The basic recipes chefs should know

[knight76]

Not sure if this has been done, no doubt it has though!

What do you think are the basic cooking recipes and techniques a chef needs to know to be at a basic to competent level.

I tried googling around to find what cooking techniques and recipes chefs are taught at cooking school but found it hard to locate good info.

Apparently an Omlette is the first thing you are taught to make which I have heard from several people like Gordon Ramsay etc but what else do you need to know?

Just a basic list, no need to post a massive how to tutorial if you don't want to.

 

[GotGarlic]

I don't have a direct answer for you, but I recently came across this blog: Whisk: a food blog . She's working her way through "Le Cordon Bleu Classic French Cookbook," the textbook of the French culinary school Le Cordon Bleu, in lieu of attending cooking school. Cool idea

 

[ironchef]

I think it's more important to learn cooking technique rather than specific recipes. Proper technique will come in handy far more often than a specific recipe will. That's not to say that recipes aren't important, because they are. But here's a basic list off the top of my head before I go to sleep. This list is formulated more towards the home cook:

--Proper Seasoning
--PROPER SEASONING!!!
--Pan Searing
--Saute/Pan Frying
--Grilling
--Deep Frying
--Braising
--Poaching
--Roasting
--Basting
--Blanching
--De-glazing/pan sauces
--Proper cooking temperatures
--Proper heating of fats
--Proper protein doneness
--Basic Knife Cuts
--Knife sharpening and honing
--Fabricating small fish, poultry, and meats
--Chicken, Veal/Beef, Fish, and Shellfish stocks
--Trussing
--Barding
--Bechamel and Hollandaise (the only two Mother Sauces you really need to know)
--Mayonnaise (NOT a Mother sauce) and aiolis
--Vinaigrettes; egg and non-egg based
--Basic wine reductions
--Cream reductions
--Basic tomato sauce (pomodoro)
--Beurre Blanc
--Demi Glace
--Al dente pasta
--Rice
--Brining

....to be continued...

 

[knight76]

I don't have a direct answer for you, but I recently came across this blog: Whisk: a food blog . She's working her way through "Le Cordon Bleu Classic French Cookbook," the textbook of the French culinary school Le Cordon Bleu, in lieu of attending cooking school. Cool idea

Great link. Here is a link straight to the individual classes that make up this curriculum (sp).

Whisk: a food blog: Classes

 

[David Cottrell]

Iron Chef is an experienced cook to be sure. I'm not, hardly know from nothing. When I decided to learn how to cook something other than oatmeal, burned bacon and eggs that came out however they wanted to I wondered, now what. Decided that sauces would be a good place to start - seemed that Chefs know a zillion sauces. Got bored quickly - like how many sauces can one eat ?

Then I decided to start traveling in my kitchen and concentrate on a region, locality, country, whatever for a time until I could do a respectable job of cooking maybe two full meals from each. That has been fun. Got to get back to it! Where to now, haven't decided. Touched on Africa and thinking about going back in my little kitchen.

 

[jennyema]

Go to a bookstore and peruse The Professional Chef, the textbook used at the CIA.

 

[quicksilver]

Knight, we had a similar thread that started on 5/23/08, last post 5/30/08, in the Miscellaneous Cat, page 2, titled; Things Every Professional or Serious Amateur Cook Should Know.

There were many opinions there.
See what you think.

​

 

[JillBurgh]

Knight, we had a similar thread that started on 5/23/08, last post 5/30/08, in the Miscellaneous Cat, page 2, titled; Things Every Professional or Serious Amateur Cook Should Know.

There were many opinions there.
See what you think.

Woo-wee. That was the week I was away on vacation. See what I miss?

Different.

I don't really know what to say, except that you all spoke for the forum very well. Long live SPAM curry.

 

[jpmcgrew]

Get this book it has everything you need to know and then some, check the ( look inside this book) and read the table of contents etc. It is all illustrated with pictures
Amazon.com: Jacques Pepin's Complete Techniques: Jacques Pépin, Léon Perer: Books

 

[ironchef]

Knight, we had a similar thread that started on 5/23/08, last post 5/30/08, in the Miscellaneous Cat, page 2, titled; Things Every Professional or Serious Amateur Cook Should Know.

There were many opinions there.
See what you think.

