The Methods of Cooking , STOCKS , SOUPS ,SAUCES , SALAD

The Methods of Cooking 
The Different methods by which a food can be cooked are:
A) Roasting Cooking on open fire where the food is brought in direct contact with the flame
(barbeque) or cooking in a closed chamber (in an oven) where the food is subjected under open
heat with fat.
B) Baking Cooking of food by hot air in closed oven.
C) Frying Cooking of food by direct contact with hot fat or oil.
There are three types of cooking:
Shallow frying: Cooking in very little fat or oil.
Deep Fat frying: Cooking food where the food is submerged in fat.
Sauté: Its stir frying where the fat is just smeared on the utensil where the food is cooked.
D) Boiling Food is cooked surrounded by boiling water or any liquid.
E) Poaching Cooking food in very little water.
F) Steaming Cooking food by steam.
G) Stewing Gentle method of cooking food in closed pan in a small quantity of liquid.
H) Smoking Cooking food by smoke. The smoke imparts flavour an increases it shelf life.
I)Braising This is a combined method of roasting and stewing. In a closed pan with a tight fitting lid.
J) Grilling Cooking food under a direct heat in a griller.
K) Broiling Cooking food by direct heat in a pan where the heat comes from the bottom.

                                     Stock

Stock is an flavoured & nutritious liquid extracted from meat, fish or vegetables and are used as foundation for sauces, soups and stews. They are made by simmering the ingredients in water on a slow fire overnight for about 12 hours and continuously the scum formed is being removed till all the nutrients are extracted. Mainly fresh bones of meat with portions of fat removed, cuttings from fish or peels of vegetables are used. Depending on what ingredients used they are termed as Meat stock, Fish stock or Vegetable stock. The liquor thus obtained is separated either by decantation or strained by passing through a sieve.
There are two basic stocks:
(a) White Stock: Discarded, but not stale bones are added to cold water. As flavouring peels of carrots, onions, bay leaf, parsley, etc are added. The mixture is simmered submerged in cold water. Whole vegetables and aromatic agents are added to flavour. E.g. of Stock: Chicken Stock, Veal Stock, etc.
Uses: Soups: – Chicken Velouté Soup, Velouté oh White Bait, etc.
Sauces:- Velouté Sauce, Court Bouillon (poaching liquor for fish), Cucumber sauce
(b) Brown Stock: The bones are fried or roasted and then submerged in cold water with other aromatic ingredients – parsley, carrots, bay leaf etc. The colour imparted is brown and hence called as Brown Stock. E.g. of Stock: Beef Brown Stock, Mutton Brown Stock, etc.
Uses: Soups: – Any Consomme, French Onion Soup etc.
Sauces:- Espagnole Sauce, Devilled Sauce, Brown Chaudfroid Sauce.
                                                                    Gravies
Gravies are basic liquid foundation in Indian Cookery. They are of three basic types – White, Tomato (Red) & Brown.
a) White Gravy:
1. Grind dry together: cashew, peanuts and bread.
2. Grind wet together: onion, ginger, chilies, and poppy seeds with milk.
3. Heat fat in a heavy pan; add onion mixture, sauté for 3-4 minutes.
4. Add curds and cook, stirring continuously till whiteness of curds disappears.
5. Add milk, bring to a boil, add sugar, salt, dry mixture, spice powder, cream.
6. Stir gently till boil resumes. Add vegetables, etc. at this stage.
7. Cook covered for few minutes till thickened.
8. Garnish with grated cheese, coriander and cherries
E.g. Chicken Shajahani, Mutton Rezalla, Mirchi ka Salaan, etc.
b) Red Tomato Gravy:
1. Dry roast peanuts or cashews lightly. Dry grind coarsely.
2. Semi puree of tomatoes and capsicum together. This should be done in a food chopper or grated.
3. Chop onions very fine or run in a chopper.
4. Heat oil or ghee in a heavy pan.
5. Add ginger garlic and stir for a moment.
6. Add onions and stir fry till light pink.
7. Add tomato capsicum puree, stir bring to boil.
8. Add all other masalas, salt, sugar and crushed nuts. Stir.
9. Add veggies at this stage. Mix.
10. Cover and simmer till gravy is thick and fat starts separating.
11. Garnish with coriander before serving.
E.g. Chicken Butter Masalla, Paneer Butter Masalla, etc.
c) Brown Gravy:
1. Dry roast wheat flour to a light pink, stirring continuously. Keep aside.
2. Heat oil, add onions, fry till well browned. Drain well by pressing, putting back oil in pan. Cool onions a bit. Grind in mixie. Keep aside.
3. In remaining hot oil, add cumin seeds allow to splutter.
4. Add asafoetida, capsicum, ginger, and garlic stir fry for a minute.
5. Add all dry and ground masalas, flour, stir well.
6. Add tomatoes, tamarind water, salt, and stir.
7. Simmer till gravy is thick and oil starts to separate.
8. Add prepared basic ingredients- prepared meat/fish/vegetables and stir, keep cooking for 2minutes.
9. Finish with a garnish of chopped coriander leaves.
E.g. Chicken Curry, Aloo Dum, etc.

