Arrogance stifles promotion
At one time, cherrystones were the most popular clams on the half shell, but no longer. In the United States, the European taste for smaller clams has been catching on. In Venice, the razor clams are half the width of those sold here, sometimes no …
Blue mussels are native to the Pacific Northwest and they may be wild-gathered or farmed. You can tell them apart because wild mussels are rough, while farm raised mussels have a clean, smooth shell. Green mussels from New Zealand are larger. A relative newcomer is …
Kidneys are nutritious and, if properly prepared, delicious. It’s often hard to find them in markets, though, since many of them are ruined during the meat inspection process. Veal kidneys and lamb kidneys are prized for their tenderness and delicate flavor. They can be grilled or sautéed, though they become tough if overcooked. Pork and beef kidneys are tougher, and need to be cooked slowly using moist heat.
Veal kidneys are the most highly prized of all kidneys. Like lamb kidneys, they’re tender enough to be cooked using dry heat, say by grilling or sautéing them. Before cooking them, peel off the outer membrane. Due to their mild flavor, they don’t need to be soaked. Substitutes:lamb kidneys (very similar) OR beef kidneys (stronger flavor, tougher) OR pork kidneys (stronger flavor, tougher)
Lamb kidneys are tender enough to be cooked using dry heat, by grilling or sautéing them. Before cooking them, peel off the outer membrane. Due to their mild flavor, they don’t need to be soaked.
Beef kidneys are tougher than lamb or veal kidneys, so they need to be cooked slowly using moist heat, by braising them or adding them to a stew. To prepare them, first cut off the outer membrane, then cut them lengthwise to expose a white piece of fat in the middle, which should be discarded. Next, soak the kidney in acidulated water or buttermilk for about an hour. This will make the flavor much more mild.
Like beef kidneys, pork kidneys are too tough to cook using dry heat. It’s best to cook them slowly using moist heat. To prepare them, first cut off the outer membrane, then cut them lengthwise to expose a white piece of fat in the middle, which should be discarded. Next, soak the kidney in acidulated water or buttermilk for about an hour. This will make the flavor much more mild.
How to Open an Oyster 1. Place the tip of the oyster knife along the edge, about 1/3 of the distance from the point. 2. Twist the knife back and forth until the shell is just penetrated. 3. Slip the knife between the shell halves …
Glazing Vegetables Vegetable cookery Purpose of cooking vegetables – to soften the cellulose Acid reaction – toughens fibers and dulls colors Vegetables are said to be done when the fiber has reached the appropriate texture, this varies according to the vegetable, and they should be …
Once water is heated past the 212°F mark, it stops being water and turns into steam. Steaming has an advantage over methods such as boiling or even simmering in that there is no agitation involved, so it’s gentler on delicate items such as seafood. Steaming retains the food’s tenderness, shape, color and texture, as well as using little or no fat and preserving the vitamins which are usually lost through boiling or poaching
Roasting A technique that cooks foods by surrounding with dry air in a closed environment. The air captured in the oven is the cooking medium. Hot air circulates around the food, and as the outer layers become heated, the foods natural juices turn to steam …
Biryani A biryani is a layered casserole of rice, meat, vegetables and spices. It is cooked in the dum style, which seals in the steam and preserves the flavors and nutritional content of the dish. The dish is created by alternatively layering rice and meat …
Baghar
Baghar (also known as Tadka or Chounk) is the frying of spices either to start the cooking process or as a final flourish on a finished plate. The technique is essential to Indian cuisine, as many of the spices used have essential oils which need to be extracted to achieve full flavor. Whether conducted at the beginning of a recipe or the end, the process is the same. A small amount of oil is placed in a hot skillet. The whole spices are added and are sautéed until they begin to toast, or even pop open. This activates the essential oils in the spices and infuses the cooking oil with flavor. If this technique is used to finish a recipe, the hot oil and spices are then poured over the top of the dish to infuse the recipe with the flavors from the oils.
Skate According to a recent trend, ff monkfish—an unlovely creature whose veiny, purplish flesh turns off many shoppers—could find favor among chefs, you had to figure it was only a matter of time before skate, another “trash fish,†would be rediscovered. If anything, skate suffers …