However, I would disregard the list provided by the OP in that thread. Roughly 50% of the items that he listed were nonsensical.

 

[DaveSoMD]

Knight, we had a similar thread that started on 5/23/08, last post 5/30/08, in the Miscellaneous Cat, page 2, titled; Things Every Professional or Serious Amateur Cook Should Know.

I thought this topic sounded familiar!

 

[knight76]

However, I would disregard the list provided by the OP in that thread. Roughly 50% of the items that he listed were nonsensical.

Which is why I decided to make this thread. I started reading that thread but it was mostly full of talk and not really advice. I will have another read of it on the weekend when I have some more time.

Go to a bookstore and peruse The Professional Chef, the textbook used at the CIA.

You mean the CIA actually has an official cookbook? Does it have it's own section on poisoning?

 

[JillBurgh]

Which is why I decided to make this thread. I started reading that thread but it was mostly full of talk and not really advice. I will have another read of it on the weekend when I have some more time.



You mean the CIA actually has an official cookbook? Does it have it's own section on poisoning?

Too funny!

I bet those clams in the CIA. . . are reading this right now. . . so like I was saying, those swell folks sure do take good care of us. . . errrmmm

 

[quicksilver]

Why didn't you say yo wanted a recipe for poison?
KISS
Just grow pennyroyal! HA!

​

 

[Michael in FtW]

Since knight is an Aussie - I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he is ignorant of American cooking schools and not just being sarcastic ...

The CIA is the Culinary Institute of America.

 

[knight76]

Since knight is an Aussie - I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he is ignorant of American cooking schools and not just being sarcastic ...

The CIA is the Culinary Institute of America.

A little from column A and a little from column B as grandpa Simpson would say. I assumed you did not mean the real CIA. So there was definately sarcasm involved

 

[PytnPlace]

Oh boy, let's give him the benefit of the doubt!

I'm a self taught "chef". Been in front of the stove for over 25 years now. What really started to build my confidence is when I learned how to properly season and sear on the cooktop and make pan sauces. So IMO searing/pan sauces are a basic tool.

 

[Fisher's Mom]

I think it's more important to learn cooking technique rather than specific recipes. Proper technique will come in handy far more often than a specific recipe will. That's not to say that recipes aren't important, because they are. But here's a basic list off the top of my head before I go to sleep. This list is formulated more towards the home cook:

--Proper Seasoning
--PROPER SEASONING!!!
--Pan Searing
--Saute/Pan Frying
--Grilling
--Deep Frying
--Braising
--Poaching
--Roasting
--Basting
--Blanching
--De-glazing/pan sauces
--Proper cooking temperatures
--Proper heating of fats
--Proper protein doneness
--Basic Knife Cuts
--Knife sharpening and honing
--Fabricating small fish, poultry, and meats
--Chicken, Veal/Beef, Fish, and Shellfish stocks
--Trussing
--Barding
--Bechamel and Hollandaise (the only two Mother Sauces you really need to know)
--Mayonnaise (NOT a Mother sauce) and aiolis
--Vinaigrettes; egg and non-egg based
--Basic wine reductions
--Cream reductions
--Basic tomato sauce (pomodoro)
--Beurre Blanc
--Demi Glace
--Al dente pasta
--Rice
--Brining

....to be continued...

Gosh, cut me some slack IC! I'm 51 - I don't know if I have enough time left for all this! (And I was on such a scallop high.....)

Seriously, this is such a good list. Thank you. I printed it out and am planning my remaining years accordingly.

 

[YT2095]

other than the obvious of using good quality ingredients, I think knowing how to make a good Stock, and knowing how long each item will take to cook (IE/ you wouldn`t put the backed potatoes on at same time as cooking the Salmon!), are essentials.

 

[Michael in FtW]

A little from column A and a little from column B as grandpa Simpson would say. I assumed you did not mean the real CIA. So there was definately sarcasm involved

Too bad ... now instead of posting the list of the 7 methods of cooking cited by David Wade, and why I think it should be expanded to 11 ... I'm wondering if perhaps your original question was actually just supercillious?

IC - I know ... I rejected the idea of mayonnaise being a "Mother Sauce" for years because it is not a cooked sauce. But Fellows and Escoffier both recognize it as such ... and they use it as such, so who am I to argue?