Culinary Excellence

RIGHT your WRONGS

By Chef Matthew Stocker

Any chef will tell you; cooking is easy. Anyone can cook a perfect steak, a fluffy souffle, or a moist cake. However, whenever a friend asks me why their recipe didn’t turn out well, it’s almost guaranteed they deviated from the directions or changed ingredients expecting the same outcome. So let us save you from recipe confusion and give you more confidence in the kitchen by clearing up common cooking mistakes.

READ THE RECIPE AND HAVE THE INGREDIENTS READY TO GO.

The first step to cooking anything is to understand what you are doing. When you have a new recipe, read it over twice. Is there a direction that is confusing? Is there a technique you haven’t heard of before? Maybe you are making risotto as a side dish but didn’t realize it requires 20 minutes of continuous stirring. Or perhaps you didn’t even know you needed to boil your homemade French fries before frying them and don’t have the oven space for it. Treat dinner like a hike; you wouldn’t go in unprepared, would you?

The second part of a successful dish is having all your ingredients measured and ready to go. The common French saying, Mise en place, roughly translates to “everything in place.” It is a common saying in all professional kitchens. You want your cooking to be quick, clean, and precise. For example, when making a stir fry, you shouldn’t cut the carrots; add them into a pan to go into the fridge to pull out the next set of vegetables to cut. Make sure all your vegetables, meat, and other ingredients are cut. Next, measure out your soy sauce and other liquid. Have them lined up and impress your family as you seamlessly put the dish together.

LEARN TO SEASON YOUR FOOD

Simply put, you should be seasoning and tasting at every step of a recipe. We have all been in the disappointing position of making a 3-hour meal and sitting down to taste an underseasoned short rib or soup. Not everything under seasoned tastes bad, but the idea that it could taste so much better should inspire you. If you make a cheeseburger with onions and mushrooms, ask yourself- did you properly salt the ground beef enough? When you sautéed the mushrooms and onions, did you season those? If you did, did you taste them to make sure there was enough seasoning?

There’s also the American misconception that all seasoning must include salt. Admittedly, the USA lives in its own atmosphere of isolated flavors. In the east, their foods are enhanced with fermented sauces and ingredients (Think soy sauce, fish sauce, sauerkraut, and kimchi), while we only stick to salt and pepper. In India, you will find curries incorporating 20 ingredients, bursting with flavor. I’d recommend experimenting with the cuisines of other nations to get a perspective on what flavor intensity and seasoning can be!

HEAT YOUR PANS CORRECTLY, AND NOT OVERCROWDING THE PAN.

For this tip, we must understand one quick process. When you cook meat in a pan, that meat releases water. The water then boils in the pan, creating steam. With this knowledge, we can avoid the common problem of having a bad sear on meat. The first step to a good sear is a very hot pan. Put your pan on a burner, turn the heat all the way up, and wait until the pan is visibly smoking. Next, Pat any moisture off your meat with a paper towel, pour a little oil in the pan and set your seasoned meat in. You will hear the gratifying sizzle. Now, say you have a family of five and are making New York strips for dinner, pan seared. You don’t want to fill the pan up as much as possible because as you place the steaks in the pan, the released water will bring down the pan temperature and start to boil the underside of the meat as the water steams. Instead, plan on making the steaks in separate pans or repeating the process in one pan over time.

SHARPEN YOUR KNIVES!

A sharp knife is a safe knife. The most common scenario in which people cut themselves is expecting a dull knife to go straight down, and it veers off course and slices into their hands. You will notice your confidence and speed of knife work increase when you have a tool following your commands. To sharpen a knife, you have two main options. The quickest and easiest option is a handheld sharpener. These can be found at most large stores like Walmart and Target. These sharpeners work by you holding the contraption and quickly swiping your blade between two metal grooves. The only downside to handheld sharpeners is that they physically remove the metal off your knife- and you’ll see the metal scraps. Over the years, there will be a noticeable reduction in the size of the blade. My most preferred method is buying a set of whetstones. Whetstones are blocks with different grains you push your knife against to sharpen them. Going this route does require technique, though there are many resources online to learn how to properly use a whetstone.

Along with sharpening your knife, you should hone a knife after every use. A honing steel is that long metal stick you often see chefs rubbing their knives up and down with lightning speed. This tool is used to help align, not sharpen, your blade. Because the alignment of the blade is important for cutting, a newly honed knife seems to have the same effect as sharpening a knife.

FOCUS ON YOUR TECHNIQUES

The more foods you cook, the more comfortable you’ll be with other recipes. Believe it or not, cooking is only composed of seven cooking techniques. These methods are steam, blanch, sear, braise, poach, and roast. Once you learn the simple steps to each recipe, everything you make is just plugging in a different flavor. For example, you can make coq au vin, a French braised chicken dish. With the same steps, you can make braised pork for tacos or braise some short rib by subbing out a few ingredients. You’ll notice the same steps, like clockwork in your head. Sear, remove meat, add aromatics, add meat, add liquid, and cook low and slow. The same sentiment works for making the perfect pork chop, chicken breast, or steak. Not to sound like your old sports coach, but fundamentals are the most crucial part of doing well.

I often think about my career up to this point and all the roads I chose to end up where I have. I think of defining moments and the wisdom I’ve gained that can be shared with others. I dwell on the most intense job I held. Fresh out of college, surrounded by alumni with highly revered resumes and careers. They wanted me to succeed, as I wish all of you to succeed. The last tip I can give you is one that those chefs branded into my head. Whatever you do, don’t be the reason tonight fails.

Culinary Excellence

Steak Frites & Asian glazed Carrots

As we talk about the basics, one dish that emphasizes this principle is steak frites. Two simple applications, when done perfectly, are a crowd pleaser. The glazed carrots are a side that can add one more layer of flavor to this plate.

