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