Professional chefs have a specific task - to prepare delicious food that would appeal to visitors and, if possible, correspond to fashion trends. To make things easier for themselves, they invent new culinary techniques. Novate.ru talks about them in more detail and encourages them to be adopted.
The culinary art does not stand still: in recent years, chefs have begun to use not only new products, but also innovative technologies that are designed to simplify the cooking process, make ready meals tasty and healthy, and give guests new gastronomic experiences. Frying, grilling, stewing - these methods of culinary processing can hardly surprise the modern and demanding consumer. Spherification, gelling, flaming and other chef's wonders come to the fore. In an effort to surprise and delight restaurant visitors, chefs are constantly searching for new combinations, as well as ways of serving familiar products.
1. Su-vid
Given the fact that proper nutrition is now the most important fashion trend, it is not at all surprising that mouth-watering steaks with a crispy crust are sent to the bench: they are replaced by meat cooked in a healthier way - sous-vide, which in French means “in a vacuum ".
The technology is very simple: the meat is sealed in a sealed vacuum bag, placed in hot water and cooked for a long time at a low temperature. Thanks to this, the product is incredibly tender, juicy, while retaining all the nutrients. Sous-vid has another undeniable advantage - a stable result. The product will never come out soggy or dry. If you keep the right temperature, the piece will always be cooked evenly throughout its entire thickness. In a similar way, you can cook not only meat, but also vegetables, etc. But for pasta, cereals and dishes made from dough sous-vide is not suitable.
If you do not want to buy a special device, you will need the following kitchen devices to cook products using sous vide technology:
• zip-lock bags - with their help you can easily remove excess air and exclude contact of the product with water. In an extreme case, you can use cling film, but then we will not talk about vacuumization;
• large saucepan - used instead of the classic evacuator;
• thermometer - in the absence of professional equipment on which you can initially set the desired temperature, be sure to put a thermometer next to you. At the beginning of the process, it will be necessary to check the indicators every three to four minutes, and then - once every ten to fifteen minutes.
2. Emulsification
This way of preparing and serving dishes is also incredibly popular in the modern culinary world. After passing through emulsification, the products turn into light airy foam. To create it, you need ordinary siphons filled with carbon dioxide - they are similar to those in which carbonated water was made during the Soviet era. The main advantage of the technology is that any product is "subject" to it. You can emulsify meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, milk, etc. In this case, the product will completely change its appearance, turning into foam, but retain its original taste. Food prepared in this way turns out to be low in calories, moreover, you eat less food.
3. Confit
If you are looking for a balance between tasty and healthy meals, the confit method is just for you. Products are cooked in their own fat at temperatures from +70 to +130 degrees. At the same time, the fat does not burn and during the cooking process no harmful carcinogens are formed. Another plus - confit dishes are stored for a very long time, since during heat treatment they are "sealed" with fat and cease to come into contact with air. By the way, the famous duck confit, which is an incredibly popular dish in many restaurants, is prepared in this way.
4. Flambing
This technique involves setting fire to the dish and looks very impressive. For this reason, flaming, which is considered the ultimate culinary excellence, is used for dining at banquets, catering, etc. However, making an impression on restaurant guests is not the only task that flaming does. It also gives delicious flavor and aroma to food.
5. Tuxedo
Previously, bulky and expensive equipment was needed to create smoky drinks and smoked-flavored meats. Fortunately, things are much simpler in modern kitchens. For their own purposes, professional chefs use tuxedo gans - special devices with which you can fumigate any food and drink with smoke. The smoking process takes place at the expense of a small chamber and a natural cold house. As for the raw materials, everything is at the discretion of the culinary specialist: you can use hay, sawdust, etc. Just a few minutes are enough for the meat or tea to acquire a unique aroma. Due to its spectacular effect, the tuxedo is often used in various culinary entertainments - the fumigation process makes an indelible impression on guests.
6. Spherification
Previously, this technique was only used in molecular cuisine, but now it has taken its place in restaurants that serve traditional dishes to their guests. Spherification is used to transform liquid into soft spheres that resemble caviar in texture and appearance. It requires sodium alginate and calcium chloride.
Thin-shell edible pearls literally melt in the mouth and bring a new flavor to the traditional products that we encounter almost every day. If you really want the technique, you can master it at home - it seems complicated and inaccessible to an unprofessional chef only at first glance.
You will find some more interesting tips in the article Secret Ingredient: 8 Easy Ways to Give Your Meals a Rich Flavor