FOR THE STEAK AND FRIES - SERVES 1

1 10 oz New York Strip 1 Idaho Potato (with a mandolin to cut the potato) 1 Tablespoon Parsley 1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic 1 Tablespoon (room temperature) Butter 1 Quart Vegetable or Canola Oil Salt and Pepper Place the steak out 30 minutes before you are ready to cook it, generously seasoning both sides. Let the steak sit at room temperature. The salt will help release liquid in the steak. In a small bowl, mix the minced garlic, butter, and parsley, set aside Preheat oven to 400 degrees Wash your potato and have your mandolin out. Adjust your mandolin to 1/8-inch julienne setting. Slice the potato into matchstick size pieces. Place matchsticks into a bowl of cold water and continue to run water in the bowl until the water is clear. It is important to remove as much loose starch as possible from the fries. After the water is clear, set the fries on a towel to dry off. You want to remove as much water as possible, or else the oil will pop up as you put the fries in. Put the oil in a pot, and using a thermometer, heat the oil to 350 degrees. While the oil is heating, put a sauté pan or a cast iron pan on high heat for the steak. When your pan is visibly smoking, without oil, it is time to cook the steak. Lightly pat the steak to remove any released moisture and then lightly oil the sauté pan. Place the steak in the sauté pan for 2 minutes on each side, or until you’ve achieved a dark brown sear. Place the steak on a sheet tray and top with the butter and garlic mix. Cook the steak in your oven for another 4-6 minutes, or until the meat is at 110 degrees (for medium rare). If you prefer your steak done more, feel free to take it out when it has reached your desired doneness. While the steak is cooking in the pan, place your fries into the hot oil. The fries will take around 3-5 minutes. When the fries are at your desired doneness, take them out of the oil and place on a paper towel lined plate to soak up access oil. Season with salt and pepper while hot. Take out your finished steak, and let is rest for 10 minutes, covered. Once rested, slice the steak against the grain. Plate the steak with your French fries and enjoy!

FOR THE CARROTS - SERVES 4

One pound of fancy carrots, or tri color carrots 1 Bunch of Scallions 1 Cup Ice water 3 Tablespoon of Toasted Sesame Seeds 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar 1 Cup Soy Sauce Cut the scallions diagonally, on a large bias. The cut scallion should be long and thin. Place into ice water and set aside. Bring a medium pot of water with 4 tablespoons of salt to a boil for the carrots. Once the water is at a boil, place the carrots in for 3-4 minutes, until tender but not overcooked. In a medium sauté pan, add the soy sauce and brown sugar. Heat and whisk together. Let the mixture reduce by half and thicken up. Once the carrots are cooked, add them to the soy glaze. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. When you plate your carrots, add the green onion as garnish.

Wine & Dine

In the chill of winter, there may be no better feeling than warming your bones with a crackling fire and a rich glass of delicious wine. There are many choices to get you through the more glacial months of the year. Whether it be red or white, you can’t go wrong with these wines we have right here at the club! Pinot Noir – Always a classic choice, Pinot Noir is a delicate and nuanced wine. A bottle of this dry, medium bodied 2019 J Vineyards Pinot Noir from Russian River Valley. Ruby-purple in color, this wine jumps from the glass with exuberant notes of ripe red currants, pomegranate and raspberry coulis with hints of violets, dark chocolate and mossy tree bark. $81/bottle. Champagne – Always a go to of mine in the winter months, nothing brightens up a cold winter evening like a refreshing glass of bubbly. We have a lovely collection of sparkling wines here at the club, but I am a huge fan of the Billecart – Salmon Brut Rose. A romantic champagne, with its subtle and gourmet aromas, this cuvee is a reference point amongst rose champagnes. It will be a pleasant companion to your happiest moments with its sparkling color, its amazing finesse and its great intensity. $102/bottle. Merlot – This varietal is one of the most beloved winter red wines and for good reason. Bursting with red fruits and easy tannins, Merlot is the perfect choice for a simple and relaxing evening. My recent favorite is available by the glass at all bars in the club - Ca’Momi Merlot from Napa Valley. It opens with a striking garnet flush boasting nuances of luscious red currant with notes of vanilla, blackberry, cocoa and bing cherry. A white pepper and oaky finish makes this wine a masterful companion to a wide array of food. $11/glass or $42/bottle. Cabernet Sauvignon – I would be remiss to neglect the classic choice of Cabernet Sauvignon to warm up a chilly day. Our club list is stacked with Napa Cabs, one of my favorites being the 2019 Lyndenhurst Cabernet Sauvignon. Produced by Spottswoode, this wine boasts fresh notes of crushed bramble, cassis, and red cherries which underpin subtle aromas of lavender, cedar, and spruce. Mineral nuances of wet slate add structure, while the tannins remain silky and supple despite the wine’s youth. A beautiful wine to be enjoyed now and for years to come. $174/bottle Riesling – In deepest winter, cozy red wines and warming casseroles can begin to feel oppressive, not to mention stodgy. I long for a glass of white, cold from the fridge, tingling with acidity and clean, clean finish. Pairs so well with the Thai food that is always a welcome sight on my table when I am too full from the holidays. While living in Vermont, I grew to love wines from the Finger Lakes region of New York. This wine is also offered by the glass at all bars in the club – Dr. Konstantin Frank Dry Riesling. Harmonizing lime zest, Granny Smith apples, and mineral stoniness with fresh citrus and nectarine. $11/glass or $42/bottle All wines listed above are available in all areas of the club. Plus, don’t forget to add a bottle of your favorite wine to your next to-go order! If you would like to purchase wine in bulk to take home, please email F&B Director, Tyler Whittico at twhittico@gpyc.org.

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