Classical methods of cooking are foundational for chefs, as they serve as the building blocks for understanding technique, flavour, and the science behind food preparation.
The passion and motivation for La Rousseau ala cookhouse at J.W. Marriott, Kolkata, it’s not just a set of techniques but a philosophy of reverence for the process, discipline, and the inherent beauty of cooking for the chefs to their creations on plate canvas.
Simmering
Simmering is a way to cook food gently and slowly. It’s gentler than boiling but a little more aggressive than poaching. Simmering refers to cooking food in liquid, or even just cooking the liquid itself, at a temperature just below the boiling point. One of the most fundamental methods of moist-heat cooking, simmering is using the heat of the liquid to gently cook food. Simmering is a way to make fork tender foods and enhancing the flavor of what you cook by gently allowing everything to cook together synergistically.
Emulsion
An emulsion is a mixture of two liquids that would ordinarily not mix, like oil and vinegar. An emulsion can be hot or cold and take on any flavor from sweet to savory; it can be smooth or have a bit of texture. No matter the type of emulsion, these dressings and sauces enhance the taste of the dish, bringing another level of flavor to foods such as salads and eggs. In a stable emulsion, the droplets of one of the liquids become evenly dispersed within the other liquid. The resulting liquid is thicker than the two original liquids.
Caseiculture
Cheesemaking or Caseiculture is the craft of making cheese. The goal of cheese making is to control the spoiling of milk into cheese. The milk is traditionally from a cow, goat, sheep, or buffalo, although, in theory, cheese could be made from the milk of any mammal. Cow’s milk is most used worldwide.
Some cheeses may be deliberately left to ferment from naturally airborne spores and bacteria; this approach generally leads to a less consistent product but one that is valuable in a niche market. Cheese is made by bringing milk in the cheese vat to a temperature required to promote the growth of the bacteria that feed on lactose and thus ferment the lactose into lactic acid. Starter cultures are chosen to give a cheese its specific characteristics.
In the case of mould-ripened cheese such as Stilton, Roquefort or Camembert, mould spores (fungal spores) may be added to the milk in the cheese vat or can be added later to the cheese curd.
During the fermentation process, once sufficient lactic acid has been developed, rennet is added to cause the casein to precipitate. Once the cheese curd is judged to be ready, the cheese whey must be released. As with many foods the presence of water and the bacteria in it encourages decomposition.
Pan searing
Pan searing is a technique used in grilling, baking, braising, roasting, sautéing, etc., in which the surface of the food (usually meat such as meat, poultry, pork, seafood) is cooked at high temperature until a browned crust forms. Similar techniques, browning and blackening, are typically used to sear all sides of a particular piece of meat, fish, poultry, etc. before finishing it in the oven.
Poaching
Poaching is a cooking technique that involves heating food submerged in a liquid, such as water, milk, stock, or wine. Poaching is differentiated from the other “moist heat” cooking methods, such as simmering and boiling, in that it uses a relatively lower temperature. This temperature makes it particularly suitable for delicate food, such as eggs, poultry, fish, and fruit, which might easily fall apart or dry out using other cooking methods. Poaching is often considered a healthy method of cooking because it does not use fat to cook or flavor the food. The poaching liquid traditionally uses a stock, broth or court bouillon which can consist of an acid (wine, lemon juice) and aromatics, such as herbs and/or spices.
The liquid used for shallow poaching is typically called a cuisson and can be reduced and used as a base for the poached item’s sauce. Poaching allows the proteins to denature without pulling too much (if any at all) moisture out of the food.
Braising
Braising is a combination-cooking method that uses both wet and dry heats – typically, the food is first browned at a high temperature, then simmered in a covered pot in cooking liquid (such as wine, broth, coconut milk or beer). It is like stewing, but braising is done with less liquid and usually used for larger cuts of meat. Braising of meat is often referred to as pot roasting, though some authors make a distinction between the two methods, based on whether additional liquid is added. Braising relies on heat, time, and moisture to break down the tough connective tissue (collagen) that binds together the muscle fibers in meat, making it an ideal way to cook tougher, more affordable cuts. The food to be braised is first pan-seared to brown its surface and enhance its flavor. A classic braise is done with a relatively whole cut of meat, and the braising liquid will cover two-thirds of the food in the pan. The dish is then covered and cooked at a very low simmer until the meat becomes so tender that it can be “cut” with just the gentlest of pressure from a fork (versus a knife). Often the cooking liquid is finished to create a sauce or gravy as well.
Baking
Baking is a method of preparing food that uses dry heat, typically in an oven, but can also be done in hot ashes, or on hot stones. The most common baked item is bread, but many other types of foods can be baked. Heat is gradually transferred “from the surface to their center. As heat travels through, it transforms food into baked goods and more with a firm dry crust and a softer center”.
Ragout
Ragout is essentially the same as a stew, except that most recipes for ragout are originally French, and often the meat and vegetables are cut into smaller pieces than in a typical stew. Ragouts vary in flavor and ingredients.
Marination
Marinating is the process of soaking foods in a seasoned, often acidic, liquid before cooking – the technique of adding flavor by immersion in liquid. The liquid in question, the marinade, can be either acidic or enzymatic or have a neutral. In addition to these ingredients, a marinade often contains oils, herbs, and spices to further flavor the food items.
Marinating is like brining, except that brining generally does not involve a significant amount of acid. It is also like pickling, except that pickling is generally done for much longer periods, primarily as a means of food preservation, whereas marinating is usually only performed for a few hours to a day, generally as a means of enhancing the flavor of the food.
Stewing
Stewing is a long, slow cooking method where food is cut into pieces and cooked in the minimum amount of liquid, water, stock or sauce. The food and the cooking liquid are served together. All stews have a thickened consistency. Stewing is merely another form of simmering, with the exception that when it is employed, but a small quantity of liquid is used. Meats cooked by this method yield all their juices and gelatins, and the gravy is rich and nourishing. Stewing is generally defined as a gradual process of simmering in a small quantity of liquor.
Stewing implies long cooking at simmering point in a small quantity of water or liquid. The aim is to soften the fibers and make a rich gravy by extracting material from the food.
