COOKING TECHNIQUES
‘BRIDGE’ CUTTING TECHNIQUE
Form a ‘bridge’ with the thumb
and index finger of the left hand. Hold the item to be halved (or quartered) on a chopping board.
(For stability, place the flattest part of the item on the board.) Holding the knife with the right hand, position the blade under the ‘bridge’ and cut downwards firmly. For some soft items, such as tomatoes it may be easier to puncture the tomato skin with the point of the knife before cutting.
PEEL GINGER ROOT
Gripping the piece of ginger root in the left hand, with your right hand
draw the edge of a teaspoon firmly across the ginger’s thin skin to ‘shave’
it from the root. Continue until the piece of ginger is peeled completely.
KNEAD BREAD DOUGH
If bread dough is sticky, sprinkle a
little flour on to the work surface. Knead the dough by holding it first with one hand and, with the other, pulling and stretching the dough. Fold the stretched dough back over on itself and, with the ‘heel’ of the hand, push and stretch the dough again. Continue kneading until the dough becomes smooth and silky
in texture.
TEAR BASIL
Pull fresh basil leaves from the stems of the plant. Holding a leaf in one hand, tear or pick small pieces off the leaf and place them on pizzas, salads or pasta dishes. (If basil is chopped or sliced with a knife, it may turn bitter and discoloured.)
SIEVING FLOUR
To sieve flour, shake the sieve and use the flat of the hand as a buffer to help the flour through the mesh of the sieve.
CHECKING FOR LUMPS
To check that all the fat has been rubbed in, grip the rim of the bowl with both hands and shake it from side to side. Any large lumps of fat will come to the surface and can then be rubbed in.
ADDING EGG OR LIQUID INGREDIENTS
Make a ‘well’ (or hollow) in the centre of the dry (usually rubbed-in) mixture. Pour the egg and/or liquid ingredients into the well. Mix the ingredients with a table knife. Do not taste mixtures containing raw egg.
SCRAPING A BOWL
Remove all traces of mixture from
a bowl (and avoid waste) with a plastic or rubber scraper. Run the scraper round the inside of the bowl to remove the mixture. Remove mixture from the scraper with a
table knife.
‘CLAW’ CUTTING TECHNIQUE
Place the flat side of the item down
on the chopping board. Shape the fingers of the left hand into a claw-shape, tucking the thumb inside the fingers. Rest the ‘claw’ on the item to be sliced. Holding the knife in the right hand, slice the item, moving
the ‘clawed’ fingers away as
cutting progresses.
GRATE GINGER ROOT
When small pieces of ginger root are needed, it is often more practical to grate, rather than to chop, the ginger. Grasp the handle of a box-style grater firmly with one hand, and, with the other, pass the ginger downwards over the grater teeth. (Take care to avoid cutting fingers or knuckles on the ‘teeth’ of the grater.)
ROLL PIZZA DOUGH
Shape the dough into a round. Place it on a lightly floured surface. Begin the rolling process by pressing the rolling pin into the dough at intervals and then rolling with short strokes. Turn the dough anti-clockwise 45° and continue to roll, keeping the rolling pin straight and not turned at an angle. Continue to turn the dough at 45° and roll it until the dough is rolled to a perfect circle. (Bread dough is stretchy and tends to ‘spring back’ when it is rolled.) If necessary, add a little more flour to prevent the dough from sticking to the table. Use your hands to coax the dough back to a circle if it becomes out of shape.
SHAPE BURGERS
Place an 6cm-diameter plain cutter on a baking tray. Spoon a quantity of meat mixture into the cutter and smooth it level with the back of the spoon. Carefully remove the cutter and repeat the process until the meat mixture is used. Bake the burgers at 200°C/400°F/Gas 6 until they are cooked throughout.
Discard the fat which has collected on the tray.
CUT FAT INTO FLOUR
Before rubbing fat into flour, first
‘cut’ the fat into the flour with a table knife. Cut the fat into 1cm cubes.
CRACKING AN EGG
Hold the egg in one hand (fingers cupped) over a small bowl. Strike the egg shell smartly with a table knife. Place the thumbs in the broken ‘slit’ and prise open to release the egg into the bowl. Discard the shell. Wash your hands. DO NOT TASTE
RAW EGG.
ADDING LIQUID FLAVOURING
Hold a teaspoon over a plate and carefully pour a few drops of the flavouring on to the spoon. Spoon the required amount of flavouring into the mixture. (Do not pour the flavouring directly into the mixture in case too much is added by accident.)
GREASING CAKE TINS
With a pastry brush and a little vegetable oil, grease the base and sides of the tins thoroughly. Place a circle of greaseproof paper in the base of the tin. Grease the paper. If not using paper, grease and flour the inside of the tin thoroughly.
CRUSH GARLIC CLOVES
Peel the garlic cloves and, one or two at a a time, place them in the ‘cup’ of the garlic crusher. With both hands, squeeze the arms of the crusher together. The garlic will be pressed out through the holes in
the crusher.
SPREAD BUTTER OR OTHER FATS
Place a little butter on the tip of the blade of a round-bladed knife (table knife) or small palette knife. Draw the knife blade, at an angle, across the bread, flattening the blade to apply the spread evenly.
SPREAD LIQUID INGREDIENTS
Spread a liquid ingredient (such as passata, tomato purée or lemon curd) on to pastry or bread dough with the ‘bowl’ or back of a spoon.
COAT FOOD IN BREADCRUMBS
Place the breadcrumbs on a sheet
of greaseproof paper. Brush the item of food with beaten egg and transfer it to the breadcrumbs. Pick up two corners of the paper and tip it so that the breadcrumbs evenly coat the food. (This method prevents hand contact with the egg - and with the breadcrumbs which easily stick to the fingers.)
RUBBING IN
With your fingertips, rub the fat
into the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Pass the thumbs over the fingertips as the fat is picked up and let the mixture fall back into
the bowl.
BEATING AN EGG
Crack the egg into a basin.
Discard the shell and wash your hands. Tilt the bowl slightly. Whisk the egg with a fork until the yolk is mixed into the white. Whisking incorporates air at the same time so that the egg mixture will become light and fluffy. Do not taste mixtures containing raw egg.
FLAVOURING A CAKE MIXTURE
WITH ZEST
Use the fine teeth of a grater to zest citrus fruit (lemon, orange or lime). Choose unwaxed fruit where possible. (Grate only the coloured part of the peel. The white pith is bitter and should not be used.)
Add zest to raw mixture before adding the flour.
FILLING PAPER CAKE CASES
Place teaspoonfuls of cake mixture into paper cake cases. Scrape the mixture from the spoon with a table knife (never the fingers). Take care to avoid mixture dropping on to the sides of the paper cases where it will burn during cooking. Do not taste mixtures containing raw egg.