Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Cook Like A Pro
Cook Like A Pro
250 techniques
1500 photographs
foreword by
THOMAS KELLER
Contents
TOOLS
1 5 6 8 16 18 19 23 25 27 29 32
Bakeware Bakeware Materials Baking Tools Cooks Tools Cookware Cookware Materials Cutlery & Accessories Knife Construction Electrics Grilling Tools Measuring Tools & Timers Pasta & Bread Equipment
TECHNIQUES
34 59 71 85 96 112 120 135 151 161 172 185 191 219 235 248 268 286 294 302
Baking & Pastry Basics Breads & Batters Cakes Cookies & Bars Cooking Basics Egg Cookery Fish Fruit Grains & Legumes Grilling Basics Herbs & Spices Knife Skills Meat Pasta Pies & Tarts Poultry Sauces Shellsh Stocks Vegetables
RECIPES
Citrus Curd Pastry Cream with avoring options Choux Pastry Chocolate Ganache Classic Puff Pastry Quick Puff Pastry BREADS & BATTERS
65 66 67 68 69 70
Pizza Dough Baking-Powder Biscuits Currant-Cream Scones with variations Buttermilk Pancakes with variations Classic Wafes with pancake or wafe toppings Sweet Crpes CAKES
80
Classic Omelet with a selection of llings Vegetable Frittata with avoring options Quiche Lorraine with variations FISH
Fish Steamed in Parchment Poached Salmon Deep-fried Fish Fillets GRAINS & LEGUMES
160
Fresh Egg Pasta Dough (food processor) with variations Fresh Egg Pasta Dough (by hand) Semolina Pasta Dough Potato Gnocchi
Sweet Tart Dough with avoring options Flaky Pie Dough (food processor) with variations Flaky Pie Dough (by hand) with fruit pie llings POULTRY
Buttermilk-fried Chicken Basic Roast Chicken with variations Classic Roast Turkey with avor embellishments SAUCES
All-Purpose Pan Sauce All-Purpose Pan Gravy Bechamel Sauce with avor embellishments Beurre Blanc with variations Hollandaise Sauce with variations Mayonnaise with avoring options Basic Vinaigrette with variations Basil Pesto with variations All-Purpose Tomato Sauce SHELLFISH
291
Vegetable Stock Fish Stock Fish Fumet Shellsh Stock Chicken Stock Brown Chicken Stock with variations Beef Stock Brown Beef Stock with variations VEGETABLES
Classic Mashed Potatoes with avoring options Steamed Vegetables with variations Sauted Vegetables with variations Roasted Vegetables with variations Braised Vegetables with variations
tools
A kitchen stocked with the basics a variety of carefully chosen pots and pans, a good selection of sharp knives, and durable bakewareis the starting point for great cooking and baking. Begin by purchasing the best-quality tools and equipment that you can afford, and youll be rewarded with evenly cooked meats and silky-smooth soups for years to come. In the next 50 pages, youll nd a comprehensive visual guide to basic cooking tools and equipment along with information on sizes, materials, and uses to help you outt your home kitchen.
BAK E WAR E
Bakeware When choosing bakeware, remember the old adage: You get
what you pay for. Poorly constructed pans and dishes made from inferior materials will warp or crack with use, resulting in poor heat conduction and unevenly baked foods. By contrast, good-quality bakeware that is cared for properly can last a lifetime.
Baking sheets
a RIMMED BAKING SHEETS
Made of aluminum or aluminum-coated steel, these durable pans are used for baking everything from pastries to roasts. Placed under small pans and baking dishes, rimmed baking sheets help retain and conduct heat and catch drips. Half-sheet pan (bottom) Half the size of commercial sheet pans, a half-sheet pan measures 18 by 13 inches (45 by 33 cm) with a 1-inch (2.5-cm) rim. Quarter-sheet pan (middle) Measuring 12 by 9 inches (30 by 23 cm) with a 1-inch (2.5-cm) rim, this pan is the smallest standard baking sheet.
