·
Plan your meals (for the week) and know which
ingredients you have and what you need to buy. One rotisserie chicken may be the
main ingredient for two, or even three meals for the week. (example: plain
chicken, chicken Caesar salad, chicken noodle soup)
·
Mise en place!
Put in place. Do the prep work before starting to cook. Chop veggies, measure ingredients and
separate into small portion cups, get your spices and aromatics in front of
you, etc. This may be the single most
important thing for consistently good cooking.
·
Have and use the right utensils. From measuring to chopping. Have sharp knives and treat them right.
Select the pans, pots and bowl you will need.
Have more than one stirring spoon, tongs, spatula, ladle, whisk, spider,
strainer, etc. in a drawer and by the stove.
·
Keep a bowl of kosher salt and fresh ground
pepper by the stove top
·
Keep EVOO by the stove, but not close enough to
be heated
·
Bowl of disinfectant water and bar towel (one
gallon water to one TBL of bleach OR 2 TBL white vinegar…not both). Wipe things down as you go. Keep a wet, disinfected towel with you all
the time. Clean as you go, as much as possible.
·
Read the entire recipe or (if you are cooking by
one) before you start. If you are not using a recipe, think through the steps
you will need to follow.
·
Have hot pads and cutting boards (for chopping
or setting extremely hot pans on) handy.
·
Tasting spoons close at hand
·
Select and have ready the serving/plating dishes
you intend to use
·
If you are going to use a mirepoix (pronunciation: meer-PWAH) which
is the aromatic flavor base made
by lightly cooking onions, celery, and carrots…begin with the onions. If you are using garlic, add it last
and for only a few seconds.
·
Use
seasonings (dried/ground season) early, aromatics (fresh herbs) late.
There are always reasons for exceptions. However, if
you have these steps down, then the exceptions will be for a purpose, not from
oversight or neglect. You won’t get to the end of a cook and say; “Oh CRAP…I
forgot the….”
Stress Free Cooking: The Gatekeeper
2 comments:
Exactly how I do it with two exceptions. I don’t plan for the whole week because there is another cook in the kitchen. I’ve never heard of mirepoix but do use all three frequently. One of the most satisfying steps is cleaning as you go.I hate sitting down to a beautiful meal with a pile of dishes on the counter and in the sink. How about a lesson on how to store and what to do with leftovers.
Your exceptions are totally reasonable. Mirepoix is French, obviously, and is the "chef's" term for that very common base for so many dishes. For mirepoix, you don't sauté them...no color, just cook to soften.
Leftovers: I'm pretty ignorant there, but it is something to research.
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