A trend for much of the dishes I've been cooking recently is developing core cooking skills. I remember hosting my first Thanksgiving dinner years ago and the idea of roasting a turkey almost caused me to call the whole thing off. Drawing from my background in pastry and dessert, I easily saw the savory/sweet parallel for most of the dishes. Cranberry sauce is cooking a fruit compote. Dressing is simply a savory bread pudding. Mashed potatoes is similar to chestnut puree. Apple pie is the first thing we baked in Introduction to Baking. But roasted turkey? Aside from a bigger, more troublesome version of a roasted chicken, there is no equivalent from the sweeter side of the kitchen. Until last night, I have never roasted a chicken before. It boggles my mind that I did not bat an eye when making complicated plated desserts yet handling a raw whole chicken was more than difficult.
My quest to become a more competent homecook has taken me to many delicious stops along the way. Let's take a look at what I learned recently.
Roast Chicken: Roasting a chicken is probably something a cooking 101 course would teach. Anybody can throw a chicken into the oven. It's such a basic skill yet to achieve crispy skin and juicy meat, it can get a little elusive. Just do a search on "perfect roast chicken" and you would be amazed at all the tips and tricks available. For me, the biggest hurdle was handling a raw whole bird. The very tactile experience of cleaning, patting dry, seasoning, massaging butter between the skin and meat, and trussing was really more intimate than I would like. However, there is something grown-up and traditional about roasting a chicken for Sunday supper. My first foray into this essential cooking skill involved unconventional use of a tube pan, typically reserved for making angel food cake or chiffon cake. It was a winning recipe on the food52 project. It is a riff on the grilling classic beer can chicken. Since I neither have a grill nor cans of beer lying around, getting more use out of my tube pan was immensely appealing. Another big plus? There is no need to flip the bird (badabum!) during roasting to ensure an all-over crispy skin! I roasted a 4lb White Rock chicken from my CSA with butter, shallots, fresh thyme, salt, and pepper. I was going to brush the skin with some maple syrup to give it a nice mahogany hue but I forgot. Well, I didn't miss it. The chicken turned out so tender and juicy with crispy skin. It was a huge success as far as first attempt goes.
Speaking of roasting a huge piece of meat, making roast beef for the first time was also good and a lot less nerve wrecking.
Cutting up a whole chicken into parts: Now that you know about my adversion to handling a raw chicken, it is no surprise that cutting up a raw bird into parts is my worst nightmare. Whether making braises or stew, this is quite a useful skill to master though. Not only is a whole chicken more economical, I can also use the bony parts to make stock. When I got a heritage chicken from my CSA a few weeks ago, I knew it was time to face my fears. Thanks to the interweb, there are plenty of how-to videos. Leg leg, thigh thigh, wing wing, breast breast...I could do it, I thought. I did do it but it was not something I look forward to attempting again anytime soon. Even though I am an experienced chicken eater, I had to really feel the chicken to look for the joints. And that crunch of sharp knife cutting through bones still makes me cringe. In the end, I was rewarded with a very flavourful dish of Moroccan Chicken with Prunes & Kumquats. Despite how delicious it was, I think I will stick with whole chicken legs in future. I prefer dark meat anyway and they are so much easier to work with.
Slow cook tougher cuts of meat: Leaving talks of chicken fear behind, learning to slow cook tougher cuts of meat was something I really enjoyed. Whether it was pot roast or pulled pork, the frugal side of me got a kick out of transforming these cheaper and tougher meat into something fork-tender and lip-smackingly tasty. I learned how to properly sear the outside so there are fond to make flavourful sauce (gone with the non-stick pans!). I learned how to marinate or brine the meat before cooking. I learned the virtue of patience from this slow and low approach to break down the connective tissues in the meat. The result may not be photogenic but delicious is almost always guarantee.
Cooking with beans: Enough about meat. The truth is, my diet leans toward a wider choice of protein and legumes play an important part. My favourite sources for recipe inspiration include 101 Cookbooks and Homesick Texan, both with a wealth of bean recipes though with vastly different approach. Another main influence is my introduction to Rancho Gordo, purveyor of heirloom beans. I used to think that beans are simply vehicles to deliver the flavour of everything else in the pot. Since I started using all the stunning beans from Rancho Gordo, I discovered the unique flavour of different varieties and how they can stand on their own. As for turning out soft and tender beans? Sure I rely on overnight soaking, a pinch of salt, and low simmer. But the truth is, if working with grocery store beans that have been sitting on the shelf for quite possibly years since they were harvested, the result is inconsistent at best. It is worth the extra money for freshness and taste. I use beans in everything from a simple pot of beans to salads, baked beans, chili, soup, and stew.
