Television cooking shows, difficult dishes
Discussion
Mrs DG. is an avid sofa chef, watching all the various cooking programmes on offer, unfortunately this enthusiasm, has never been transferred to the kitchen, her cooking is dire, but that’s not the point of this post.
While watching these programmes, there is one recurring theme, difficult things to cook, dishes that are the measure of a good chef, how true is this? What other dishes separate the real cooks from the charlatans?
The two dishes usually cited; are risotto and crème brûlée, how hard are they to get right. Risotto seems to be down to the broth and cooking method, crème brûlée the wobble and crispy top, how hard can it be?
I like rice, enjoy a good paella, risotto just doesn’t appeal, maybe because I’ve never had a good one, crème brûlée on the other hand I really do like.
Is it all telly nonsense, or are they very difficult to get right.
While watching these programmes, there is one recurring theme, difficult things to cook, dishes that are the measure of a good chef, how true is this? What other dishes separate the real cooks from the charlatans?
The two dishes usually cited; are risotto and crème brûlée, how hard are they to get right. Risotto seems to be down to the broth and cooking method, crème brûlée the wobble and crispy top, how hard can it be?
I like rice, enjoy a good paella, risotto just doesn’t appeal, maybe because I’ve never had a good one, crème brûlée on the other hand I really do like.
Is it all telly nonsense, or are they very difficult to get right.
Like a lot of dishes, if you use ingredients that are reasonable quality, you will get good results. I’ve made risotto and orzotto several times and been very pleased with the results. Can’t really comment on crème brûlée because I’ve never tried it!
The risotto/orzotto was easy enough to make, the only thing to remember is that the stock needs to be added in portions and allowed to absorb before adding more and you will need more stock than you think.
The risotto/orzotto was easy enough to make, the only thing to remember is that the stock needs to be added in portions and allowed to absorb before adding more and you will need more stock than you think.
Somethings have a real knack to get right and you need the experience and teaching to know the tips and tricks to get there.
As mentioned above better ingredients can really improve any cooking.
Lots of half decent home cooks (myself included to a degree) just plod along with a recipe without learning the technique and skill behind it. Most home cooks overcook chicken from fear of it still being pink and it ends up tough and chewy.
Trick I found with rissotto is you cant really take your eye off it, the other thing is to take it slow, laddle of stock at a time, low heat, let it fully absorb. Go too quick it absorbs but doesnt cook the rice properly.
I love cooking and would really like to elevate my skills further with some proper training.
As mentioned above better ingredients can really improve any cooking.
Lots of half decent home cooks (myself included to a degree) just plod along with a recipe without learning the technique and skill behind it. Most home cooks overcook chicken from fear of it still being pink and it ends up tough and chewy.
Trick I found with rissotto is you cant really take your eye off it, the other thing is to take it slow, laddle of stock at a time, low heat, let it fully absorb. Go too quick it absorbs but doesnt cook the rice properly.
I love cooking and would really like to elevate my skills further with some proper training.
Scabutz said:
I love cooking and would really like to elevate my skills further with some proper training.
Years ago I did a great bistro cooking course with Richard Bertinet, we did a really brilliant (but slightly different) dauphinoise, an excellent mushrooms on toast which is an ideal light lunch dish and mussels which was good to learn. Definitely recommend doing something like it. 
I think there is a widening gulf between home and restaurant cooking and the competetive shows tend to follow the trends of the professional kitchen. There's also a distinction between cooking and baking. The French would consider risotto to be cooking and brûlée to be patisserie and a restaurant might have different professionals in charge.
Unless cooking is your hobby then trying to mimic the modern methods of professional chef is a fools errand. Most of us are trying to make the best use of ingredients and feed ourselves and families.
There is no substitute for experience/practice - a simple sauce made by deglazing with wine and adding stock was quite challenging for me 30 years ago. Lots of swearing and variable results. Now it's second nature. So much so that I'd have difficulty explaining how I do it to someone else, although I'll taste and correct a little, it's rarely needed and adding butter to a sauce always results in enrichment and shine rather than splitting and tears. It's not as if I'm particularly careful I'm just repeating what works for me.
These are my biggest tips Make your own stock. 1kg chicken wings roast until beginning to brown. Add stock veg. Brown a bit more. Add it all to stock pot with bouquet garni and a few peppercorns. Deglaze roasting pan with water and add to stock pot. Let it barely bubble for as long as you can. Strain. I use this basic stock for everything and often reduce by half before freezing. If I have game bird carcases or good meat bones I'll use the chicken stock as the basis for a secondary stock (again roasting first to enhance flavour and colour). My freezer becomes a bit of a stock library. Don't be afraid of butter, double cream and salt. Resting meat is not only essential for flavour/texture but also frees up time for sauce making and faffing with veg. Resting birds is just as important as resting meat.
The chicken stock is the basis of a good risotto as there is no added salt and you can control the seasoning at the end with parmesan and/or addition of salt. The other secret to risotto is making a generous negroni whilst the onions are softening which gives you something to enjoy during up to an hour of stirring and ladling.
