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Baste or Mop To moisten food while cooking with a liquid (melted fat, pan dripping, sauce, or other liquid). This keeps the meat, and other foods, from drying out and encourages color and flavor. A spoon, brush, bulb baster, or miniature mop can be used. Blanching Vegetables If you are tired of your vegetables losing color, texture, and flavor before you serve them, then blanching may be the solution. Prolonged exposure to heat deteriorates vegetables. Blanching lightly cooks only the outer layer of their flesh. To blanch vegetables plunge them into boiling salted water for a short period of time, and then immediately stop the cooking process by placing the vegetables into ice water until they cool. Green beans and other fibrous vegetables retain their crispiness and color. For other vegetables and fruits, such as tomatoes and peaches, a brief blanching loosens the skin while keeping the flesh firm, making them easier to peel. In all cases the color is set and the flavor is retained. You must remember not to overload the pot because this will increase the cooking time. Blanch in batches if necessary. The vegetables can be used immediately in salads and other cold dishes, or they can be stored or frozen for later use. A quick sauté or stir fry is all that is needed to finish cooking the vegetables, and if they are being added to a dish such as a soup or stew, adding them during the last few minutes of cooking will insure colorful results. Braise Braising is a wet-heat method of cooking. Usually, meat or vegetables are first seared in hot fat. Then they are simmered in liquid in a pan with the lid tightly in place. To prevent burning, the meat could be placed on a bed of mirepoix (diced carrots, onions and celery), which will keep the food from direct contact with the pot and will add more flavor and moisture to the liquid. Finally, the meat is cooked over low heat for a long time. Braising can be done on the stovetop or in an oven. The indirect transfer of heat in an oven will cook the food more evenly and is less likely to burn it. Relatively tough cuts of meat benefit from braising - because slow cooking breaks down the tough connective tissues. More tender foods like fish and shellfish may also be braised, but must be cooked for a shorter time at a lower temperature in less liquid. One benefit of braising is that the liquid absorbs flavors from the foods being braised and makes a terrific sauce. Break or Separate When two or more ingredients fail to hold together in one uniform state. Hollandaise, for example can break or separate from a smooth sauce into one that is oily and curdled-looking. Brunoise - Knife Skill Brunoise is an extremely fine and exact dice. We're demonstrating the technique on a red bell pepper. First, cut panels from the pepper and remove any white membrane. Next, cut the prepared panels lengthwise into very thin strips, called a julienne. Then neatly group the strips into a "woodpile" and slice across in thin cuts--creating very fine, confetti-like pieces of pepper. These are beautiful as a garnish, or in a soup or sauce. To brunoise a broader vegetable, such as a carrot, first trim the vegetable so its sides are straight and at right angles. Next, holding your knife vertically, slice very thin panels. Stack the panels or lay them out, then cut them lengthwise into very thin julienne. Remember to keep your fingers tucked in, and out of the knife's path. Finally, turn the julienne and chop them into a beautiful brunoise. Butterfly To split food down the center, cutting almost through. The halves are fanned open and laid flat to cook. The fan resembles a butterfly. |
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