Essentials of Cooking

In this unrivaled practical guide, one of America's most widely respected cookbook authors distills his vast knowledge and experience into the 100 essential techniques that every cook needs to know. Seven hundred and fifty photographs unravel the mysteries of the method and provide practical application on the spot.

Each technique is further explained in terms of how it makes the food taste: What happens, for example, if you cook the fish in butter versus oil? Why does roasting make vegetables taste so good? How do you decide whether you want to make a chicken stew or sautT?

Here are answers to just about every cooking question, from the simple to the sublime: how to boil an artichoke or cook a soft-boiled egg, or how to clean soft-shell crabs or even butcher and roast a whole saddle of lamb. Knowing how to execute a technique makes you efficient; knowing why you've chosen that technique makes you a master.

One of America's most widely respected cookbook authors distills his vast knowledge and experience into the 100 essential techniques that every cook needs to know. 750 color photos.

Learn not just the how but the why by mastering the indispensable skills that spell the difference between merely cooking and knowing how to cook

Praise for James Peterson's award-winning books:

"uncommonly captivating" --Publisher's Weekly

"meticulously formulated and caringly written" --The New York Times

James Peterson, trained as a chemist, traded in his lab coat for an apron when he moved to Paris to study professional French cooking. School was followed by apprenticeships, first in the kitchen of the then three-star Le Vivarois in Paris and later at Chez la Mere Blanc in Vonnas, now Georges Blanc. In 1979, Peterson moved to Le Petit Robert, New York's beloved Greenwich Village restaurant, where he served rustic and traditional French food until 1984. Peterson has taught cooking for the last fifteen years, has crafted the curriculum for several cooking schools, including the French Culinary Institute in New York, and is a sought-after consultant and speaker on culinary subjects. His books include Sauces: Classical and Contemporary Sauce Making,which won two James Beard awards, including the prestigious cookbook of the year; Splendid Soups,which won best single subject from the International Association of Cooking Professionals; and Vegetables,which won still another James Beard award for best book on its subject. Peterson lives in Brooklyn, New York.

BASICS

HOW TO:

Peel Vegetables

Shuck, Stem, Trim, and Seed Vegetables

Cut Up Vegetables and Herbs

Prepare Fruits

Take the Meat out of a Coconut

Make a Chicken Broth

Make a Fish Broth

Make a Crustacean Broth

Make a Green Salad

Make a Vinaigrette

Make Infused Oils

Make a Mayonnaise

Make a Hollandaise Sauce

Clarify Butter

Make a Flavored Butter

Make a Beurre Blanc

Make a Tomato Sauce

Make Fresh Egg Pasta Dough

Roll and Cut Fresh Pasta Dough

Make Stuffed Pasta Shapes

Make Gnocchi

Make Blini and Crepes

Cook Risotto, Pilaf, Fluffy Rice, and Paella

Determine Doneness of Foods

VEGETABLES and FRUITS

HOW TO:

Roast Vegetables

Make a Vegetable Gratin

Slow-Cook (Braise) Green Vegetables

Glaze Root Vegetables

Deep-fry Vegetables

Make Potato Chips and French Fries

Grill Vegetables

Steam and Boil Vegetables

Saute Vegetables

Cook Artichokes

Make Mashed Potatoes and Other Vegetable and Fruit Purees

Make a Vegetable Flan

Make a Chunky Vegetable Soup

Make a Creamy Vegetable Soup

Roast Fruit

Poach Fruit

FISH and SHELLFISH

HOW TO:

Poach a Big Fish

Poach a Small Fish

Poach Fish Steaks and Fillets, Small Whole Fish, and Shellfish

Cook Fish Fillets en Papillote

Bake Fish and Make a Sauce at the Same Time (Braise)

Roast a Whole Fish

Deep-fry Seafood

Grill Seafood

Saute Seafood for a Crisp Crust

Cook Squid (and Other Tentacled Creatures)

Stir-fry in a Wok

Steam Shellfish

Shuck Oysters

Prepare Lobster

Prepare Soft-shell Crabs

Cook Crayfish

Use Salted Anchovies

Make Miso Soup

POULTRY and EGGS

HOW TO:

Roast a Chicken

Poach Chicken in a Pot

Cut Up a Chicken

Make a Chicken Stew

Make a Chicken Saute

Make Fried Chicken

Grill Chicken

Saute Breaded Chicken Breasts

Make a Chicken Liver Mousse

Roast a Turkey and Make Giblet Gravy

Cut Up a Duck

Boil Eggs

Poach Eggs

Bake Eggs

Make an Omelet

Make a Souffle

MEAT

HOW TO:

Roast a Leg of Lamb

Roast a Rack of Lamb and Make a Jus

Roast a Rack of Pork

Roast a Prime Rib of Beef

Grill (or Broil) Chops and Steaks

Saute Steaks, Chops, Noisettes, and Medallions (and Make a Pan Sauce)

Saute a Small Whole Loin of Pork, Veal, or Venison

Make Pot-au-Feu and Other Boiled Dinners

Poach a Tender Cut of Meat

Make a Pot Roast

Make a Stew

Cook Veal, Beef, and Lamb Shanks

Make a Stew Without Browning

Make a Veal Stew

Prepare Sweetbreads

WORKING FROM SCRATCH

HOW TO:

Prepare a Wbole Round Fish

Fillet a Salmon

Bone a Whole Round Fish

Prepare a Whole Flatfish

Scale, Clean, and Bone Whole Small Fish

Hot-Smoke Fish Fillets

Cold-Smoke Fish Fillets

Cure Seafood (Brining and Salting)

Trim and Cut Up a Breast of Veal for Stew

Trim and Partially Bone a Leg of Lamb

Butcher a Double Rack of Lamb

Trim and French a Rack of Lamb

Trim and Roast a Saddle of Lamb

Cut Up a Rabbit

Prepare and Braise a Large Rabbit

GLOSSARY

INDEX