How To Poach An Egg

Every Michelin star chef in high-end restaurants has to first learn the basics of cooking. And what can be more basic than a poached egg? It is the dish that many get scared of and only a select few can get it right. But don’t get intimidated because the recipe to a perfectly gooey and silky poached egg isn’t that difficult.

Preparation

1. Fill a small saucepan with water and bring to a boil.
2. Once the bubbles start to arise, turn the heat down.
3. Slowly add the cracked egg from a measuring cup into the saucepan with water.
4. Add vinegar to the water to keep the white part in place and push the egg under the water very lightly.
5. Choose the duration of cooking depending upon how well you want your egg to be done.

Roasting A Chicken

There’s nothing more American than roasted chicken. If you are fond of cooking, roasting a stuffed chicken is one of the first things you need to learn. Although roasting a chicken without stuffing is easier, it gets tastier when you stuff it up with flavorful veggies.

Ingredients

• Sea salt to taste
• Pine nuts - 1 large handful
• Onion, peeled and finely chopped - 1
• Olive oil
• Mixed mushrooms, cleaned - 500 g
• Lemon -1
• Garlic, peeled and finely sliced - 4 cloves
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Fresh white breadcrumbs - 2 large handfuls
• Fresh thyme - 1 bunch
• Egg, beaten - 1
• Chicken - 1.5 kg

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Heat a good amount of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic to the pan and cook until soft. Add thyme leaves and mushrooms into the pan and fry them over high heat for 5 to 10 minutes until the mushrooms get crispy. Now, remove the pan from heat and grate the mushrooms in the lemon zest. Set aside to cool.
3. Add the breadcrumbs and pine nuts to the mushroom mixture and stuff it into the chicken alongside the egg.
4. Cut the lemon in half and place inside the chicken with thyme sprigs.
5. Now place the stuffed chicken onto a roasting dish. Season the chicken with olive oil, salt and pepper.
6. Place the tray into the oven and cook for 40 minutes and stick a skewer into the chicken to see if it is perfectly cooked.

Learn To Make Stock

Nothing is more versatile than stock. Whether it is chicken stock or simple vegetable stock, it can be used to prepare a range of delicious dishes. A perfectly prepared stock can take any dish to the next level.

Ingredients

• Whole peppercorns - 1 teaspoon
• Parsley - 1 small bunch
• Onions - 1 to 2
• Leek, white part only – 1, cut in 1/2 lengthwise
• Fresh thyme - 4 to 5 sprigs
• Chicken carcasses, including necks and backs - 4 pounds
• Celery stalks - 3 to 4
• Carrots - 2 to 3
• Bay leaf - 1

Preparation

1. Place all the veggies, herbs, spices, and the chicken in a stockpot filled with water.
2. If you want thin consistency of the stock, make sure you add more water.
3. Set the heat to medium and once you see the water bubbling, drop the heat to low.
4. Let the stock simmer and get rid of the scum from the stock using a spoon.
5. Let the stock prepare for at least 6 hours.
6. Once done, get rid of the vegetables and bones with the help of a strainer. Set aside to cool and place in the refrigerator for later use.

Make Gravy

It is not difficult to make luscious gravy that leaves you feeling out of this world. Here’s how you make the most basic and the most scrumptious gravy:

Ingredients

• White wine - 1/2 cup
• Unsalted butter
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Peppercorns - 1 tablespoon
• Onion - 1
• Fresh thyme and parsley
• Flour - 1/4 cup
• Celery - 4 stalks
• Carrots - 2
• Bone-in turkey, a mix of breast, thighs and/or legs - 2 to 4 pounds
• Bay leaf - 1

Preparation

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and pat dry the turkey pieces and place them in a pan. Season generously with salt and pepper, and roast for 90 minutes.
2. Remove the pan from the oven and let the turkey cool. Once cool, shred the turkey meat from the bones.
3. Use the pan with turkey juice and fat from roasting by placing it over medium heat. Once the fat begins to sizzle, add white wine while stirring constantly. Once the pan is clean from the leftover turkey juices, set the liquid from the pan aside in a bowl.
4. Now place the turkey bones and meat in a large pot. Add the chopped onion, carrots, and celery to the pot with peppercorns, herbs, and bay leaf. Pour in a generous amount of water into the pot.
5. Place the pot on the stove and boil the stock. Reduce the heat and let the stock simmer. Cover the pot with a lid and let it simmer.
6. Now add ¼ cup fat from the turkey stock into a saucepan. Add unsalted butter into the saucepan to make it richer.
7. Once the fat begins to foam up, add the flour into the pan. Cook the flour mixture over medium heat stirring constantly. When the mixture reaches a pale brown color, add the flour mixture to the stock.
8. Smooth out any lumps with the help of a spoon. Bring the stock to a boil while whisking frequently. Once the stock boils and the gravy thickens, turn off the heat and season with salt and pepper.

Prepare Salad Dressing

Salad dressings are important because you can put up a simple dish in front of guests at parties within minutes.

Ingredients

• Freshly ground black pepper - 1/8 teaspoon
• Balsamic vinegar - 1/4 cup
• Kosher salt - 1/4 teaspoon
• Extra-virgin olive oil - 1/2 cup
• Garlic, peeled - 1 whole clove
• Honey - 1 teaspoon

Preparation

1. Add all the ingredients in an airtight jar.
2. Cover and shake well before serving.