ALL ABOUT HERBS

Today we are witnessing a revival of interest in the use of herbs for cooking and in natural medicines. Herbs are especially full of natural active compounds which are used in the body in various subtle and not so subtle ways. The following paragraphs detail some of the properties and non culinary uses of the active compounds contained within herbs. You can find information on individual herbs and spices (by clicking on each picture below). Active...

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MARINATING

To marinate means to soak a food product in a seasoned liquid in order to flavour and tenderise the product. The tenderising effect of the acids in the marinade is relatively small, but it is essential to match the proper cut of meat with the proper cooking techniques for greatest tenderness. Marinades have three categories of ingredients: Oil Oil helps preserve the meat's moisture. Sometimes it is omitted, especially for long...

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INTRODUCTION TO EQUIPMENT

Chef's Uniform Hat/Jacket/Pants/Apron/Proper shoes/Side towels. Knives Pairing Knife; for small work and cleaning of products  Cook's Knife; for medium heavy work e.g., dicing and slicing of vegetables, cleaning of fish, trimming of meats. Chef's knife; for heavy duty work eg., chopping of root vegetables, cutting large blocks of cheese, slicing large pieces of meat. Small Tools Vegetables peeleer; cleaning carrots, potatoes, celery,...

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COOKING BASICS

Mise-en-Place This is a French term meaning "everything in its place" and refers to proper efficient preparation for any task. Before beginning production of any recipe, the recipe should be read in its entirety. Then, the associate workstation should be set-up, as described below, as well as retrieving, at one time, most of the ingredients necessary to complete the recipe. This must be done prudently, of course,...

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WHAT IS A PROFESSIONAL COOK

WHAT IS A PROFESSIONAL COOK?    The professional cook is a person who is trained and skilled in the culinary techniques of the kitchen and in the use of the tools of the kitchen. The cook's business is food. This person has the capacity to work and be productive in any one of the hotel's kitchens with a minimal amount of training and direction. The professional  cook knows the basics of the butcher shop, the garde manager, the hot...

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FISH BASIC PREPARATION,CUTS AND PORTION

Basic Preparations Scalin Removing the scales from whole fish. It's very difficult to scale fish once filleted. Some fish such as John Dory and Mackerel don't have scales. Gutting Removing the guts from whole fish. Best removed as soon as possible, as when left, the guts breed bacteria which damages the flesh. Cuts and Portions As a very rough guide, you get approximately 50% meat (yield) from a whole fish. however,...

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MOLLUSCS

Bi-Valves have two shells, uni-valves one shell. All live bi-valves should close up when tapped. Discard any that don't, and any with broken shells. Mussels Rope grown mussels are cultivated on suspended ropes, which ensures they don't touch the seabed and pick up grit and barnacles. Their Bluish-black shells are thinner as they are grown in sheltered water so the shells don't need to endure stormy seas. The meats content is higher as...

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CEPHALOPODS

Squid The best loved cephalopod; Squid has a firm texture, and strong flavour. Also known as Calamari,Squid range in size from 100g to 1kg. Cleaning and preparing Squid: Pull the body from tentacles. Cut the head from the tentacles just below the eyes and discard (though you may want to save the ink sack* if you can find it - invariably they will have 'shot' it on capture). Squeeze out the 'beak' from the centre of the tentacles. Remove the quil...

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CRUSTACEANS

Lobsters You can't beat the wow factor when serving a whole cooked lobster to the customer's table. Native Lobsters are from coastal water around the UK and are often considered the best, but are usually all sold locally or exported. Canadian and American Lobsters are caught off the East Coast of Canadian and American and down as far as Maine, and provide a readily available year round alternative. There is much debate as to the most humane method...

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