Essential recipe techniques

Marinating

A marinade is a mixture that meat or fish is steeped 

in before cooking, and should be made up of acidic

ingredients such as wine, citrus juice or vinegar, and

salt. Soaking the meat is called marinating, a process

that tenderizes and enhances flavor in tougher,

cheaper cuts. Trim the meat before marinating and

cut it to the required size. Natural yogurt can also be

used as a marinade and is a common tenderizer for

chicken, turkey, or seafood, although it can be used

for red meat as well. Spices, herbs, and aromatic

vegetables such as garlic, onion, and ginger are often

included in marinades to add extra flavor. Make sure

the meat is immersed in the marinade, then leave it

in the refrigerator to marinate for 4–12 hours.




Browning                                                                   

This technique caramelizes the natural sugars that

are in meat and turns it a rich golden color. Browning

adds flavor and depth to your dish, so it is well worth

doing at the beginning of the recipe before adding the

meat to the other ingredients. Season the meat and

add it to a little hot oil or butter in a pan and cook at

a medium-high heat. Leave the meat to cook

undisturbed for a few minutes. You will know it is

ready when it comes away from the bottom of the pan

easily. When the underside is golden, turn and cook

the other side. Remove the meat and set it aside while

you prepare the rest of the ingredients. You could dust

the meat in seasoned flour before browning, as it is a

good way to help thicken the consistency of the sauce.

Sautéing

This requires high heat and a good heavy-based

saucepan. Sautéing vegetables enables their natural

water content to evaporate, thus concentrating their

flavor. Heat some oil or butter, add the vegetables

to the pan, and cook until they start to caramelize and

soften. This takes no longer than around 5–8 minutes,

depending on the vegetables you are cooking. Move

them around the pan to prevent burning. Always cook

the hardest vegetables first as these will take longer.

Don’t overcrowd the pan or the vegetables will sweat

rather than sauté.




Deglazing                                                                      

The sauce is all-important as it can make or break the

finished dish. Pan sauces and gravies are made from

deglazed caramelized juices released from roasted or

fried meat, poultry, and vegetables. In slow cooking,

this technique is used often after browning and

sautéing. Remove the food from the pan and spoon

off excess fat, then deglaze the caramelized juices by

adding stock, water, or wine. Stir to loosen the particles

and incorporate them into the liquid. Reduce and

finish as required. Making a sauce like this gives a

richness and depth of flavor that cannot be achieved

just by simmering ingredients.



Reducing and thickening

When a sauce is too thin, it can be either reduced or 

thickened to improve its flavor and texture. Reducing

decreases the sauce’s volume through evaporation

and intensifies its flavor. To reduce, cook in an

uncovered pan over high heat, stirring occasionally.

Add stock and bring back to boil, then boil, uncovered,

for about 20 minutes to reduce again by half, regularly

skimming off any impurities. Thickening gives sauces

extra body and consistency. There are different ways

to do this. A simple method is to dissolve cornstarch

in water and add the mixture to the simmering dish.

You could also add a roux—a mixture of flour and

water—stirring it into the simmering sauce and

cooking to prevent it from turning the sauce lumpy.