| Let's take a look at one of the most
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| | potatoes.No panic, no undercooked grains,
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| basic forms of cooking - immersing food
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| | no expensive electric cooker. Just
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| in hot water.Yes, I know. That includes
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| | perfectly separated fluffy rice which is
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| simmering as well. But I want to look at
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| | ready to be used when you need it.Can you
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| boiling, some of the different foods
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| | see what a powerful system this is? It
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| involved and the ways in which they are
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| | means you can prepare your rice before
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| treated.Boiling is really divided into
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| | you even begin to worry about your
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| two separate methods. One is to place the
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| | stir-fry or whatever else it is that
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| food in cold water and gradually heat it
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| | you're going to prepare.Incidentally,
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| to boiling point, the other is to bring
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| | don't be afraid to add a little color to
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| the water to the boil first before adding
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| | your rice by dropping some chopped up red
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| the food.The first method might be used
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| | or yellow bell pepper into the water
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| for potatoes, for example, and the second
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| | about five minutes before you finish
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| for green vegetables.A variation on both
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| | cooking it.Or serve yellow rice by adding
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| methods is whether or not the food should
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| | saffron or turmeric to the cooking water.
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| be covered while cooking. Let's deal
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| | Once you know this technique, the results
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| with that right now. Green vegetables
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| | are limited only by your
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| should never be covered while boiling -
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| | imagination.PastaCooking pasta couldn't
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| they will lose their color and turn an
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| | be simpler. You boil it in salted water
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| unattractive shade of gray.Vegetables
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| | for however long it says on the packet.
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| such as potatoes should be partially
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| | Then you drain it and it all sticks
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| covered to preserve vitamins and reduce
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| | together in one inedible lump!Well not
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| evaporation.Remember that water will come
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| | any more. Here's the solution (and it's
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| to the boil much quicker if the pan is
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| | not adding oil during cooking)Just before
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| covered to start with, as will any other
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| | cooking ends, remove about half a cup of
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| liquid.Let's take an exampleEggs. This
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| | the cooking liquid and reserve it. Drain
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| may seem too simple, but the truth is you
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| | the pasta in a colander, return it to the
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| can tell more about a cook by the way
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| | pan in which it was cooked and add back
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| they handle eggs and potatoes than just
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| | in the reserved cooking liquid.Stir it,
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| about anything else. I have lost count
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| | and add about a tablespoon of olive oil.
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| of the number of times a chef has tested
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| | That's it. Done. The oil and liquid will
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| my skills by asking me to boil potatoes
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| | combine to give your pasta a smooth,
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| or make a simple omelet.So, how do we
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| | creamy finish.No more stuck together
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| boil eggs?One way is to bring a pan of
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| | lumps. No more dried out bits. And you
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| water to the boil, put the eggs in and
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| | can add any sauce you like.If you're
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| then time them for two, three or five
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| | serving it plain and it seems a little
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| minutes depending on the result you want.
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| | sloppy, adding some grated parmesan or
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| But there is a better method.Put the
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| | pecorino cheese will quickly solve that
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| eggs in cold, salted water and bring to
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| | problem for you, as well as injecting
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| the boil on fierce heat. The salt will
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| | some welcome flavor.Boiled BeefThe
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| not flavor the eggs. It's there simply
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| | expression 'boiled beef' probably arises
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| to make the water boil at a slightly
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| | from the fact that it's easier to say
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| higher temperature.Turn off the heat and
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| | than 'simmered beef' - which is what it
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| prepare your toast. The eggs will be
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| | really is.Salted, pickled and corned beef
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| ready when you are and can either be
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| | (or pork) amount to the same thing and
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| turned out on to the toast or served in
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| | are cooked by immersing in a bouillon
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| their shells. Simple, huh?Very. But
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| | (posh name for stock) which is kept just
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| there is one thing you have to have to
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| | below boiling point. Cooking time varies
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| make it work - fresh eggs!If you're one
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| | with the size of the piece but it's going
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| of the countless millions who don't live
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| | to take at least an hour and more likely
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| right next to a chicken farm, then you're
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| | two or more.The great thing is that it's
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| just going to have to check your use-by
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| | pretty hard to overcook it, so making it
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| date. If it's any less than four weeks
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| | the center of your main dish saves hugely
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| away, don't buy the eggs!I mean it. Eggs,
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| | on stress. It's also delicious. You can
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| like vegetables and fruit, need to be as
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| | serve it to anyone with confidence.Nobody
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| fresh as you can get them.Green
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| | that I know pickles their own meat these
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| vegetablesBroadly speaking, we're talking
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| | days. Buy it from your butcher or
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| about things like green beans, brussel
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| | supermarket, allowing around six ounces
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| sprouts, snow peas and so on. Not
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| | of meat per person.Trim the fat off.
