Cooking Tips

Garlic

To make it easier to digest, leave to soak in a bowl of cold water. Do not forget to take out the germ.

Aubergine/Eggplant

To avoid soaking up too much oil when frying, roll in flour beforehand.

Broccoli

Do not dispose of the broccoli stalks. Cut into cubes, they bring flavour to homemade soup. Cut into thin slices, they can be added to a mixture of fried vegetables.

Caramel

To make perfect caramel, stop it crystallizing ! The secret is to add a few drops of lemon juice to the sugar/water mixture. It’s as simple as that !

How to remember the proportions for making choux pastry

In order to remember the proportions for making choux pastry, think of 4 numbers : 1, 4, 8 and 16.
This means that for 1 litre (0.95 qt.) of water, you need 400 g (0.89 lb) butter, 800 g (1.78 lb) plain flour and 16 eggs.
Wait before adding the eggs, as the egg whites will coagulate at 55°C / 130°F and the yolks at 68°C / 155°F.
Do not open the oven door during cooking, or take out the choux too early, as they will not rise. The uncooked choux pastry should be used quickly and will not keep.
To dry out the choux, leave them to cool in the oven once cooked, and they will keep in an airtight box. Once filled, the choux will become soft again.

Baking a cake

To avoid burning the bottom of the cake, sprinkle some coarse salt on the baking tray upon which you place your dish : the salt works as an insulator ….. Or use an Emile Henry Pâtisserie dish : the clay diffusees the heat slower than aluminium or glass moulds, so your cakes will not burn and will be cooked perfectly.

Cooking a terrine

To achieve a perfect terrine, it should be cooked inthe oven for a long time, in a bain-marie. Just make sure that the water is simmering while cooking.

Flour

Sieve flour before use, it will make your cakes lighter . If you do not have a sieve, put it in the mixer for a few seconds.

Flambée

Do not flambée in a non-stick frying pan – the surface is too fragile and will not resist.

Kugelhopf

This crown shaped brioche with raisins comes from Alsace in France, and is best served slightly stale. Prepare it the day before.

To avoid milk boiling over !

An old wives’ tale ! Milk will not boil over if you place a small stone or a little spoon in the saucepan !

Madeira

If you do not have enough Madeira for your recipe, cook a dried prune with a small spoon of sugar with a glass of wine. You will obtain a mixture which can be used instead.

Different Mayonnaise

To give some flavour to your salades and crudités, there is nothing like mayonnaise, which can be varied according to the moment :
- Indian : Add 1 or 2 teaspoons of curry. Delicious with celery and shellfish such as mussels.
- American : Add 2 tablespoons of tomato ketchup, 1 tablespoon of cognac and 2 or 3 drops of Tabasco sauce. Perfect with crad or prawns.
- Exotic : Add some flavour with the juice of on elime and a dash of rum, which go perfectly with shellfish or avocado.
- Provençal : Use olive oil to make your mayonnaise, and add a little crushed garlic. Ideal to accompany warm steamed vegetables.
- Dijonnaise : Add a little more mustard than usual, then add 10 cl (7 tblsp) of whipped cream. Wonderful with crudités.

No need to place the bowl on a wet towel to avoid the bowl slippping. Emile Henry salad bowls are heavy enough and have a large enough bottom to give enough stability.

Ramekin

The ramekin was originally a hot starter made from cheese cooked on a small tart or in a dish. Today, the term describes a small, round recipient, used either for cooking hot starters or as a mould for aspic.

A perfect soufflé

Once the soufflé mixture has been poured into the Emile Henry dish, clean the inside with some kitchen paper. Your soufflé will rise evenly if it has no obstacles on the inside of the dish.

Over salted Soup ?

Warm it up with a potato cut in half, which will absorb the salt.

Tomato

How to peel tomatoes easily ?
If the tomato is not too soft, it can be peeled simply by pulling the skin with a small knife.
If not, plunge the tomato in hot water, followed by cold water.

How to conserve tomatoes ?

Although the refrigerator will keep tomatoes fresh for longer, they will lose their taste. However, at room temperature, the stalk pointing upwards, your tomatoes will have more flavour.
You can keep your tomatoes juice and coulis in the refrigerator without any problem.

How to replace tomato purée ?

If you have some coulis, leave it to reduce over a small flame.
For a quick solution, mix tomato ketchup and vinegar.

Poultry

- The chicken is a young animal, 4 months old maximum, male or female.
- The cockeral is a large chick, 1 ½ months maximum.
- The capon, castrated while young, is fed cereal to help fatten it up. It is fairly expensive, and should be ordered in advance, as it cannot be commonly found. It’s weight varies between 3 and 3 ½ kg (6 to 7 lb), and comes with head and feet.
- The fattened chicken is smaller (2 kg – 4 lb), and is a female chicken which has had its ovaries taken out. It is a luxurious chicken, which should be cooked carefully, and which merits to be served with truffles.
- The cock can weigh up to 5 kg (10 lb) when it is 18 months old. It is not best roasted, and should be cut into pieces.
- The guinea fowl, smaller than the chicken, has an attractive, brown skin, which has a slightly bitter taste which comes from the ancestral african savanna.
- The duck has less meat than the chicken for the same weight. The carcass is heavier, the skin thicker and there is too much fat on older animals. Before 2 months old, it is best roasted.