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Saute In French, saute means "to jump." That describes this method of cooking in which food is cooked quickly in a small amount of butter or oil. The food "jumps" as it is either rapidly stirred or shaken over heat. Scald To heat milk almost to the boiling point -- just until tiny bubbles begin to form around the inside edge of a pan. Season To coat a pan or other metal cooking surface (not-non-stick) with oil and then heat it. This prevents sticking by sealing tiny pits in the metal. Soap and water can negate this effect. Separate or Break 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. Sharpen Knives To keep your knives really sharp, you'll need to care for them on a regular basis. The techniques of sharpening and steeling your knife are quite simple. A sharpening stone has two sides: one rough, one fine. The stone needs, first, to be soaked in either water or mineral oil (never substitute one for the other). You will have either a waterstone or an oilstone. Place the stone on a damp cloth to stabilize it. Then, holding your knife at a 20-degree angle to the stone, draw the entire length of the knife blade over the stone. Use your free hand to exert pressure on the blade firmly and evenly from tip to hilt. Turn the blade over and repeat the process, over and over at a 20-degree angle, until the blade is very sharp. Always allow an equal number of passes for each side. After wiping the sharpened knife clean of any metal and oil, use the steel to finish the edge. Holding the steel with your fingers safely behind the guard, repeatedly slide the knife from hilt to tip down one side, then the other, over the steel. The knife will "sing" when this is done properly and quickly. Steeling alone does not sharpen a knife, but hones it. It actually realigns the molecules on the sharpened edge, straightening the edge. Between sharpenings with the stone, use the steel frequently to keep the blade in good condition. Shucking Molluscs Buying live oysters, clams and mussels then cleaning them at home assures freshness. Always use a heavy mitt, mesh glove, or side towel to protect hands when cleaning and/or oysters. Clean all molluscs (clams, oysters and mussels) well by scrubbing them under running water to remove all dirt before shucking. Then check them carefully, only live clams and oysters will have tightly closed shells. Discard any that are open or feel unusually heavy. These are either dead or full of silt. Oysters Protect your hand by wearing heavy-duty rubber gloves or enclose oyster in several thicknesses of a folded kitchen towel. Hold the shell in the palm of your hand with the left valve, the deeper side, down. Locate the beak (the hinged part of the oyster--the narrow end), and with a back-and-forth motion gently work the tip of the oyster knife between the shell halves. Once the knife has penetrated the shell (by 1/4 inch or so) make sure the oyster is firmly impaled on the blade by giving the shell a few shakes. It should remain firmly stuck on the end of the knife. Working very carefully, twist the knife back and forth to open the shell. Once the shell is opened, slide the knife across the top of the shell to cut the adductor muscle and run the knife under the body of the oyster. Discard the top shell. For clams, use the tip of the knife to release the meat from the top shell. Then run the knife under the clam meat to loosen. This clam can now be served "on the half shell." Mussels are rarely served raw, but the method for cleaning them is similar to that used for clams. Unlike clams and oysters, mussels have a dark, shaggy beard that is normally pulled away from the shell before cooking. Slice To slice food--here we're using pepperoni--start with a sharp knife. Here we are using a chef's knife. To hold your chef's knife properly, grasp the handle with three fingers and put your forefinger and thumb on opposite sides of the blade. With a rocking motion, keeping the tip of the knife on the chopping board, slice down through the food at regular intervals. There should be no starting or stopping--try to achieve one continual motion. Use your other hand to feed the item toward the knife. To do this safely, curl your fingers in and use your fingertips to grasp and move the item. Sweat When foods, usually vegetables, are cooked over low heat in a small amount of fat (usually butter), drawing out juices to remove rawness and develop flavor. |
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