Unless cooking is your hobby then trying to mimic the modern methods of professional chef is a fools errand. Most of us are trying to make the best use of ingredients and feed ourselves and families.
There is no substitute for experience/practice - a simple sauce made by deglazing with wine and adding stock was quite challenging for me 30 years ago. Lots of swearing and variable results. Now it's second nature. So much so that I'd have difficulty explaining how I do it to someone else, although I'll taste and correct a little, it's rarely needed and adding butter to a sauce always results in enrichment and shine rather than splitting and tears. It's not as if I'm particularly careful I'm just repeating what works for me.
These are my biggest tips Make your own stock. 1kg chicken wings roast until beginning to brown. Add stock veg. Brown a bit more. Add it all to stock pot with bouquet garni and a few peppercorns. Deglaze roasting pan with water and add to stock pot. Let it barely bubble for as long as you can. Strain. I use this basic stock for everything and often reduce by half before freezing. If I have game bird carcases or good meat bones I'll use the chicken stock as the basis for a secondary stock (again roasting first to enhance flavour and colour). My freezer becomes a bit of a stock library. Don't be afraid of butter, double cream and salt. Resting meat is not only essential for flavour/texture but also frees up time for sauce making and faffing with veg. Resting birds is just as important as resting meat.
The chicken stock is the basis of a good risotto as there is no added salt and you can control the seasoning at the end with parmesan and/or addition of salt. The other secret to risotto is making a generous negroni whilst the onions are softening which gives you something to enjoy during up to an hour of stirring and ladling.
miniman said:
Sporky said:
I thought risotto was easy - as said, add just a ladlefull of stock at a time, and don't stop stirring.
Exactly what I do but it never comes out like restaurant risotto. oddman said:
These are my biggest tips Make your own stock. 1kg chicken wings roast until beginning to brown. Add stock veg. Brown a bit more. Add it all to stock pot with bouquet garni and a few peppercorns. Deglaze roasting pan with water and add to stock pot. Let it barely bubble for as long as you can. Strain. I use this basic stock for everything and often reduce by half before freezing.#
.
Yea home made stock is far superior. I buy whole chickens, joint them, keep the thighs and breasts for meals, roast the carcasses to make a brown stock and then do the rest. Like to make a big batch and free small portions for sauces then use a litre or so to make soup for the week in winter..
The other thing about risotto is that, like statistics, there are lies, damn lies and cooking instructions a packet of risotto rice. These should be ignored.
It takes much longer than you expect. Softening onions - can't really be rushed 15 minutes at least. The rice takes ages and always uses more stock than expected.
I think the reason risotto is considered 'difficult' is that there aren't any short cuts a restaurant can take without affecting quality so you'll be waiting at least 45 minutes if they are cooking it from scratch. You can only really test for doneness by trying it. It's actually pretty straightforward but takes lots of patience and attention.
It takes much longer than you expect. Softening onions - can't really be rushed 15 minutes at least. The rice takes ages and always uses more stock than expected.
I think the reason risotto is considered 'difficult' is that there aren't any short cuts a restaurant can take without affecting quality so you'll be waiting at least 45 minutes if they are cooking it from scratch. You can only really test for doneness by trying it. It's actually pretty straightforward but takes lots of patience and attention.
The reason a home risotto doesn't taste like a restaurant one is mainly down to the generosity of ingredients in a professional kitchen. Salt, butter, cream and added in quantities many would shudder at. Then you consider seasoning which a professional will use to amplify flavours to a level way beyond that normally reaches at home due to lack of experience and fear of ruining things.
Then you have to consider the cooking methods used. Chefs don't stand there for half an hour religiously stirring a pot. This again affects the final flavour.
For a risotto you could be variety of rices of varying qualities. A chef may aged carnaroli (or they could be using the cheapest bulk arborio). Both will affect the flavour.
Finally, all the other elements such as the plating, the ambience, anticipation, preconceptions and service etc etc will all change your perception and enjoyment of the dish.
On the subject of difficult dishes as a whole. Whatever you see on telly or think, just remember, a restaurant needs to bang out your challenging dish in minutes time after time without fail, often with supporting dishes, starters, desserts etc out out by less experienced junior staff. The really skilled staff tend to be those developing the dishes as the final cooking process has to be simple and foolproof.
Then you have to consider the cooking methods used. Chefs don't stand there for half an hour religiously stirring a pot. This again affects the final flavour.
For a risotto you could be variety of rices of varying qualities. A chef may aged carnaroli (or they could be using the cheapest bulk arborio). Both will affect the flavour.
Finally, all the other elements such as the plating, the ambience, anticipation, preconceptions and service etc etc will all change your perception and enjoyment of the dish.
On the subject of difficult dishes as a whole. Whatever you see on telly or think, just remember, a restaurant needs to bang out your challenging dish in minutes time after time without fail, often with supporting dishes, starters, desserts etc out out by less experienced junior staff. The really skilled staff tend to be those developing the dishes as the final cooking process has to be simple and foolproof.
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