Jelly-roll pan (top) This pan measures
15 by 10 inches (38 by 25 cm) and has a - or 1-inch (12-mm or 2.5-cm) rim. Traditionally, it is used to make jelly rolls, thin sponge cakes that are spread with jelly and then rolled up. It can also be used for baking small items.
b COOKIE SHEETS
Standard cookie sheet (bottom) A flat
metal pan, the cookie sheet is designed to allow maximum heat circulation around cookies and to make it easy to slide them onto a cooling rack. Most cookie sheets have a low, sloping rim on one or two
ends to provide stability. They generally measure 15 by 12 inches or 16 by 14 inches (38 by 30 cm or 40 by 35 cm). Those with nonstick surfaces work well and are easy to clean (see entry 5), but you can also prevent sticking by lining a cookie sheet with parchment (baking) paper or a silicone baking mat (see entry 4g). Avoid cookie sheets with dark surfaces, which can cause overheating. Insulated cookie sheet (top) Insulated cookie sheets are made of two layers of metal with a cushion of air between them. This design helps prevent scorching and promotes even browning.
aluminum pie pans are generally found in 9- to 10-inch (23- to 25-cm) diameters with sloping 1-inch (4-cm) sides. The pans are available in light and dark finishes, the latter producing more darkly browned crusts, as well as nonstick finishes (see entry 5). Double-crust fruit pies, as well as prebaked crusts for cream-filled pies, bake especially well in aluminum pans because the metal absorbs heat well, helping the pastry turn brown and crisp. Choose pans with wide rims for attractive fluted crusts. Deep dish (top) Perfect for abundantly filled top-crust-only fruit pies, cobblers, and savory pot pies, deep-dish pie pans look like regular pie pans but are 23 inches (57.5 cm) deep.
can hold up to twice as much filling as a conventional pie recipe, so they work best for deep-dish fruit pies and pot pies, as well as for crisps, cobblers, and crumbles. Ceramic and porcelain pie dishes conduct heat less effectively than metal, making them good choices for pies without bottom crusts since they will help prevent fillings from scorching. Glass (bottom) Made from heat-resistant Pyrex, glass pie dishes, also called pie plates, are a popular and attractive choice. The primary advantage of glass is that it lets you see how the crust is actually browning. However, because tempered glass does not conduct heat as well as metal, bottom crusts may take 10 to 15 minutes longer to bake.
typically 10 or 11 inches (25 or 28 cm) in diameter. Quiches can also be made in metal tart pans (see below).
d TART PANS
Metal tart pans have shallow, usually fluted sides and are available in regular or nonstick surfaces (see entry 5). Some tart pans are sold with stationary bottoms and can come in a variety of shapes such as squares and rectangles for making specialty tarts. However, the most versatile choice is a round tart pan 10 or 11 inches (25 or 28 cm) in diameter with a removable bottom, which makes it easier to unmold the tart.
e TARTLET PANS
Small metal pans are used to make individual tarts, cakes, and other sweet and savory baked goods. Like tart pans, these are available with both stationary and removable bottoms and regular and nonstick finishes. Youll find tartlet pans in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, both plain and fluted, deep and shallow.
c QUICHE DISH
Made from porcelain, this decorative, fluted, shallow baking dish is perfect for baking and serving quiche. You can also use it to bake a variety of savory custards or fruit- or custard-based desserts, with or without crusts. Quiche dishes are
b PIE DISHES
Ceramic (top) These dishes go from oven to table with style. Deeper and wider than standard 9-inch (23-cm) pie pans, with depths from 23 inches (57.5 cm), they
BAK E WARE
techniques
Learning basic cooking skills, such as wielding a knife, using a pastry bag, and identifying fresh herbs, is the rst step in becoming a good cook. In the following pages, you will nd over 250 such techniques, from carving a roast, to shucking clams and oysters, to whipping egg whites to form soft peaks. Weve also included a handful of staple recipes that are destined to become a core part of your cooking repertory. You will also nd this section is helpful when you encounter a confusing element in a cookbook and need a step-by-step guide to help accomplish the task.
39
TROUBLESHOOTING Overbeaten egg whites appear grainy and can separate. If you beat the egg whites to this stage, youll need to discard them and start again with fresh egg whites.
Tempering eggs
1 Combine the mixtures
Tempering eggs is common when making custards such as for pastry cream or ice cream. In a heatproof bowl, mix together eggs or yolks with cream or milk according to your recipe. Add a small amount of the hot mixture while whisking constantly.
