Cooking is both an art and passion, but it also requires certain skills. You might have seen chefs dexterously working this art into a dish, perfecting it to the last part. Insane amount of work goes into perfecting a dish for customers.
But you seldom realize this while relishing a delicately made cuisine in your favorite restaurant. So let’s have a look at some of the popular cooking techniques that work magic into that mouth-watering delicacy.
Make a Roux
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If you ever felt that your gravy isn’t coming to the consistency it should, then this is your technique. A roux is typically made with melted butter and flour. A thickened consistency makes sauces, gravy, and stews more delicious.
Blanch
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Blanching is cooking technique wherein the food, usually, vegetables and fruits are scalded in boiling water then removed and finally plunged into iced water to shock the fruits or vegetables to retain their color and crispy texture
Caramelize
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It is scientifically known as the process of oxidation of sugar which gives sugar a classic brown color and nutty caramel flavor. Caramelized onions are prepared using the same process sautéing onions over an extended period of slow flame. It is work of patience with no shortcuts.
Vinaigrette
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Vinaigrette is a dressing prepared for salads and all. You can mix and match the ingredients in a vinaigrette are made to suit your palate. Usually, an oil is mixed with something acidic such as vinegar or lemon juice to prepare a great tasting vinaigrette.
Brining and Poaching
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Brining is popularly done to preserve meats and fish and also to improve the texture of a food. And it is usually done by adding meat to a solution of water and salt. Poaching is a flavoring technique done by dipping food items in a flavored liquid which such as stock, flavored milk, wine or water.
Flambé
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This technique requires a bit of practice as the food topped with alcohol is literally set on fire. The result left behind gives food a subtle taste of alcohol that lingers with a certain degree of smokiness. The most popular alcohols used for this process is rum, brandy, and cognac.
Dredging
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The crispy coating on the food is done using this technique. It is also sometimes known as breading. The food is either coated in flour, breadcrumbs or any other material to preserve moisture during cooking.
Torching
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Most of us relate torching to the classic burn on the brûlée’s tanned sugar crust. But this technique is used in many other foods as well. Torching is basically done to bringing a golden tan on the surface by emitting flame from a butane gas torch.
These are just a few of the many cooking techniques used by skillful chefs to master their creations. Try them with prior safety and practice.
Read Also: The Art Of Adding Beer And Wine In Food While Cooking
