bone and omit the veal stock since the tomato puree and canned tomatoes offer plenty liquid for simmering the sauce.

Another modern touch is the common use of aromatic fresh herbs including bay leafs, thyme, basil and oregano. Add these at your own discretion, at the end of the cooking process so that the flavor of the fresh herbs does not break down.

Basic Light Tomato Sauce

If you’re looking for a lighter version of tomato sauce to serve with a more delicate dish such as poached fish, use the ratios and procedure below.

1 part mirepoix, (Onions, Carrot and Celery, at a 2:1:1 Ratio), small dice
4-5 parts fresh or canned tomatoes
Fresh Chopped Garlic and Herbs To Taste
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper To Taste
Butter and Heavy Cream to finish (Optional)

Start by sweating your mirepoix over medium heat in a sauce pan with a little bit of olive oil.
Once the mirepoix becomes nice and soft, and starts to release its sweet aroma (about 5-10 minutes) add in your tomatoes and fresh chopped garlic.
Simmer for 1.5-2 hours. Season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar. Add fresh herbs to taste.
At this point, if you desire a smooth texture, you can blend your sauce and then pass it through a chinois.
Finish with swirling in some heavy cream and whole butter off the flame. This is optional, but if you’re not adverse to butter and cream, it will add a nice flavor and mouth feel.

For more information on how to make classical Sauce Tomat, listen to The Free Culinary School Podcast Episode 11, available on iTunes.

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FCS Episode 10| Bechamel: Mother Sauce Series Part Three

Jacob Burton — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 21:48:11 +0000

The Free Culinary School Podcast turns double digits! In this episode, we continue our five part series on the Mother Sauces with part three; Bechamel and it’s derivatives. In this Episode:

How To Make Bechamel and It’s Derivatives Including Mornay, Mustard Sauce and Cream Sauce
We Continue our three part series on thickening agents for sauces and soups
Question Segment: I answer the Egg/Acid Paradox posed by listener Luke
Culinary Quick Tip: How to use sauce Bechamel to make a simple and delicious Macaroni and Cheese

A Special Thanks To:

Books Referenced In This Episode:

Culinary Artistry by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page
On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee
Professional Cooking by Wayne Gisslen

If you have any question or comments about the show, please leave them by clicking on the comment button below.

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How To Properly Poach an Egg – Traditional and Restaurant Method Discussed

Jacob Burton — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 06:29:24 +0000

There are few things better in life than the simplicity of a perfectly poached egg. Although it is most commonly served as a component in breakfast, a poached egg goes great in salads, on top of terrines or a slice of blood sausage, and can even be used as a course in a fancy tasting menu.

There are two schools of thought when it comes to properly poaching an egg. The first is the traditional method and the second is the restaurant method.

Traditional Method for Poaching An Egg

To poach an egg using the traditional method, first start with a shallow pan of water on your stove top. The water should be about 3-4″ deep, or at least deep enough to completely submerge the egg. Add a little vinegar and salt at the rate of 1 tablespoon each per one quart of water. The salt and the vinegar will help your egg whites to coagulate and thus stay together.

Heat your pan of water to about 180 degrees Fahrenheit. A good visual guide is that bubbles will start to form on the bottom of your pan but will not break the water’s surface.

Crack a whole egg into a shallow bowl (a regular cereal bowl will work just fine), and gently slide into your poaching water. Cook for 3-5 minutes depending on how done you want your poached egg and remove with a slotted spoon.

Dab off any excess moisture with a paper towel and serve.

Restaurant Method For Poaching an Egg

The restaurant method for poaching an egg works well at home, but is really the only way to go in a professional kitchen environment that poaches a lot of eggs to order. In this method, instead of using a shallow pan of water you instead will be using a deep stock pot. The real trick to this method is to make sure that your stock pot is at a rolling boil.

For every quart of water you have in your stock pot, add a 1/2 tablespoon of vinegar and 1 tablespoon of salt. Bring your water to a rolling boil.

Once your water is boiling, crack your egg into a shallow bowl and gently slide into your boiling stock pot. The egg will sink to the bottom, and in about 3 minutes will float back up to the top of the pot when it is done.

This technique is possible because the vinegar reacts with the bicarbonate in the egg whites to form little bubbles of carbon dioxide trapped in the coagulated proteins of the egg. The salt raises the density in the water just enough to allow the egg to float after 3 minutes worth of bubble formation.

