What the Chef Won't Tell You: 10 Don't-Tell Shortcuts from Gourmet Kitchens
Score prof chef results with these tips and tricks.
Think all chefs make their sauces from scratch, use precious ingredients, and hand shell all those English peas to make their gourmet dishes? Not exactly. Professional chefs, just like you and me, cut corners whenever possible. But while their shortcuts may subtract a few minutes, they never shortchange flavor. Try these gourmet tips and you'll surely score the same fantastic results as any restaurant chef. In a time crunch? Try these famous chefs' fast Five-Ingredient Recipes.
1
Kate Sears
Rocco DiSpirito
Chef and host of A&E's Rocco Gets Real
Secret Shortcut: Frozen peas
"I learned how to use frozen peas from a famous four-star chef. He told me to get the peas, and I looked for them in the walk-in refrigerator forever. Finally he said, 'They're in the freezer, idiot!' I challenge anyone to find better peas except for one month of the year."
Recipe: Easy Pea Risotto
Secret Shortcut: Frozen peas
"I learned how to use frozen peas from a famous four-star chef. He told me to get the peas, and I looked for them in the walk-in refrigerator forever. Finally he said, 'They're in the freezer, idiot!' I challenge anyone to find better peas except for one month of the year."
Recipe: Easy Pea Risotto
2![Host of Food Network's <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/nigella-express/index.html" target="_blank"><b><i>Nigella Express</i></b></a> and author of <a href="http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?EAN=9781401322434&lkid=J25249592&pubid=K125307&byo=1" target="_blank"><b><i>Nigella Express: Good Food Fast</i></b></a><br /><br /><b>Secret Shortcut:</b> Naan<br />"At times when I'm pretending to indulge the children, but am really too exhausted to cook, I order pizza. But actually [making Naan Pizza] is my preferred option. This is not much harder to cook than making a phone call, and I feel much happier for it."<br /><br /><b>Recipe: <a href="/recipefinder/naan-pizza-recipe" target="_blank">Naan Pizza</a></b>](https://hips.hearstapps.com/del.h-cdn.co/assets/cm/15/10/54f9d94f38625_-_naan-bread-xl.jpg?crop=1xw:1.0xh;center,top&resize=980:* "Nigella Lawson")
Jan Infante/Istock
Nigella Lawson
Host of Food Network's Nigella Express and author of Nigella Express: Good Food Fast
Secret Shortcut: Naan
"At times when I'm pretending to indulge the children, but am really too exhausted to cook, I order pizza. But actually [making Naan Pizza] is my preferred option. This is not much harder to cook than making a phone call, and I feel much happier for it."
Recipe: Naan Pizza
Secret Shortcut: Naan
"At times when I'm pretending to indulge the children, but am really too exhausted to cook, I order pizza. But actually [making Naan Pizza] is my preferred option. This is not much harder to cook than making a phone call, and I feel much happier for it."
Recipe: Naan Pizza
3
Courtesy Ming Tsai 2004
Sweet and Sour Cranberry Chutney
Try this simple sweet and sour cranberry chutney for an Asian take on cranberry sauce!
Recipe: Sweet and Sour Cranberry Chutney
4
SHIMON & & TAMMAR
Michael Schlow
Chef/owner Radius, Boston
Secret Shortcut: Instant mashed potatoes
"Instant mashed potatoes are a great breading for fish and poultry. When combined with seasoning and used in place of breadcrumbs, they give an awesome flavor and are an easy, fast, and inexpensive ingredient."
Recipe: Potato-Crusted Halibut
Secret Shortcut: Instant mashed potatoes
"Instant mashed potatoes are a great breading for fish and poultry. When combined with seasoning and used in place of breadcrumbs, they give an awesome flavor and are an easy, fast, and inexpensive ingredient."
Recipe: Potato-Crusted Halibut
5
Evan Sklar
Lidia Bastianich
Host of Lidia's Italy and author of Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy
Secret Shortcut: Breadcrumbs
Run out of flour, but need to thicken your sauce? "Just stir in breadcrumbs and let them cook a few minutes so they release their starches. Strain the sauce, pressing all the liquid out of the crumbs." The result? A thick sauce without the raw-floury taste on your tongue.
Recipe: Sunday Best Roast Beef with Pan Gravy
Secret Shortcut: Breadcrumbs
Run out of flour, but need to thicken your sauce? "Just stir in breadcrumbs and let them cook a few minutes so they release their starches. Strain the sauce, pressing all the liquid out of the crumbs." The result? A thick sauce without the raw-floury taste on your tongue.
Recipe: Sunday Best Roast Beef with Pan Gravy
6
Istock
David Waltuck
Chef/owner Chanterelle, New York City
Secret Shortcut: Cleaning seafood with salt
"A simple, time-saving tip for cleaning mussels is to soak them for 1 hour in a bowl of salted water. This helps to dislodge the dirt and grit from around the lip of the shells. After soaking, just scrub under cold running water with a stiff brush and the remaining grit should come off easily."
Recipe: Mussel Soup with Saffron
Secret Shortcut: Cleaning seafood with salt
"A simple, time-saving tip for cleaning mussels is to soak them for 1 hour in a bowl of salted water. This helps to dislodge the dirt and grit from around the lip of the shells. After soaking, just scrub under cold running water with a stiff brush and the remaining grit should come off easily."
Recipe: Mussel Soup with Saffron
7
Istock
Cannellini Bean Salad
cannellini bean salad
8
Amar Santana
Executive chef of Charlie Palmer at Bloomingdale's South Coast Plaza
Secret Shortcut: Ritz crackers
"Ritz crackers are a great shortcut for lobster stuffing. Some chefs typically bake sliced bread, dry it out, and salt, but Ritz crackers offer a great quick and easy alternative. At the restaurant people try to guess what's in the stuffing and no one ever guesses Ritz crackers!"
Secret Shortcut: Ritz crackers
"Ritz crackers are a great shortcut for lobster stuffing. Some chefs typically bake sliced bread, dry it out, and salt, but Ritz crackers offer a great quick and easy alternative. At the restaurant people try to guess what's in the stuffing and no one ever guesses Ritz crackers!"
Recipes: Lobster Stuffing and Boiled Lobster with Pepper Butter
9
Courtesy of Baltz & Company
The Waverly Inn Chicken Pot Pie
Even diners at gourmet restaurants crave comfort food, so chef John DeLucie whips up this pot pie recipe at his NYC restaurant, the Waverly Inn.
Recipe: The Waverly Inn Chicken Pot Pie
10
Charles Schiller
Joel Dennis
Executive chef, Adour Alain Ducasse at the St. Regis, New York City
Secret Shortcut: Ice cube trays
Chef Dennis fills up an ice cube tray with pesto and freezes it, creating easy portions. "Depending on how much pesto you need, a quick thawing out of an individual cube or two creates a nice sauce for pasta or chicken, fresh mozzarella, and summer tomatoes."
Recipe: Parsley-Walnut Pesto
Secret Shortcut: Ice cube trays
Chef Dennis fills up an ice cube tray with pesto and freezes it, creating easy portions. "Depending on how much pesto you need, a quick thawing out of an individual cube or two creates a nice sauce for pasta or chicken, fresh mozzarella, and summer tomatoes."
Recipe: Parsley-Walnut Pesto
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