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| cabbage, which should never be boiled,
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| | Unlike roasting you don't need any fat to
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| and not some of the more delicate greens
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| | keep the meat moist. Put it in a pot only
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| like spinach and buk choy.Beans and
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| | slightly larger than the joint, cover
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| sprouts are best cooked in uncovered,
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| | with water (no salt) and bring to the
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| rapidly boiling salted water until they
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| | boil.Then drain the meat and discard the
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| are just cooked - which means they are
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| | water. Add fresh, some salt, a peeled
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| still firm and cut cleanly.Drain them in
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| | onion into which you've stuck a couple of
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| a colander and then plunge them
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| | cloves, three or four carrots and a
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| immediately into icy water. You can leave
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| | tablespoon of vinegar.Bring this mix to
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| them there until you need them. This is
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| | the boil and then reduce the heat to a
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| the 'magic' step chefs use to keep greens
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| | simmer. Give it about 20 minutes to the
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| truly green.Yes, I know they'll go cold.
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| | pound and serve it with your favorite
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| That's not a problem. You see, by using
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| | mash and greens.Oh yes, and don't forget
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| this method you can prepare your green
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| | to reduce the liquor you cooked it in to
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| vegetables well ahead of time and not
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| | make a moistener for the meat.Easy
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| have to worry about them until just
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| | caramelIf you boil condensed milk, in its
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| before you serve the meal.When everything
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| | tin, for around 45-50 minutes, it will
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| else is ready, have a pan of boiling
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| | turn to caramel which you can then use as
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| water on the stove. Drop the greens in,
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| | a base for desserts. Just stick the tin
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| count to ten and drain them. They're
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| | in boiling water and wait. Of course you
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| ready to serve as is, or you can glaze
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| | may have to add extra water from time to
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| them with melted butter, add nutmeg,
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| | time to prevent drying out.To easily get
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| pepper or toss them in a little
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| | the caramel out after allowing it to cool
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| balsamic.Easy? You betcha. And a
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| | down, open the tin at both ends and push
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| foolproof way of ensuring that the greens
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| | it through with a wooden spoon or similar
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| are ready at the same time as the rest of
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| | kitchen item.Here's a simple method of
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| the meal.About potatoes and riceWait a
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| | using it:Crush some cookies into crumbs,
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| minute! What's this? You cook potatoes
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| | either by putting them between sheets of
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| and rice the same way?Yes! Well - almost.
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| | cling-film and beating the living
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| And it's foolproof.First potatoes. Which
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| | daylights out of them with a rolling pin,
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| are the more difficult of the two to
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| | or in a food processor.Mix the crumbs
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| cook. You don't think so? Wait and
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| | with melted butter and press this mix
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| see.Add your potatoes to cold salted
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| | into the base of a spring-form cake
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| water, bring to the boil and cook until a
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| | tin.then chill it in the fridge for
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| wooden skewer will pass easily through
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| | around an hour.Spread your caramel on top
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| them without undue pressure. Drain into a
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| | of the cookie base (warming it slightly
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| colander.Now put about an inch or so of
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| | will make this easier); pile sliced fruit
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| water in the pan, balance the colander
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| | on top of that (banana is perfect); then
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| (with potatoes) on top of that, return to
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| | pile on whipped cream to which you have
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| a low heat and cover. You can either use
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| | added some vanilla essence and a little
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| the saucepan lid or some silver foil.
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| | fine sugar. Grate a little dark
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| Personally I use a tea-towel (by far the
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| | chocolate onto the finished tart.Chill,
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| best) but if you do that you need to make
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| | remove the spring form case and serve
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| very sure that it goes nowhere near the
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| | from the base. Now is that easy or what?
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| heat
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| | And you can make it the day before if you
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| - especially if you're cooking with
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| | want.Do you need a recipe for that? Of
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| gas!Now the point is this. The potatoes
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| | course you don't. The way your version
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| will keep beautifully in the gently
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| | turns out is just the way it should be -
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| steaming atmosphere while you get on with
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| | and it will taste every bit as good as
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| everything else. They will even improve
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| | mine, if not better.ParboilingI've
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| in texture and be ready to serve whenever
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| | included this as a cooking method because
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| you need them.Okay. What about the
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| | it's a useful way for the savvy cook to
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| rice?Easy. Bring plenty of salted water
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| | remove excess fat from various meats in
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| to the boil. Then add the rice - roughly
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| | order to get a crisp finish when
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| one cup for every two people - stir once,
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| | barbecuing or grilling.The sort of things
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| bring back to the boil and cook for
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| | I'm talking about are spare ribs, chicken
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| exactly 15 minutes.You will have to
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| | wings, and even duck prior to
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| reduce the heat slightly to prevent the
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| | roasting.All you do is plunge whatever
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| mixture boiling over and you also need to
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| | you're cooking into boiling water (no
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| partially cover the pot to reduce
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| | salt needed) and leave it there to
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| evaporation.Now drain and follow exactly
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| | partially cook.
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| the same procedure as you did for the
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|