Chef's Notes: Blanche Vaughan
Cooks get a grilling in 'Chef's Notes', a new series by House & Garden. This month, our very own food editor Blanche Vaughan gives her most important tips for culinary success
Taste, taste, taste.
One of the greatest skills of cooking is getting the seasoning right - both for sweet and savoury dishes. Add salt at the beginning of cooking to draw out flavour, you'll end up using less overall. Taste at the early stages rather than just at the end, and adjust right up until the food is sent to the table.
Water is one of the most important ingredients.
Hold back some cooking water. I always keep a cup of the pasta cooking water to add to the sauce to make it silky and luscious. Also keep vegetable cooking water and use it as stock for soups or to splash into your gravy.
Prepare.
Mise en place (to put in place) is important. Getting all your ingredients measured and prepared is a tenet of well-trained chefs. It makes cooking much more fluid and you don't have to stop a recipe half way through when you realise you've run out of the essential component.
Buy less, spend more.
I don't have cupboards overflowing with equipment, but what I do have is of great quality and gives me pleasure to use. A very sharp knife; a heavy bottomed pot and a sturdy frying pan are a good start in any kitchen and if you buy well, you will have them all your life. Choose quality over quantity and delight in using what you own.
Get the base right.
Cook bases (that's usually diced carrot, onion and celery - also called a sofrito) for stews and soups longer than you think you need to: that's where most of the flavour comes from. Likewise, take care to really brown meat pieces before you add liquid. This looks more appetising and adds great flavour to the dish too.
Use a timer.
...especially if you're doing more than one task at once, and always when you're cooking pine nuts or boiled eggs! Remember when you're following the timings given in recipes that oven temperatures do vary and cooking times are never set in stone, so be adaptable. When baking a cake, I often set my timer 5-10 minutes early so I can check it and catch it before it overcooks.
Always rest cooked meat.
It makes a huge difference to the texture if you can let the juices redistribute before you start to carve it up. Ideally 10-20 minutes (depending on the size of the joint) in a warm place or wrapped in foil. Not only will this improve the meat, it also gives you time to make a sauce and finish off any last minute side dishes.
Enjoy the shopping.
Shopping is a necessity and can become a task rather than a pleasure. Allow yourself the time occasionally to go to a butcher, fishmonger or greengrocer - or even a farmer's market. Take a moment to enjoy the displays, talk to shopkeepers or stall holders and allow them to inspire you. You can learn lots and it feels like a joy, not a chore.
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