219 Cooking Tips & Techniques You Might Find Useful! (3 page)

~
Fruit and Nuts ~

120.
         
When slicing lemons and limes
turn them 90 degrees between each slice - this stops the fruit squashing and so
keeps the slices round.

121.
         
Warm whole citrus fruit in the
microwave for just a few seconds before squeezing to yield more juice. Rolling
the fruit on a hard surface will have the same result.

122.
         
Remove the zest from citrus
fruits
before
squeezing, after is so
much harder. When removing the zest take just the brightly coloured outer skin
as the white pith under it is bitter.

123.
         
DON'T put bananas in the
fridge, they will go brown and unattractive looking.

124.
         
To help fruit ripen put them in
a brown paper bag with a ripe fruit (apple, banana, peach, plum, nectarine,
mango etc.) which will release a gas known as ethylene which helps other fruits
ripen. I find this really useful for ripening avocadoes.

125.
         
Regarding the above if you don't
want your whole fruit bowl to ripen at once keep the ripe fruits separate from
the unripe.

126.
         
Get the seeds out of a
pomegranate by cutting it in half, holding cut side down over a bowl and whacking
it with a wooden spoon or similar. I saw this on the telly and it works really well.

127.
         
Another way to remove the seeds
from a pomegranate is to cut the fruit in half and submerge it in a bowl of
cold water. Separate the seeds underwater and they should sink whilst the
membrane should float. Skim the membrane from the water and then drain out the
seeds.

128.
         
Only cook cranberries till they
pop, after that start to turn bitter.

129.
         
DON'T use raw pineapple or kiwi
fruit in jellies as their enzymes will stop it from setting.

130.
         
Bramley apples naturally fall
into a purée when cooked so bear this in mind when considering your dish. They
are ideal for apple sauce and good in pies and crumbles.

131.
         
I personally prefer a little
grated lemon zest to cinnamon in apple dishes.

132.
         
Toss
fruits that are subject to browning (apples, bananas, avocadoes - yes!) with
citrus juice or rub a little on cut surfaces.

133.
         
Toss prepared soft summer
fruits with a little caster sugar, set aside for half an hour or more and they
will be coated in
a lovely
light syrup.

134.
         
Toast nuts to make them
tastier, crunchier and less likely to sink in baking. Either toss in a dry
frying pan over a medium heat till slightly darker and smelling fragrant or
spread on a baking tray and pop in medium oven for about 10 minutes, watching
carefully, to get the same effect.

135.
         
Use toasted nuts sooner rather
than later to retain their crunch and fragrance.

136.
         
Don't chop toasted nuts till
they are cold or they will go oily.

137.
         
To skin hazelnuts toast them in a medium oven for a
few minutes till their skins crack. Pour them onto a clean dry tea towel, wrap
them up and rub till the skins have left the nuts. I have no advice on cleaning
the towel.

~
Herbs and Spices ~

138.
         
DON'T let your store cupboard
dried herbs and spices get too old because their flavour will fade and they
will be useless. Generally speaking I'd say after 2 years it would be a good
idea to at least check them out, see if they still taste good. If unsure get
some new ones!

139.
         
Keep them away from air, heat,
light and moisture.

140.
         
If possible grind whole spices
as needed, black peppercorns and nutmeg being two easy cases in point.

141.
         
Toast spices to bring out their
flavour and add complexity. Add whole spices to a heavy cold frying pan and
heat tossing and stirring the spices till fragrant and slightly darker. Cool
and grind. Ready ground spices can be toasted in the same way but do stir
assiduously and watch them very, very carefully.

142.
         
Add strong herbs such as rosemary and bay at the start of cooking, soft
herbs such as basil and chervil at the end.

143.
         
Tear
bay leaves to release more flavour before adding to a dish.

144.
         
Freeze parsley and other herb
stalks, if they are in good condition, and use to flavour stocks, sauces and
marinades.

~
Rice, Pasta and Polenta ~

145.
         
DON'T wash rice before making
risotto; the starch clinging to the grains is what makes it so creamy. Actually
I don't think it's necessary to wash any rice before cooking.

146.
         
For fluffier rice after cooking
by the absorption
method (1 part rice to 2 parts water)
remove
from the heat and take off the lid. Rest 5 minutes then fluff
with a fork.

147.
         
Cook pasta in plenty of boiling
water (and I do mean plenty) with a little salt added.

148.
         
Pasta is ready when it is
tender but with a little firmness to it which is known as 'al dente', there
should be no sign of a white
centre
however.

149.
         
Stir pasta immediately after
adding to boiling water, and once or twice more during cooking.

