Month: January 2022

One of the five mother sauces, bechamel is a staple of French cuisine. This decadent white sauce forms the base of many other sauces and dishes.

Bechamel is simple to make, with or without a recipe. With enough practice, many culinary students, professional chefs, and even dedicated home cooks can recreate this traditional sauce in mere minutes.

You may be surprised to learn just how versatile a classic sauce like bechamel can be. Here’s everything you’ve ever wondered about bechamel, including where it came from and how to make it.

Origins of Bechamel

The famous chef Auguste Escoffier is often credited with developing the five mother sauces of French cuisine in the 1900s, building on the ideas of Marie-Antoine Carême before him. When Escoffier published Le Guide Culinaire in 1903, he introduced the five mother sauces as we know them today, and explained how to prepare and use them.

These sauces are referred to as mother sauces because they are basic sauces that “give birth” to, or form the basis of, more complex derivative sauces. These may be called daughter, small, or secondary sauces, and these tend to be culturally influenced and more complex in both flavor and preparation.

The mother sauces are tomato, veloute, hollandaise, espagnole, and bechamel sauce. Bechamel gives rise to mostly cream-based secondary sauces.

You don’t have to be a professional chef to have an appreciation for sauces and French cuisine. Through online cooking classes offered by Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts Home Gourmet in partnership with America’s Test Kitchen, you can learn about sauces, classic French foods like baguettes, and so much more.

What Is a Bechamel Sauce?

A bechamel sauce is a white sauce made by combining a roux and whole milk. This roux, a white roux, contains equal parts butter and flour.

Bechamel is made using a few simple ingredients: butter, flour, and milk. Salt and pepper are also important, but other seasonings are optional. Many people use bay leaves, nutmeg, or even lemon to bring depth of flavor to a bechamel.

Uses for Bechamel

Bechamel is often used as a sauce on its own, but it can also be used as the base of another sauce such as a mornay, a cheesy version of bechamel, or a soubise, a bechamel sauce enriched with cooked onions.

In traditional French and Italian recipes, you will see bechamel both standing alone and supporting other sauces or gravies.

By itself, bechamel may adorn a plate of pasta, a serving of cooked vegetables, or a filet of meat or fish. In more complex dishes like au gratins, a layer of bechamel can be used to bind ingredients such as potatoes and cheese together for more richness and texture.

How to Make the Perfect Bechamel

Before you begin cooking, gather your ingredients. The practice of preparing your ingredients and tools before cooking is referred to in French cooking as “mise en place.” This will allow you to control the speed of your cooking to prevent your bechamel from thickening too much or worse, breaking.

The quality of your ingredients is also important, as is often the case in French cuisine. Choose a minimally processed butter with a high fat content for an indulgent, creamy bechamel; European-style butter is often best. Organic milk or milk from grass-fed cows is not necessary, but you may find that you prefer the flavor. And of course, season with your favorite salt.

Try this foolproof recipe to make a bechamel.

Bechamel Sauce: Steps and Ingredients

You will need:

• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp all purpose flour
• 1 cup milk (room temperature or warm)
• Salt and pepper to taste

To combine, follow these steps:

1. Add butter to a medium-sized saucepan and place over medium heat. Allow to melt.
2. Sprinkle in flour and whisk constantly, scraping the bottom to prevent burning. Allow butter and flour paste, a white roux, to cook until butter is fragrant, and the smell of flour has dissipated. It should be lightly golden in color.
3. Add milk slowly to the roux, whisking constantly until there are no lumps. Let simmer to allow sauce to thicken to almost desired consistency—sauce will thicken as it cools, so don’t simmer too long. Remove from heat.
4. Optional: Strain sauce through a chinois or mesh strainer to remove any clumps.
5. Season to taste. If sauce is too thick, add warmed milk and whisk. If too thin, simmer longer.
6. Serve cooled or hot depending on recipe and preference.

Mastering Sauces and More

As a home chef, being able to create a rich and smooth bechamel for any dish can make you feel triumphant. And if you’re serious about cooking, the French Mother sauces are a great place to start.

As you get more comfortable in the kitchen and explore classic and traditional recipes, you may want to think about making cooking more than a hobby. A culinary degree or diploma from Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts can help lay the foundation for a career as a culinarian.

To learn more about French cuisine and fine dining, read these articles next:

• What Spices Are Used in French Cooking?
• How To Make Velouté
• How To Make Espagnole Sauce

This article was originally published on December 10, 2014, and has been updated.

