Author: Kimberley

11 Apr

Stir-frying is an indispensible cooking technique because nearly any ingredient can be stir-fried. Once learned, stir-frying will provide you with the flexibility to build any dish to suit your tastes whether you’re craving black bean flavors, sweet and sour, ginger and garlic or flavors such as lemongrass and chilies. With stir-frying, you can take any ingredient and transform it into a delicious meal, whether you are using chicken, beef, pork, prawns, scallops or noodles. And because stir-fries highlight the use of vegetables, very little (if any) meat needs to be incorporated into a dish, so it is a great cooking method that caters to all menus.

In this Rouxbe Cooking School lesson on How to Stir-Fry, you will learn about the five main components of a stir-fry and how to properly prepare these ingredients prior to cooking. You will learn about a technique known as velveting, as well as many other valuable tips for successful stir-frying so you can avoid those soggy and disappointing dishes. Finally, you will learn a very common sequence used to properly and quickly stir-fry a dish over very high heat.

Stir-frying is all about preparation, timing and handling high heat effectively. Since all of the prep is done ahead of time, the actual cooking takes only a matter of minutes. With just a few ingredients, you will soon be able to build a variety of nutritious and flavorful dishes in a flash.

Happy Stir-Frying!

The Rouxbe Cooking School Team

Filed Under: Cooking School, Cooking Tips, Featured, Miscellaneous, New Recipes, Video

21 Mar

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Introduction to Stir-Frying | Rouxbe Cooking School Lesson

by Kimberley

Stir-frying is an ancient dry-heat cooking method whereby small pieces of food are quickly cooked in a wok over extremely high heat. Stir-frying is a true art form because it forces the cook to demonstrate a number of other cooking skills in order to properly execute the stir-frying technique.

A stir-fry is the ultimate one-pan dish and literally any combination of ingredients can be used to create a stir-fry. Whether chicken, shell-fish, pork, beef or simply vegetables are used, with the stir-frying technique, you can prepare highly-flavorful meals in a matter of minutes.

In this Rouxbe Cooking School lesson on the Introduction to Stir-Frying, you will learn about the importance of high heat and the many advantages of this extremely versatile cooking method. You will learn about the basic equipment required for stir-frying and how to choose a wok or pan that works best for your heat source. You will also learn how to season a carbon-steel wok and how to care for it during its long life time.

Stir-frying is an indispensible technique in any serious cook’s repertoire but before you run, you need to learn how to walk (no pun intended). This lesson will show you the steps on how to get there and properly set yourself up. So get out and there and buy yourself a flat-bottomed or round-bottomed wok (if you don’t already have one) and be sure to season it because the next lesson, which is just around the corner, is going to teach you how to easily create an endless number of THE most delicious stir-fries! Here is a sneak peak (sorry only the picture for now…you will have to wait for the recipe) of one of the many, and we do mean MANY, stir-fry recipes you can look forward to.

(Kung Pao Chicken Stir-Fry)

Happy Cooking!

The Rouxbe Cooking School Team

Filed Under: Cooking School, Video

14 Dec

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How to Make Crêpes | Rouxbe Cooking School Lesson

by Kimberley

This new lesson, which has been requested by many of you, is a lesson on crêpes. While we normally don’t take requests (not because we don’t want to, it’s just that we are focused on a particular culinary path), this time we made an exception. What can we say…it’s the holidays and we are feeling all warm and fuzzy :-)

Crêpes are thin, unleavened pancakes that are made from a very basic and pourable batter. They can be filled with an endless array of sweet or savory fillings, which makes them an extremely versatile menu item. Crêpes are quick to prepare and can be served at any time of the day. They can be served as a delicious breakfast or brunch, as an afternoon treat, or as a fancy appetizer or main course. Crêpes also make for show-stopping desserts.

In this Rouxbe Cooking School lesson on How to Make Crêpes, you will learn about the basic equipment required for making crêpes and how to prepare, flavor and tweak a basic batter in order to create ultra-thin crêpes. You will learn the key steps for properly cooking crêpes and a variety of ways in which to fill, shape and serve them. Finally, you will learn how to make and store crêpes in advance so you can have quick and easy access to them.

A properly-made crêpe is well-received and much appreciated. From very simple to quite elegant, crêpes can make an appearance on your table just by following just a few basic steps.

You may also be interested to know that crêpe, is pronounced “krepp” in French, and since that is where the crêpe originated that is how we have pronounced it as well. If you try to order a “kraype” in France they may wonder what it is you are talking about. Regardless of how they are pronounced, crêpes are magical. And since the holidays are upon us, we thought this was the perfect time to share this lesson with you, so you can make delicious crêpes for your family and friends. We also thought you might just want to put a crêpe pan on your wish list. ;-)

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and most of all Happy Cooking!

The Rouxbe Cooking School Team

Filed Under: Cooking School, Video

Tags: crepes, pancakes, pastry

26 Oct

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How to Shallow Fry & Deep Fry | Rouxbe Cooking School Lesson

by Kimberley

Frying is a dry heat cooking method in which foods are cooked in hot fat. It is a very versatile cooking technique since almost any type of food can be fried. When properly cooked, fried foods are appreciated for having a wonderfully crunchy crust on the outside, while still being moist and tender on the inside. Frying, however, has a bad reputation of being a very greasy and unhealthy cooking method and this is true, if it is done improperly.

In this Rouxbe Cooking School lesson on How to Shallow Fry and Deep Fry, you will learn how to minimize the negative aspects of fried food by understanding what happens to food during frying. You will learn how to choose the proper fat for frying and the proper cooking temperatures required to produce results with least amount of fat absorption. You will also learn the difference between shallow frying and deep frying and what types of foods are better suited for each technique. Finally, you will learn how to properly handle and finish fried foods prior to serving them.

Fried foods, when cooked properly, can definitely be enjoyed from time to time and still be part of a balanced diet. As Michael Pollan says, “Eat all the junk food you want as long as you cook it yourself.”

Happy Cooking!

The Rouxbe Cooking School Team

Filed Under: Cooking School, Video

Tags: deep fry, fried food, shallow fry

15 Sep

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How to Bread & Batter Foods | Rouxbe Cooking School Lesson

by Kimberley

Breaded and battered foods are appreciated for their crispy exterior and tender, moist interior. The dishes we enjoy so much such as chicken parmigiana, beer-battered fish, veal Milanese, polenta cakes and apple beignets all rely on a breading or batter to achieve the perfect texture and flavor.

In this Rouxbe Cooking School lesson on How to Bread & Batter Foods, you will learn the reasons why many foods are breaded or battered prior to being cooked. You will learn about the basic breading components and how to set up a standard breading station. You will also learn about basic batter components and how they affect the final batter. Finally, you will learn how to bread and batter foods prior to cooking them.

Properly breading and battering foods before cooking is as important as properly cooking them. By taking care with each of these steps, you will achieve the crunchiest and tastiest results. Alongside a balanced diet, fried foods can be a delicious and tasty treat that can be enjoyed every once in a while.

Happy Cooking!

The Rouxbe Cooking School Team

Filed Under: Cooking School, Video

Tags: batters, bread and batter, breadings, fried food