150.
         
To store cooked pasta toss with
a spoonful of oil to stop it all sticking together.

151.
         
To make a smoother
polenta stir
a little cold water into the cornmeal before
adding to the boiling water.

~
Frying ~

152.
         
When
shallow frying or sautéing food, if you need a little more oil drizzle it
around the edge of the pan so that by the time it reaches the food it will have
heated through.

153.
         
When frying breadcrumbs it is
easiest to moisten the crumbs with oil and fry them in a dry pan.

154.
         
Food is more prone to sticking
when pan fried in salted butter than in unsalted.

155.
         
Store fat and fatty dishes in glass; you'll have a hard time cleaning it
off of plastic as molecularly they are very similar.

156.
         
When deep frying food that wants to float carefully hold it under the
surface of the oil with tongs till it has sealed.

157.
         
When using tongs in hot oil hold them in a downwards position or the oil
might run along them and give you a nasty burn.

158.
         
DON'T fill the pan more than
half full with oil when deep frying or it may overflow which can be mighty
dangerous.

159.
         
ALWAYS have oil hot before
adding food or it will absorb the oil rather than fry in it.

160.
         
Unless it is battered make sure
food is dry before adding to oil.

161.
         
Fry food in small batches so as
not to cool the oil down.

162.
         
DON'T cook with extra virgin olive oil; it's a waste, save it for salad
dressings and drizzling purposes.

163.
         
When adding a coating to food for frying first dredge it in seasoned
flour, the dip it in beaten egg and the finally the coating. The easiest way is
to either put the final coating in a shallow container or in a freezer bag. Add
the floured and egged item and shake it about to coat. If using a shallow
container a bit of shimmying and tipping may be necessary.

164.
         
Suggestions for coatings include fresh breadcrumbs, dried breadcrumbs
and Japanese Panko crumbs which are my favourite.

165.
         
Fried food is best served immediately.

166.
         
If you must reheat fried food do it like this ... place a baking tray in
the oven and preheat it to 400ºF/200ºC/180C fan/gas 6. When hot arrange the
food to be reheated on the tray with plenty of space between the pieces. Depending
on the size and texture of the food heating through could take between 10 and 20
minutes, turn when you think it is about half done.

167.
         
For crisper chips rinse them and fry them twice! Once you have cut the
chips rinse them under running cold water to remove excess starch. Pat dry with
a clean towel or kitchen roll. Heat your oil to 275°F/140ºC and cook the chips
till they are limp, pallid and cooked but not
browning at all which takes about 10 minutes. Allow to cool and at this stage
you can set them aside in the fridge for several hours or overnight. To serve
re-fry at 375ºF/190ºC till crisp and golden. Drain well, season and serve.

~
Baking
and Similar ~

168.
         
Remember to preheat the oven.

169.
         
I am all for making it up as I go along when cooking, adding a bit of
this or that according to how I feel and what I've got BUT this does not apply
in the case of baking which requires a carefully controlled chemical reaction
to work properly. By all means add nuts, fruit, chocolate chips etc. but don't mess
with the ratios of the main ingredients (flour, raising agent, sugar, fat, eggs,
liquid), the order you add them to the recipe, or the cooking temperature or you
risk a failure.

170.
         
Bake
Yorkshire
puddings in silicon
muffins tins or larger silicon dishes, they never stick!

171.
         
ALWAYS preheat the
Yorkshire
baking dish with a
little bit of oil in it before adding the batter.

172.
         
DON'T use black bake-ware it tends to burn things.

173.
         
ALWAYS use pure vanilla extract; yes it is more expensive than essence
or artificial but the price can't be that much more per drip and the difference
is well worth the money in any case.

174.
         
When cooking with self raising flour or baking powder don't add the
liquid until the last minute before cooking as this will start the chemical reaction
too early. To rise properly it is best if liquid and heat are applied at the
same time so have pans, trays etc. greased and ready and the oven preheated to
the right temperature. Add wet to dry, pour into the baking dish and
immediately put in the oven.

175.
         
DON'T open the oven during baking; this is vital when baking soufflé or
Yorkshire
puds
.

176.
         
DON'T use homemade or natural
organic peanut butter for baking - it is too oily.

177.
         
In any recipe that requires
butter and sugar to be creamed together make a good job of it. The mixture
should be fluffy and light in both colour and texture which will ensure a much
better texture to the finished cake.

178.
         
When adding eggs to creamed
butter and sugar for add a tablespoon of the flour from the recipe to stop the
mixture curdling.

179.
         