The post How To Make Bechamel Sauce appeared first on Escoffier Online.

As a passionate home cook looking to enhance your skills in the kitchen, there are three techniques you must learn: poaching, simmering, and boiling.

These techniques fall under the moist heat method of cooking, which involves cooking ingredients in liquids on the stove. Each of these three methods have the same concept of using heated liquid to prepare an ingredient, but they are also very different, especially concerning the liquid’s temperature.

In this article, we’re going to explore each technique, how they’re different from each other, and how you can incorporate them into your own cooking.

Poaching

Poaching is a very delicate French cooking technique used to cook ingredients such as eggs, fish, chicken, vegetables, and fruits.

Some popular dishes you may be familiar with that use poaching are eggs benedict, poached salmon, and poached pears.

The technique involves submerging an ingredient in a low-temperature liquid, usually between 160 and 180 degrees Fahrenheit. Many health-conscious cooks enjoy poaching because it uses little to no fat, but still creates delicious meals.

Here are just a few of the liquids you can use to poach an ingredient:

• Water
• Butter
• Stock
• Vinegar
• Milk
• Broth
• Red or white wine

It’s important to note that these liquids may be flavored with spices and herbs to enhance the taste of the meal.

There are two primary methods of poaching you can use when preparing a meal:

Submersion or Deep Poaching

Submersion poaching or deep poaching is often seen as the traditional method of poaching. The ingredient is fully submerged in the heated liquid and may be covered with cheesecloth or parchment paper. This poaching method is typically used with large cuts of meat or poultry to ensure that it is cooked evenly.

Shallow Poaching

With shallow poaching, only enough liquid is added to partially submerge the ingredient. Add your aromatics, salt, oil, or butter to the pot or pan followed by the poaching liquid. It’s best to use a pan that is wide enough for the ingredient to lay comfortably on the surface. Make sure to place a lid on top of the pot to allow the hot steam to thoroughly cook the ingredient. Poached salmon is an excellent dish to try out this method of poaching.

Simmering

Simmering is a moist heat method that falls right between poaching and boiling. It requires more attention and heat regulation to keep a constant temperature that isn’t too cool or too hot. This method is often used to cook grains, fish, shellfish, vegetables, legumes, meat, and stock.

When simmering an ingredient, the liquid must stay between 185 and 200 degrees Fahrenheit. You will notice small bubbles forming at the bottom of your pot or pan that may rise to the top. Wisps of steam will also rise from the surface.

The ingredient should be fully submerged in the liquid and even have room to expand as it cooks. Usually, meals that involve simmering will be left to sit on the stove for a bit to allow the flavors to mix.

Popular dishes that involve simmering include chicken soup, beef stew, and rice pilaf.

There are three different types of simmering you can use to cook your ingredients on the stove.

Fine Simmer

A fine simmer can be identified by scarce bubbles rising to the surface every two to three seconds.

Simmer

A regular simmer involves a constant rise of small bubbles to the surface of the pot.

Vigorous Simmer

A vigorous simmer will have a constant stream of small bubbles coming to the top along with wisps of steam floating off the surface. This is not a boil, though!

Boiling

Boiling is probably the most well-known method of cooking with liquid. You can identify a boiling pot when bubbles start rolling at the surface. For this to happen, the liquid’s temperature must be at least 212 degrees Fahrenheit.

When cooking by boiling, wait until the liquid is fully boiling before adding the ingredient. You can also season the liquid with salt or bouillon to add extra flavor.

The most common ingredients cooked by boiling include rice, pasta, grains, vegetables, and eggs. This technique is often used to cook tougher ingredients like dried pasta and potatoes.

Some popular dishes that require boiling include any type of pasta, mashed potatoes, and deviled eggs.

So, boiling is the highest level of moist heat cooking when talking about poaching, simmering, and boiling. With each method, the temperature of the water increases.

Master These Techniques and More with Online Cooking Classes

Want to know more traditional and essential cooking techniques to use in your own kitchen? Sign up for online cooking classes and get mentorship from professional Chef Instructors to improve your cooking skills.

Or consider an online diploma or degree program in the culinary or pastry arts from Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts.

If you enjoyed this article, read these next:

• 5 Spices to Use Instead of Salt
• An Introduction to the 5 French Mother Sauces
• What Spices Are Used in French Cooking?

This article was originally published on August 17, 2015, and has been updated.