Hearty chunky soup: Making soup is easy once I figured out how to stock my kitchen with essentials. The key ingredients for a soup that I enjoy are simple. Homemade stock for a good base. Something starchy to give it body such as beans or root vegetable. Something sweet such as carrots or onions or winter squash. Something to punch up the taste such as cheese rinds, smokey chipotle, lemon, or smoked meat. It is the simplest thing to make a big batch of soup on the weekend and freeze portions to be enjoyed later. Psst...this is also a good trick when faced with a bunch of ingredients that need to be used up pronto.
Emulsion in the form of mayonnaise or vinaigrette: Salad is a major player in my meal planning but throwing a bunch of ingredients together in a bowl does not a salad make. Personally, I think the dressing is what transforms a plate of rabbit food into a proper dish with culinary considerations. The dressing can be something rich and creamy with a mayonnaise base. Or it can be something bright and tangy from an oil-and-vinegar base vinaigrette. Check out a recent column by Francis Lam for a comprehensive take. I was so proud when I made my first batch of mayonnaise by hand!
I am a big fan of good mustard with some bite. Naturally, most of my salad dressing contains a healthy spoonful of mustard be it sweet or spicy. Another one of my favourite dressing ingredient is nut butter. It adds a delicious richness and body to the dressing. I regularly use tahini and almond butter for this purpose. Sweeteners such as honey, pomegranate molasses, and maple syrup are also good add-ins.
What I have not really splurged on is pricy olive oil and vinegar. I get stuff that are "good-enough" but are not outrageously priced. I know they are worth the extra money but for somehow I just cannot bring myself to spend over $20 for a tiny bottle of the fancy stuff. Perhaps some day. When I feel really indulgent.
Pickling: Pickling is so often tied in with canning technique and all that concern about botulism made me hesitate. That is until I realize I can pickle vegetables, store them in clean jars in the fridge, and eat them within a month. I am not looking to stockpile my pantry with jars of pickles to last me through winter when fresh vegetables are not readily available. I just enjoy the sweet and sour taste of crunchy pickles after all. There are many quick pickles recipes, most involving pickling liquid made with vinegar, salt, sweetener, and spices. The vegetable takes on the flavour as soon as an overnight pickling. They make lovely condiments for sandwiches.
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Cooking with eggs: Who doesn't know how to cook an egg anyway? As I discovered, learning how to cook eggs to exactly the way I like it can be a life long pursuit...well, not really but took me long enough! I like medium boiled egg with the yolk at a gel consistency, not runny. That takes 4-5 minutes sitting in the pot of hot water with the heat turned off. I like sunny-side up where the white is barely browned and the egg is perfectly round. I like creamy custardy scrambled eggs not gussied up with cream or milk but cook carefully over low heat so the eggs are just set and the curds are small. I like baked eggs with a mix of runny yolks and cooked whites all mingled together with savory cheese and vegetable. I like soft poached eggs that would yield into a pool of runny golden syrup when pierced. Sometimes I get it right, sometimes I don't. Achieving consistency is what I'm working on.
Homemade peanut butter: The ability to create pantry staples from scratch is another skill that I relish. What can be more basic than peanut butter? All you really need is one ingredient: freshly roasted peanuts. I gained a new-found appreciation of my food processor the day I made a batch of spiced chocolate peanut butter with peanuts, dark chocolate, curry, chili powder, paprika, cardomom, cinnamon, and sea salt. It rivals any fancy-schmancy bottles you can get from gourmet shops. Best part? It costs way less and the freshness just cannot be beat. With a simple bit of decorating, they make one fine hostess gift.
Strained yogurt: I love greek-style strained yogurt but the fact is, in Toronto, they are not as popular and stores often demand premium price. Straining yogurt to extract excess whey can be seen as entry-level cheesemaking. After taking a cheesemaking workshop earlier in the year, I gained the knowledge to do it properly. My kitchen is now equiped with a basic dedicated set up to strain yogurt easily using a pitcher, wooden spoon, and a handkerchief.