40
43
3 Bring the spatula up one side
Turn the spatula horizontally, so it lies on the bottom of the bowl. Pull the spatula along the bottom of the bowl and up the side, keeping it flat against the side of the bowl.
TROUBLESHOOTING Its natural for the batter to deflate slightly during folding, but overly deflated batter will affect the texture of the baked item. Be sure to work quickly and stop folding when the mixtures are just combined.
## 52
RE CIP E
INGREDIENTS
2 3
Chocolate ganache
When freshly made, this smooth mixture of chocolate, cream, and butter is a thick, pourable sauce that makes a delicious accompaniment to cake slices. When cooled and set, ganache can be used as an icing for cakes and cookies.
1 Chop the chocolate
Grasp a serrated or chefs knife in one hand and position your other hand on the midpoint of the back of the blade. Cut off medium-sized pieces from the block of chocolate. Move your hand close to the front of the blade and rock the knife back and forth to cut the chocolate into even pieces. The smaller the pieces, the easier they will melt.
8 oz (250 g) semisweet (plain) or bittersweet chocolate 2 tablespoons unsalted butter cup (5 fl oz/160 ml) heavy (double) cream, plus more as needed to adjust the consistency 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
MAKES ABOUT 1 CUPS (12 FL OZ/375 ML)
91
92
102
2 Prepare the potato slices
While the oil is heating, peel, thinly slice, and soak russet potatoes (see entry 322 or 323). Spin them dry in a salad spinner and drain on a paper towellined baking sheet. Pat the tops with additional paper towels.
118
RE CIP E
INGREDIENTS
Vegetable frittata
A frittata is a mixture of eggs, cheese, and other ingredients cooked slowly in a frying pan until firm. It differs from an omelet, as the flavorings are blended with the beaten eggs instead of being used as a filling. Also, frittatas are typically cut into wedges for serving.
5 large eggs Fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 medium zucchini (courgettes), cut into -inch (12-mm) cubes
1 3
Leaves from 2 sprigs fresh basil, torn into small pieces, plus more for garnish, optional
MAKES 2 SERVINGS
E GG C OOK ERY
MORE FRITTATAS
Chicken sausage & sun-dried tomato frittata
Follow the recipe to make the Vegetable Frittata. In step 3, replace the zucchini with 12 lb (250 g) cooked chicken sausage, cut into 12-inch (12-mm) slices. Saut until warmed through, 12 minutes. Stir in 3 oilpacked sun-dried tomatoes, drained and cut into small pieces. Omit the ricotta cheese and basil. Proceed with the recipe.
Southwestern frittata
Follow the recipe to make the Vegetable Frittata. In step 3, replace the zucchini with 1 Yukon gold potato, peeled and cut into 12-inch (12-mm) cubes. Saut until the potatoes are tender and browned, about 8 minutes. In step 4, replace the ricotta and basil with 1 can (4 oz/125 g) diced green chiles, drained, and 1 cup (4 oz/125 g) shredded pepper jack cheese. Proceed with the recipe. Top with salsa and sour cream, if desired.
EGG C OOKE RY
Filleting a whole sh
1 Make a cut below the head
Separate the flesh from the head on one side: With the head pointing away from you, and using a fillet knife, make a diagonal cut halfway through the fish just below the gill.
121
2 Cut along the back
Starting at the head, run the knife along the back, cutting through the skin and into the flesh about 1 inch (2.5 cm) deep until you reach the tail and can see the backbone.
F IS H
122
Skinning a sh llet
1 Hold the skin securely
Position the tail end of a fillet near the edge of a cutting board. Use a fillet knife or other long, slim-bladed knife to cut vertically down to, but not through, the skin.
123
124
F I SH
Portioning sh llets
1 Note the llets angle
Look at the thick end of the fillet, which will probably be cut at an angle. Lay your knife against this cut edge and note the angle of the blade. Youll want to hold the knife at this same angle as you cut.
125
2 Cut the llet in half by weight
Estimate the halfway point of the fillet, bearing in mind the weight difference due to the tapering shape. Holding the knife at the same angle as the fillet end, cut the fillet into 2 pieces of about equal weight.