The post The Difference Between Poaching, Simmering, and Boiling appeared first on Escoffier Online.

It’s nearly impossible to be part of the culinary world, particularly its French-inspired niches, without hearing the term “haute cuisine.” But for many, this term is often associated with a certain elusive ambience, rather than having a concrete definition.

Let’s talk through what the haute cuisine movement is, where it originated, and what it looks like on today’s culinary landscape.

Characteristics of Haute Cuisine

Haute cuisine is a French term that literally translates as “high cooking.” When you picture fine dining in high-end restaurants today, chances are you’re thinking of some of the key elements of haute cuisine.

When it comes to ingredients used in a haute cuisine establishment, you’re probably going to see only premium meats, dairy, vegetables, and herbs — all sourced from high-quality suppliers. And the preparation of those ingredients? Chefs trained in haute cuisine will employ complex culinary techniques, like advanced knifework and multi-layer assembly.

Then there’s the taste to consider. Haute cuisine features pleasurable and harmonious flavors, with balanced seasonings and rich sauces. There’s typically nothing wildly spicy or overly sweet involved in haute cuisine as the focus tends to be on symmetry and equilibrium, making the meal a smooth and agreeable experience.

Finally, there’s the presentation factor; haute cuisine is nothing if not elegant and artistic, with meticulous arrangements and small to moderate portion sizes.

Haute Cuisine’s Complex History

This discipline has a fascinating backstory. It’s undergone many iterations with various historical influences, evolving over the ages to become what we now know as modern day haute cuisine.

Early Haute Cuisine

Initially, haute cuisine was enjoyed only by French monarchs and the bourgeoisie in the 1600’s. Prior to the movement, portion sizes tended to be grandiose, but that changed around the time that French Chef François Pierre de la Varenne was working for Marquis d’Uxelles, a French general and Foreign Minister. La Varenne prepared dishes in smaller portion sizes than were previously presented, using higher-quality ingredients.

Varenne’s popularity gave rise to French cuisine’s new focuses on taste, premium ingredients sourced out of season and from other countries, and more extravagant methods of cooking and assembly. There was also a heavier emphasis on the use of rich, flavorful sauces.

Other chefs like Antonin Carême influenced the movement as well. In fact, he and Varenne published cookbooks, like the famed L’art De La Cuisine Française Au Dix-Neuvième Siècle and Le Cuisinier François, documenting many of the recipes and culinary practices that many chefs still use to this day.

Escoffier and His Cuisine Classique

At the turn of the 20th century, Auguste Escoffier had an immense influence on shaping haute cuisine as we know it today. The entire purpose of Escoffier’s brigade de cuisine, or the highly trained hierarchy of kitchen staff, was to successfully prepare the fine dishes and elaborate presentation that was defining this type of cuisine.

During Escoffier’s time, haute cuisine was still a hallmark of the wealthy, and inaccessible to most everyone else. After all, it was the monarchs and upper crust of French society who could afford to staff a kitchen, provide the tools and equipment necessary for preparing the exorbitant dishes, and obtain the ingredients used for this type of lavish dining.

Escoffier’s specialized line of staff and practice of service à la russe (serving dishes in courses rather than all at once) became known as cuisine classique.

Haute Cuisine vs. Nouvelle Cuisine

In the 1960’s, a generation of chefs revolted against many of the facets of haute cuisine, forming a movement that came to be known as nouvelle cuisine. This newer type of cooking focused on the freshest ingredients — including those both local and in-season — in more minimalistic dishes with fewer seasonings and sauces, plus reduced cooking times.

Over the past several decades, modern day haute cuisine has become a hybrid of these two variations, maintaining its emphasis on palatable flavors and expert technique, while also prioritizing fresh ingredients found in-season.

Modern Day: Carrying the Torch

Today, many culinarians dedicate their careers to preserving haute cuisine and expanding its reach. The Disciples Escoffier International are a group focused exclusively on discussing French haute cuisine and uniting culinarians — from professionals to students — through organized events.

As far as foodservice establishments themselves, the entire Michelin Star grading system for restaurants is predicated on the successful execution of haute cuisine. This prestigious designation is earned when a restaurant uses the highest-quality ingredients, incorporates specialized cooking techniques, and presents food that is deemed to be of superior taste.

