Every recipe you’ve cooked involved some sort of technique, no matter how basic. These three dishes each feature four culinary skills that, once mastered, you’ll roll out time and time again. The food team’s Pollyanna Coupland analyses each skill and shares the secrets to its success. Add all 12 to your portfolio and you’ll be a master chef in no time
RECIPES AND FOOD STYLING POLLYANNA COUPLAND PHOTOGRAPHS INDIA WHILEY-MORTON
YOUR EGGS FLORENTINE SKILLS
1 HOMEMADE MUFFINS are a game-changer – just like freshly baked bread, they’re a world away from shop-bought. The overnight prove brings a better flavour and less work in the morning for your brunch.
2 HOLLANDAISE is the emulsified sauce mayonnaise wants to be when it grows up. It scares a lot of cooks (and some chefs), but here are my top tips for getting it right:
• Whisking by hand might seem old-school, but it allows you to keep an eye on what’s going on and work at a steady pace.
• Try to have everything at the same temperature when whisking things together to avoid splitting. Aim for warm, not hot.
• Don’t rush. Make sure the egg yolks have thickened properly before adding the vinegar and butter, otherwise the sauce won’t emulsify.
• If the sauce splits and adding a splash of water doesn’t work, all is not lost – put another egg yolk in a bowl over the simmering water, whisk it for 2 minutes until thick, then slowly drizzle and whisk into the split mixture. It should re-emulsify.
• Season liberally – there’s a lot of rich butter in the sauce, which needs a heap of salt and pepper to bring it to life.
3 PERFECT POACHED EGGS are the holy grail of egg cookery. It’s all about using the freshest eggs, sieving them to get rid of the watery part of the whites (which creates those stringy, ghostly wisps in the water), adding a splash of vinegar (no salt) to the water and creating a whirlpool to coddle the white around the yolk.
4 CHOPPING HERBS might not sound like a thrilling subject, but there’s a reason chefs judge each other’s talents based on how finely they slice chives. Poor technique or a blunt knife blade will crush herbs as much as chop them, releasing liquid and leaving you with something soggy and bruised rather than fresh and crisp.
★ COVER RECIPEEggs florentine