Toss
fruits and nuts in a little flour before adding to a baking recipe, this way
they will be less likely to sink to the bottom.

180.
         
Serious fruitcakes such as
Wedding or Christmas Cakes are best make a few weeks ahead to allow their
flavours to ripen. For the same reason if you intend freezing fruit cake allow
it to ripen first.

181.
         
There are two ways to test if a
cake is ready; 1) if you push the cake gently with your finger and the hollow
thus made springs back it is done, 2) if you insert a cocktail stick into the
middle of the cake and when you take it out it is dry or has cooked crumbs on
it, the cake is done. Also, of course, it should look risen and golden and
smell yummy.

182.
         
To test if bread is cooked turn
it over and rap its bottom with your knuckles, if it sounds hollow it is cooked
.

183.
         
DON'T reduce or leave out the
salt when making bread, it is in important part of the process, making for
stronger dough, more consistent rising and also making it taste so much better.

184.
         
Run a knife round the edge of
cheesecake filling, just 10mm deep or so, before baking to help prevent the top
cracking.

185.
         
When cooking pancakes they are
ready to turn when the top is pitted with burst bubbles, turn and cook just
long enough to brown the second side. Only turn once or the pancake will
toughen. DON'T press them at all, at all whilst cooking.

186.
         
For the best pastry have cool
hands, cold butter, icy cold water and even cold flour, Handle lightly and as
little as necessary. Wrap in cling film and rest it in the fridge for a while
before rolling.

187.
         
If you don't have a food
processor a quick way to 'rub in' butter and flour is to have the butter very
cold and grate it.

188.
         
Lard is a good substitute for
some of the butter in pastry, making a lovely light short crust.

189.
         
Measure ingredients for pastry
carefully; too wet and it will shrink, to much flour and it will be tough, too
much fat and it will, of course, be greasy.

190.
         
Transfer dough from the board
to the dish by draping it over the rolling pin.

191.
         
It's no good stretching dough
to make it fit your dish, it will only shrink back.

192.
         
If you are filling a pie crust
before baking avoid a soggy bottom so to speak by chilling the rolled out crust
for 10 or 15 minutes and or brushing with lightly beaten egg white.

193.
         
For a crisper bottom put a
baking tray in the oven when you turn it on and when hot sit the pie on it. This
works for Yorkshire pudding and pizza too.

194.
         
Baking Blind - to cook an empty
pie crust, chill it well once rolled out, prick the base all over with a fork,
line with a piece of foil and weight it down with baking beans which you can
buy (or dried beans or uncooked rice). When cooked remove the beans and liner
and do just a few minutes more to dry out the base.

195.
         
Glazing pastry - before baking
brush pastry with a glaze thus ...

•
                    
Milk or Cream for a matt
lightly coloured finish.

•
                    
A whole egg whisked with a
pinch of salt gives a glossy yellow glaze.

•
                    
Whisk together an egg yolk with
a pinch of salt for a deep rich glossy golden glaze.

•
                    
Just egg white and a pinch of
salt will give a glossy glaze but no colour.

196.
         
For a nice finish on sweet puff
pastry, sift over a little icing sugar and bung back in the oven for the last
few minutes of cooking

197.
         
Sea salt is great sprinkled on
savoury pastries after glazing and before baking.

198.
         
When using phyllo pastry have
all ingredients ready before you start, work fast and it is a good idea to keep
the pastry covered with a dry cloth or similar but NOT a wet cloth or it will
be unusable. In short - it dries out quickly!

199.
         
When making soufflés ALWAYS ensure that the base has a good strong
flavour as it will be weaker after the egg whites have been added.

200.
         
If your soufflé falls pretend
you meant it to happen; I frequently put 'Collapsed on Purpose Soufflé' on menus
(and in fact had intended it to collapse as this make a dense fudgy dessert)
and no-one ever questioned it.

201.
         
To release a cake from a
springform pan firstly run a knife round the edge of the cake. Stand the pan on
a baked bean tin or similar, making sure it is properly balanced. Undo the latch,
lower the frame
et
voila there is your cake ready to
serve.

202.
         
Baking Powder and Bicarbonate
of Soda aren't' immortal, they will lose their powers with time. I wouldn't
keep them much beyond 12 months but I wouldn't even rely on this. Keep cool and
dry and if you have any doubts test baking powder by stirring a teaspoon into
100ml of hot water, if it bubbles it's OK, if not - not.
For bicarbonate of soda test a quarter of a teaspoon in 2 teaspoons
of vinegar.

203.
         
When cooking dumplings take the lid off the pan for the last few minutes
before serving to dry out their tops