Archive for Culinary Tips
How to Brine a Turkey
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Considering brining your Thanksgiving turkey this year? If so you must watch this video brought to us from Chow.com. The delicious Top Chef Master Michael Chiarello explains in simple terms how to do it correctly and common mistakes to avoid.
Why brine? It allows flavor and seasoning to penetrate the inside of the turkey as well as the outside, and will produce a very juicy and evenly cooked bird.
Key tips from the video:
- Avoid over salting, it will lead to a stringy and dry bird.
- Be sure your container is large enough for the entire turkey.
- Do not over brine the turkey.
- Start with fresh water.
- Use pure Kosher salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, bay leaf, and any other desired flavorings or spices. Bring these items to a boil the day before, let cool to room temperature, and refrigerate.
- Use two smaller turkeys rather than one large one, to yield twice as many parts and be more tender.
- Before brining the turkey, remove from plastic, rinse it in water, and remove the bag of giblets.
- The perfect brining container? An ice chest or cooler. Put the turkey in, add ice on top, pour the brine in. Michael suggests putting the cooler in the garage, and brining for 12 hours overnight.
- In the morning, remove from the brine, pat dry, and let the turkey get to room temperature for about an hour.
- No roasting rack? No problem. Simply put the turkey on top of whole vegetables such as celery and carrots.
Craving more from Michael? Follow him on Facebook and Twitter, and visit our other posts:
- Aspen Highlights: Chef Michael Chiarello and Peter Jacobsen “From Farm to Fork”
- Michael Chiarello’s Tomato with Warm Goat Cheese and Herb Salad
Thank you Chef!
Culinary Tip: Chef John Shows Us How To Correctly Eat Chicken Wings
Posted by: | CommentsAdmit it! You eat chicken wings and waste 50% of the meat while doing so!
We forgive you, dear reader, it’s not your fault, you never learned the correct way, and neither had we. Until Chef John of Food Wishes came to the rescue in this amazing video and post featuring the truly perfect way to eat them, wasting literally nothing and coming out with clean hands to boot.
Chef John, your highness, we tip our hats to you for this ever so helpful culinary tip!
Culinary Tips: How to Cut a Pomegranate
Posted by: | CommentsOne of the wonderful reasons to celebrate Autumn and early Winter is because of the arrival of pomegranates into our stores and markets. Grown throughout the world, in the US our pomegranates typically come from California and Arizona, and are in season from October through January.
The tangy and sweet culinary gem is the basis for so many delicious Fall recipes, but cutting open the fruit the wrong way can cause your kitchen to look like a gory crime scene! Before we were in the know regarding the proper way to cut open a pomegranate, we had several frustrating episodes of splattered staining ruby red seed juices throughout our walls and kitchen appliances. Today we are thrilled to share this video featuring Chef Akasha from Akasha Restaurant in Culver City, CA, demonstrating the correct way to cut and disassemble a pomegranate.
Key tips from the video:
- Using a sharp chefs knife, cut of the crown about a half inch from the top.
- Slice the sections through the white membrane. (we do this part in a bowl under water to avoid a mess)
- Separate the seeds in a bowl of water, and the membrane will float to the top as the seeds (aka arils) will sink to the bottom of the bowl.
- Strain the seeds removing any remaining membrane pieces.
And here are several delicious (and antioxidant packed!) pomegranate chef recipes to inspire you:
- Cinnamon French Toast with Pomegranate Apple Compote from Chef Akasha
- Poached Pears with Pomegranate Gelato from Chef Jake Linzinmeir in Telluride Colorado
- Pear Salad with Blue Cheese and Pomegranate Honey Dijon Dressing from Chef Michael LeClerc, 350 Main in Park City, Utah
- Pomegranate Cherry Chutney over Grilled Pork Tenderloin, Chef Kent Rathbun in Texas
- Seared Scallops with Pea Shoots and Pomegranate Buerre Fondue from Chef Roland Passot, La Folie in San Francisco, CA