This allows cooks to drop eggs to order and have an automatic timer built in to the egg itself. When it floats its done, not to mention you know exaclty how long its going to take for the egg to poach.

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How To Fry Herb Leafs In The Microwave

Jacob Burton — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 06:34:31 +0000

Fried herb leafs are a garnish that has been around for ages. This technique however is lesser known than that of just throwing some herb leaves into hot oil. The problem with oil frying your leafs is that they will curl up, and usually turn brown. Using a microwave to fry your herb leafs for garnish will allow you to keep them nice and flat.

How To Fry Herb Leafs In The Microwave

Start by picking the herb leaves that you want to fry and dipping them in canola oil. Here I’m using sage leaves, but mint and basil also work great.
Take an oven safe plate with a slightly raised rim and stretch a piece of plastic wrap over it so that it is nice and tight.
Take your herb leaves that were dipped in oil and spread them out on top of the plastic wrap.
Cover with another piece of plastic, wrapping it securely around the plate.
Poke a couple of holes in the plastic, and then microwave on high for about 3-4 minutes.

Carefully remove the plate from the microwave using a thick towel or oven mitt. The plate is extremely hot.
Once the plate has cooled enough to handle, carefully remove the top sheet of plastic wrap and lay herb leavesbetween paper towels to dry.

The reason why this works is because of how microwaves interact with the water molecules in the herb leaves. The microwaves start knocking the water molecules around which in turn start pushing the oil molecules around. Since heat is nothing more than a measurement of molecular movement, the oil in which the herb leaves where dipped heats up and “fries” it.

A nice little touch is to brush the herb leaves with gold dust, especially if used for a dessert garnish.

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How To Roast

Jacob Burton — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 07:54:55 +0000

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.

For more information on proper roasting technique, listen to The Free Culinary School Podcast Episode 6.

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How To Make Consommé Using Gelatin Sheets

Jacob Burton — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 07:52:38 +0000

Consume is a stock that has been clarified to the point where it contains no fat or particulate matter. The classical clarification technique is an art form in itself, with each chef using a number of variations to get the clearest stock possible.

If you attend culinary school, it is only a matter of time before they (1), teach you how to make consume, and (2) test you on it as a fundamental skill. Being able to make a perfectly clear consume is the mark of a great chef.

The only problem is, the classical technique which involves floating a protein raft made of mirepoix, meat, eggs and eggshells is finicky to say the least. There are any number of things that can go wrong when using this technique, and it requires constant babysitting with no guarantee that you will end up with your desired finished product.

In the picture at the top left of this post I show a lobster consommé which I made using lobster stock and gelatin sheets. The process is very simple and has bullet proof results. People who don’t know this trick will beg you for the “secret” you use to get your consommé so damn clear.

Using Gelatin To Make Consommé

Start by making a beautiful lobster stock.
Strain the lobster stock and gel with gelatin following the directions on the back of the gelatin box.
Let gel in your refrigerator overnight.
When your stock has fully gelled, break into manageable chunks and place on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper and freeze overnight.
After the gelatin has frozen, turn out sheet pan and carefully pull off parchment paper.
Cut frozen stock gelatin into manageable chunks

Take your chopped up chunks of frozen gelatin and place them in a strainer lined with cheese cloth, suspended over an appropriate sized container. As the gelatin melts, it will release only the pure liquid of your stock, totally crystal clear and devoid of fat. You now have a beautifully clear, perfect consommé.

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FCS Episode 2| Stocks, The Foundation To Great Cuisine

Jacob Burton — Fri, 23 May 2008 18:04:51 +0000

In this episode of the Free Culinary School Podcast we talk all about culinary stocks, the foundation to great cuisine. Stocks are probably one of the most important assets that any chef can have at their disposal. If you can’t make a great stock, then you can’t make a great soup, and you can’t make a great sauce.

In the discussion segment we go over in detail the qualities of a great stock. These qualities are:

A good stock is devoid of fat
It will have nice body, and good mouth feel; it will not be watery
It has a good, clean, rich color that is appropriate to the kind of stock made

In our technique segment, we go over the four major stocks that are out there including:

And in the culinary quick tip, I give you a couple of tips that professional chefs use while making stocks in a restaurant kitchen.

Also, as I mentioned in the podcast, there are a couple of tools I recommend you use to make a stock. These are:

To get started, listen to the podcast below, then head over to the “How To Cook” section of Free Culinary School.com and read the blog post on How To Make Great Stock.

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