Cooking Techniques
95 flashcards by MentisLibrary
Knife cuts by name and dimension, every heat method worth knowing, the five mother sauces and their offspring, why emulsions break, and the temperatures that matter. The craft behind the recipe.
- What are the dimensions of a julienne cut?
- Thin matchsticks about 1/8 inch square and 2 inches long
- What is a brunoise?
- A tiny 1/8 inch cube, produced by cutting a julienne crosswise
- What are the dimensions of a batonnet?
- Sticks about 1/4 inch square and 2 to 2.5 inches long
- What size is a small dice?
- A 1/4 inch cube, cut down from a batonnet
- What size is a medium dice?
- A 1/2 inch cube
- What size is a large dice?
- A 3/4 inch cube
- What is a chiffonade?
- Leafy greens or herbs rolled tightly and sliced into fine ribbons
- What is a paysanne cut?
- Thin flat squares or triangles that follow the shape of the vegetable
- What is a tourne cut?
- A hand-carved football shape with seven flat sides and blunt ends
- What is a rondelle?
- A simple disc, made by slicing a cylindrical vegetable crosswise
- How is mincing different from dicing?
- Mincing produces the finest possible pieces and does not need to be uniform
- What does it mean to supreme a citrus fruit?
- To cut the peeled segments free of all membrane so only flesh remains
- What does butterflying do to a cut of meat?
- It splits the piece nearly through and opens it flat, doubling the surface and halving the thickness
- What does it mean to spatchcock a bird?
- To remove the backbone and press the bird flat so it roasts evenly
- What is a chef's knife used for?
- General purpose work, chopping, slicing and mincing, thanks to its curved belly and length
- What is a paring knife for?
- Small in-hand detail work such as peeling, trimming and hulling
- What makes a boning knife suited to its job?
- A narrow, often flexible blade that can follow bone and slip under silverskin
- When should you reach for a serrated knife?
- For foods with a hard exterior and soft interior, such as bread and ripe tomatoes
- How does a santoku differ from a chef's knife?
- It is shorter with a flatter edge and a sheepsfoot tip, so it favors push cuts over rocking
- What is the bolster on a knife?
- The thick collar of metal between the blade and the handle
- What is a full tang?
- A blade whose steel runs the entire length of the handle, sandwiched between the scales
- What is the difference between honing and sharpening?
- Honing realigns a rolled edge, sharpening removes metal to create a new one
- What do whetstone grit numbers mean?
- Higher numbers are finer abrasives, so you work from a coarse stone up to a fine one
- What is the claw grip?
- Curling the fingertips of the guiding hand under so the knuckles, not the tips, ride the blade
- What is the difference between a rock chop and a push cut?
- A rock chop keeps the tip on the board and pivots the handle, a push cut drives the blade forward and down
- What material makes the best cutting board?
- Wood or a soft plastic, both of which give slightly under the edge
- Why is a dull knife more dangerous than a sharp one?
- It needs more force and slips off food instead of biting in, so it skids into your hand
- What is the difference between dry heat and moist heat cooking?
- Dry heat cooks with hot air, fat or radiation and can brown, moist heat cooks with water or steam and cannot
- What defines sauteing?
- Cooking small pieces quickly in a little fat over relatively high heat, keeping the food moving
- How does pan frying differ from sauteing?
- Pan frying uses more fat, larger pieces and moderate heat, and the food is not kept moving