Hospitality establishments serving haute cuisine are thriving. For instance, high-end hotel chains like The Ritz Carlton offer guests one-of-a-kind dining experiences in world-class restaurants, as well as hosting the globe’s top chefs for culinary events centered around haute cuisine. Omni Hotels & Resorts has many sites where executive chefs are growing their own herbs in onsite gardens, curing their own meats for charcuterie, and even tending beehives that produce the honey they use in restaurant dishes.

And many restaurants utilize the central tenets of haute cuisine — some without even acknowledging it. For example, using fresh, high-quality ingredients is a principal practice in the farm-to-table movement. And most fine food service establishments heavily focus on presentation of the dish — another characteristic of haute cuisine.

Haute Cuisine’s Future

While some feel strongly about sticking closely to the early foundations of haute cuisine, like Michelin Star restaurants and high-end hotel groups, many have woven the movement’s influences into other types of cuisine or restaurant concepts.

In fact, there’s never been a better time to learn the foundations of haute cuisine, as many restaurants and other hospitality establishments are looking to stay competitive and draw in business with high-quality food service.

You can start exploring your favorite dishes and their histories with Escoffier’s online cooking classes. Ready to pursue your passion even further? Look into your culinary degree or diploma options from Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts.

Want to read more about the origins of your favorite foods? Try these articles next:

• A History Of Spaghetti And Meatballs
• How To Make Petit Fours: A Brief History & Recipes
• What Spices Are Used in French Cooking?

This article was originally published on October 20, 2014, and has since been updated.

The post What is Haute Cuisine? appeared first on Escoffier Online.

Do your fridge and pantry look like they could comprise a mystery basket from “Chopped”? Does it feel like you always have a handful of random ingredients with no particular direction for using them?

If you’re constantly searching for ways to use the ingredients you already have on hand, look no further. There’s an app for that. In fact, there are many. Here’s our roundup of the top apps for finding recipes for ingredients you already have.

1. SuperCook

SuperCook is probably the best known app for building recipes by selecting a group of ingredients. This platform helps you waste less food and eat fantastic meals. It’s both a website and an app, so use whichever is most convenient for you.

The interface is pretty simple to use, with a robust search function that updates its recipe suggestions as you continue to type in available ingredients.

The app allows you to select ingredients from several categories (such as meat, seasoning, and dairy), then add more as you go. You can also narrow down your results by selecting the type of meal you want to make (such as soups, salads, or casseroles), and even specify the type of cuisine and the star ingredient.

Once you get into the habit of using SuperCook, you’ll probably find yourself selecting a lot of the same recipes again and again. Fortunately, you can make things even easier on yourself by saving your ingredients and favorite recipes.

 

2. Allrecipes Dinner Spinner

Allrecipes is a popular site that lists recipes by category and makes them easily searchable. Recipes are submitted by the website’s community of passionate, idea-sharing home cooks and then shared with others.

Allrecipes also has an app called Dinner Spinner, which lets you quickly spin through a combination of options by dish type, ingredients on-hand, and duration of time before the meal is ready.

The app lets you set super specific parameters, listing ingredients to include or omit in recipe results. So for example, if you don’t have chicken in the fridge, you can specify that and the app won’t show any recipes that contain chicken, (even if you have all of the other necessary ingredients for a certain dish.)

And if you create an account, you can save recipes and access them by logging in anywhere, including on your phone, tablet, or computer.

 

 

3. BigOven

With more than 1 million recipes in its database, BigOven is certainly, well, big. The app allows you to get inspired in the kitchen with an ample ‘Ideas’ section. Brainstorm options by browsing through fun categories like “Use Up Leftovers,” which curates recipes based on reusing ingredients.

There’s also a ‘Collections’ area, which groups recipes into categories like healthy breakfasts, healthy snacks, meat-free, soups, low-carb, and more. Most recipes come with nutritional facts that include the number of calories per serving.

The Grocery List section allows you to sort by ingredient and keep tabs on what you’ll need to make a certain meal. Quickly add items to your list for easy reference the next time you’re out grocery shopping.

And the Planner lets you come up with dishes for the future so you’re not stuck trying to compose a meal with random ingredients again. All this, plus recipe how-to videos to boot!

 

 

4. Epicurious

Epicurious was developed by Condé Nast Digital, so it offers tremendous value in terms of both form and function.

Not only is the app beautiful to look at, it’s easy to use. Toggle through ingredients to find recipe ideas (many of which feature photos of the finished dish or instructional videos to help you along the way.)

