Category: Cooking 101
Bouquet Garni
A collection of herbs that classically includes parsley, thyme and bay; although other herbs like rosemary and marjoram can be added, different regions vary the combination of herbs. Bouquet garni is available dried, tied in muslin bundles or in “teabag-like” sachets. Fresh bouquet garni can be tied together with string for easy removal from the…
Chervil
This delicate gentle herb with its lacy leaves, tastes rather like a mild parsley and needs to be used generously to impart sufficient flavor. Widely used in French cooking, it works well in herb butters and with eggs and cheese. NUTRITION FACTS Amount per 100 grams of dried chervil Calories 237 kcal (12%)Protein 23.2 g…
Cooking Fish in a Parcel
⇓ You may also listen to the instructions by pressing the play button below INSTRUCTIONS STEP 1: Cut out a double sheet of greaseproof paper or kitchen foil large enough to enclose the fish. Place the herbs and flavourings on the paper. STEP 2: Sprinkle the cleaned fish inside and out-with salt and pepper and…
How to Prepare Mussels
Before cooking, mussels must be carefully scraped and washed to remove barnacles, sand, and the “beard” that attaches them to the poles or ropes on which cultivated mussels grow. ⇓ You may also listen to the instructions by pressing the play button below MATERIALS NEEDED Small knife Brush INSTRUCTIONS STEP 1: With a small knife, detach…
How to Dice Carrots
Root vegetables, such as carrots, turnips, and potatoes, are often diced before cooking. The size of the dice depends on the thickness of the initial slices. ⇓ You may also listen to the instructions by pressing the play button below
How to Remove Skin From a Fish Fillet
In many recipes, dark or tough skin is removed from fish fillets before they are cooked. ⇓ You may also listen to the instructions by pressing the play button below INSTRUCTIONS STEP 1: Lay the fillet skin-side down on the work surface with the tail end towards you. Holding the tail end firmly with your…
How to Make Pasta, Flavoring and Shaping Pasta and Pairing Sauces with Pasta
Want to know how to make home-made pasta? In this post you will find everything you need to prepare your own batch of fresh pasta, how to pair it with different sauces. You will also learn how to color them using different ingredients, different pasta varieties to choose from and great tips to cook a…
How to Scale a Fish
Most fish must be scaled before cooking, though often you will find that your fishmonger has done this. Some fish, such as freshwater trout, have small scales that do not need to be removed. A few fish, such as shark, do not have scales at all. ⇓ You may also listen to the instructions by…
Prepare and Poach the Salmon
⇓ You may also listen to the instructions by pressing the play button below INSTRUCTIONS STEP 1: Scale the salmon, then trim the fish. Using the filleting knife, slit between the ribcage bones and flesh. “Use flexible filleting knife with thin blade to separate fillets from central bones.Grip salmon firmly as you cut.” STEP 2:…
Line and Bake Blind the Tartlet Shells
⇓ You may also listen to the instructions by pressing the play button below MATERIALS NEEDED Pastry brush Rolling pin Plain flour Unsalted butter Vanilla essence Egg yolks INSTRUCTIONS STEP 1: Melt a little butter and use to brush the tartlet tins. STEP 2:Lightly flour the work surface. Roll out the dough to a 3 mm (1/8…