F IS H
246
Embellishing pies
1 Flute the edge
Hold your thumb and index finger about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart. Press them against the outer edge of the pastry while pressing your other thumb from the inside to make an indent. Repeat around the pastry edge.
P I E S & TA RTS
330
331
332
VEGETAB LE S
Butter
4 tbsp, cup, 2 oz 8 tbsp, cup, 4 oz 1 cup, 8 oz 2 cups, 16 oz (1 lb) 8 oz 1 cup milk plus 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, or 1 cup plain yogurt
7 8
Buttermilk
1 cup
Cheese
4 oz 5 oz 8 oz 4 tbsp grated 2 tbsp our or 1 tbsp arrowroot 4 cups sifted 1 cup less 2 tbsp all-purpose our (with 2 tbsp cornstarch added if possible) 1 tsp minced 1 tsp dried herbs 1 to 3 tbsp juice, 1 tsp zest 1 to 2 tbsp juice 8 oz 2 cups packed 1 cup granulated sugar combined with 2 tbsp light or dark molasses 1 cups chopped 1-inch piece vanilla bean, halved and scraped 2 tsp 1 cake (.06 oz) compressed yeast 1 cup plain yogurt
Tomatoes Vanilla
1 pkg
COOK LIKE A PRO Conceived and produced by Weldon Owen Inc. Copyright 2007 Weldon Owen Inc. and Williams-Sonoma, Inc.
This book has been previously published as Williams-Sonoma Tools & Techniques. All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. Color separations by Embassy Graphics Printed in China This edition rst printed in 2012 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available. Weldon Owen is a divsion of
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Weldon Owen wishes to thank the following people for their generous support in producing this book: Photographers Tucker + Hossler; Food Stylists Alison Attenborough, Kevin Crafts, Shelly Kaldunski, Jen Straus, and William Smith; Prop Stylists Marina Malchin, Leigh Ne and Nancy Micklin Thomas; Authors Melanie Barnard, Jay Harlow, Denis Kelly, Elinor Klivans, Deborah Madison, Rick Rodgers, Michele Scicolone, Marie Simmons, and Jan Weimer; Text Writer Norman Kolpas; Copyeditors Carrie Bradley, Sharon Silva and Sharron Wood; Proofreader Leslie Evans; Indexer Ken DellaPenta; Consultants Healther Belt and Brittany Williams; and Marisa Halvorson and her staff at the Williams-Sonoma store on Post Street in San Francisco.
ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS Noel Barnhurst: entries 53 (nished dish), 54 (nished dish), 65 (nished dish), 160 (nished dish), 240 (nished dish), 241 (nished dish); Bill Bettencourt: entries 34, 35 (step 2), 41, 43, 4649, 51, 52, 55, 57, 58, 71, 7484, 97, 100105, 108110, 120124, 126, 128134, 151, 152, 178, 180, 205, 223 (nished dish), 226 (step 4), 235, 237, 239, 252, 287293, 294 (nished dish), 296 (nished dish), 299 (nished dish), 300 (nished dish), 302, 303, 306, 308, 310, 312, 315, 316, 318, 321, 327, 328, 338341; Ben Dearnley: entry 70 (nished dish); Dan Goldberg: entry 80 (nished dish); Laurie Frankel: entry 69 (nished dish); Jeff Kauck: entries 96, 98, 193, 219225, 226 (steps 13), 227234, 277, 284 (nished dish), 286, 294, 295, 297, 298, 300, 301, 304, 314; David Matheson: Tools section opener, Techniques section opener; Mark Thomas: entries 35 (step 1), 3840, 42, 45 (nished dish), 50, 56, 73, 106, 107, 135137, 141, 145147, 170, 177, 194, 195, 198, 199204, 207, 214, 251, 254, 255, 258, 260266, 270276, 277 (nished dish), 278282, 283 (nished dish), 284, 285, 296, 299, 305, 309, 311, 320
A NOTE ON WEIGHTS AND MEASUREMENTS All recipes include customary U.S. and metric measurements. Metric conversions are based on a standard developed for this book and have been rounded off. Actual weights may vary.