You can efficiently browse recipes by adding filters like “leftovers” or “dinner,” plus any dietary restrictions, such as “gluten free,” “dairy free,” “keto friendly” and so on. When you add the main ingredient you wish to search for, the app allows you to sort the results list with useful criteria like the highest rating or the percentage of users who said they’d make it again.

Epicurious also includes a kitchen timer to help you cook ingredients to perfection even without a recipe, and a tool that finds local, seasonal ingredients.

 

 

5. Magic Fridge

French app Magic Fridge (or Frigo Magic) is free to use and boasts almost 5,000 recipes. Like some of the others, you have the option to specify certain diets, such as vegetarian or vegan, to narrow the options it suggests.

A unique feature of this app is the “memo” section, which actually gives you nutritional information for each recipe and allows you to check whether the ingredients you’ve selected are in-season.

You can make adjustments to listed ingredient servings based on the number of people dining, and even alter your ingredient amounts later if you happen to have leftovers.

Magic Fridge is an excellent option for cooks who want to stick to a nutritional plan, know all the details about what they’re eating, and track their meals closely.

 

 

 

6. Cookpad

Cookpad was founded more than 20 years ago in Japan. Now, the app has more than 100 million users in 23 countries. In addition to English, Cookpad is available in Spanish, French, Italian, and 20 other languages.

The app is part recipe finder, part social platform. You can search for recipes by ingredients and share what you’re making with other users.

If you fancy yourself a recipe inventor, you can post your creations publicly along with the ingredients, directions, and images so other users can test them out. If people like what you’re posting, they can follow you. Who knows? You might become the next big foodie influencer.

Of course, you can follow people who make recipes that match your preferences, and even ask them questions within the app’s chat function.

 

 

 

7. Tasty

Tasty is an app that incorporates various multimedia to offer a rich user experience. With overhead food videos reminiscent of TikTok and step-by-step instructions you can swipe through, it’s a handy tool for any tech-loving home cook.

You can also use Tasty to search for recipes to make with ingredients you already have on hand. Search by the ingredients themselves, then add filters like the type of meal (healthy dinners, late night desserts, game day favorites, and Mexican-inspired, to name a few) and add any dietary restrictions.

For the easiest meals, search for “5 ingredients or less” and “under 30 minutes.” Once you make your selection, the recipe video plays, displaying ingredient measures and other instructions right on the screen, in sync with the video. For efficiency, the videos play at a faster speed, but you can pause and unpause the videos as you go.

 

 

 

8. America’s Test Kitchen

America’s Test Kitchen (ATK) is America’s most-beloved home cook television program, featuring episodes such as, “The Perfect Cookie,” “Just Add Apples,” and “All Chocolate, All The Time.” So it’s no surprise that the ATK app is quickly becoming a digital tool of choice for serious home cooks.

It’s only available to members of ATK’s online cooking school, but for the passionate culinarian it’s a great option that’s well worth the cost.

The ATK app includes full courses featuring special instruction from ATK and Escoffier chefs. So this is an app you’ll want to use only when you have time to learn and refine your technique.

Search by main ingredient, such as pasta or vegetables, level of difficulty, and recipe type. Keep track of the courses you’ve completed, and take advantage of your exclusive access to world-class chefs and instructors.

 

 

Dive Deeper With Online Recipes and Culinary Classes

Want to make the most of the ingredients in your kitchen? Consider taking an online cooking class or getting a membership of unlimited culinary content from our library!

Besides learning to make a variety of recipes, you’ll see valuable culinary techniques that you can practice to save yourself time while cooking.

Interested in more at-home culinary fun? Check out these articles for inspiration:

• How To Make Velouté
• How To Make Petit Fours: A Brief History & Recipes
• How To Brew Your Own Soda

This article was originally published on February 20, 2019, and has since been updated.

The post Top Apps For Finding Recipes For Ingredients You Already Have appeared first on Escoffier Online.

Chicken Piccata is an Italian chicken dish made with pounded chicken breast in a lemon-wine butter sauce with capers and parsley.

Chicken Piccata

If you’re looking for more ways to make chicken breast exciting, you’ll love this Chicken Piccata recipe. Rather than using a ton of butter and oil, my dish uses much less oil and just a touch of butter. The flavor is so good that you won’t miss it! My daughter, who loves anything with lemon, really loves this dish. If you want to try this chicken piccata recipe with fish, try Flounder Picatta. And for more chicken breast recipes you make also like this Baked Chicken Breast which you can also top with lemon and capers.

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The post Chicken Piccata appeared first on Skinnytaste.