Notes

Pan sauce

1. High heat with neutral oil (canola, etc).
2. Mallard reaction.
3. Remove protein and let rest. The rest of the procedure takes 5-10 minutes.
4. Saute shallots and scrub fond.
5. Deglaze red wine.
6. Add herbs/raisins/etc.
7. Add stock.
8. Reduce until napé
9. Add butter and cut fat with a couple drops of acid (lemon, grapefruit juice, muscado vinegar, etc).
10. Check for salt and correct if needed.

Thickeners and gravies

1. 1:1 by weight of butter and flour.
2. Cook in pan until golden brown and let cool.
3. Brown wing tips of gizzards in saute pan.
4. Geglaze with wine, water, brandy...
5. Reduce until it barely covers the bottom of pan.
6. Add stock reduce further.
7. Add roux to reduction.

Example Ratio

To thicken 1 cup (240ml) of stock to a rich, medium-bodied consistency:

• Roux: Use 1 tablespoon (15g) of butter and 1 tablespoon (15g) of flour.
• Method: Whisk the cooled roux directly into hot, simmering stock, then simmer for at least 2–3 minutes to cook out any raw flour taste.

Reinforce and reduce chicken stock

This technique is used to intensify the flavor and body of a weak or store-bought stock by infusing it with fresh aromatics and reducing its water content.

1. Aromatics: Sauté or roast a mirepoix (onions, carrots, celery) until deeply caramelized to build a fond and robust flavor base.
2. Combine: Pour in the chicken stock and deglaze the pan.
3. Infuse: Add fresh herbs (e.g., thyme, parsley stems, bay leaf) and black peppercorns.
4. Simmer: Bring the liquid to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.
5. Reduce: Let it simmer uncovered until the volume is reduced by half. This concentrates both the flavor and the gelatin.
6. Strain: Pass the reinforced stock through a fine-mesh sieve (chinois) and discard the solids.

Reference

Seasoning

Choose unsaturated fats + high smoke point, example: Sunflowerseed oil, grapeseed oil and reach polymerization by heating. Exceeding smoke point carbonizes the oil, which we don't want because it leads to cracking and flaking.

1. Clean pan and dry well.
2. Apply thin layer of oil, spread well with towel.
3. Bake for 1 hour a little under the oil's smokepoint.

Video

Sweet potatoes

Produces an intensely sweet result by activating amylase enzymes before finishing.

1. Step 1 — enzyme activation: Oven at 160 °C for 80 minutes. Amylase converts starches into maltose, dramatically increasing sweetness.
2. Step 2 — finish: Raise oven to 230 °C for 10 minutes. The sugars caramelize and the flesh turns custard-soft.