                                                            Sauces 

Sauces play an important role in the continental cookery.
The importance of a sauce are as follows:
a) It balances the taste of the dish.
b) It adds to nutritive requirement.
c) It adds to flavour of the dish.
d) It enhances the taste of the dish.
e) It moistens the food.
f) It acts as digestive.
g) It sometimes they give the name to the dish.
h) It acts as an eye appeal.
In continental cookery there are six basic (mother sauces). They are so called because all other sauces are derived from them. They can be either hot or cold. Their basic ingredient is flour, tomato, or egg.
They are:
                                         Basic Ingredient
       Flour                                    Tomato                              Egg
(a) Béchamel Sauce   (a) Tomato Sauce        (a) Mayonnaise Sauce
(b) Velouté Sauce     (b) Espagnole Sauce     (b) Hollandaise Sauce
A brief description of how they are made and their ingredients used are given below.
(a) Béchamel Sauce:
Ingredients required : Flour, Butter, Milk
Method: This is prepared by making a white roux out of flour and butter in equal quantity, till it reaches a sandy texture. Milk is added little at a time and stirred to avoid lumps. An onion with clove and bay leaf is added for flavour. Seasoning is added to taste. This is then passed through a fine strainer.
Derivatives: Parsley Sauce, Cheese Sauce, Egg Sauce
(b) Velouté Sauce :
Ingredients required : White Stock (made out of chicken, fish or beef), Flour, Butter
Method: It is made by adding white stock made from chicken, fish, beef, etc., to brown roux. The Velouté is named according to the type of stock added. If made from chicken stock it is called as
chicken Velouté , from fish then fish Velouté , from beef, then beef Velouté .
Derivatives: Supreme Sauce, Sauce Aurore, Sauce Normandy.
(c) Tomato Sauce :
Ingredients required: Fresh Tomatoes, bacon, chopped onion and
garlic, brown stock, light brown roux.
Method: Blanched, de-seeded, chopped tomatoes are cooked in brown stock with chopped carrots, onions, garlic, and bacon. The mixture is then passed through a sieve and thickened with light
brown roux.
Derivatives: Neapolitan Sauce, Barbeque Sauce, Allemande Sauce
(d) Espagnole Sauce :
Ingredients required: Tomato Puree, Flour, Butter, Brown Stock, and Mirepoix (a mixture of herbs- bay leaf, thyme, etc mixed with flavouring agents –onions. Carrots, peppercorns and bacon
trimmings and sautéed vegetables)
Method: A brown roux is made with flour and butter. Tomato puree is added to make the mixture smooth and avoid formation of lumps on a gentle fire. The product is then simmered for 4 to 6 hours.
Dérivatives: Sauce Robert, Reformé Sauce, Piquant Sauce
(e) Mayonnaise Sauce :
(It is the only basic cold sauce which is not cooked)
Ingredients required: Salad Oil, Egg Yolks, Seasonings (Salt, Pepper, and Mustard), Vinegar or Lime Juice.
Method: Salad oil is incorporated into the beaten egg yolk. It is seasoned with salt, pepper and mustard and the taste is sharpened by vinegar or lime juice. It is extensively used as dressing for cold hors d’oeuvres, and salads.
Derivatives: Thousand Island Dressing, Cocktail Sauce (used in shell fish cocktails), Tartar Sauce, Sauce Alexander, Vinaigrette Sauce.
(f) Hollandaise Sauce :
Ingredients required: Peppercorns, Vinegar, Egg Yolk, and Melted Butter.
Method: Vinegar and peppercorns are reduced. It is then transferred to a double boiler when egg yolks are added. The mixture is cooked on a gentle flame, stirring all the time with a wooden spoon to avoid formation of lumps till it attains a thick consistency. Finally it is finished with melted butter which is blended uniformly. It is a warm sauce used extensively with grilled or baked fish, eggs
and vegetables.
Derivatives: Chorion, Charcutière, Béarnaise.

                                                        Soups 

Soup is defined as extracts of meat, fish or vegetables.

They can be classified as under:
               
                                                                    

Introduction Soups are broadly divided into two categories:
a) Hot Soups: - The ones that are served hot.
b) Cold Soups: - The ones that are served cold.
Examples of Hot Soups:
i) Thick hot soup: -Cream of Tomato,
ii) Thin Hot Soups:- Consommé Clear \
Examples of Cold Soups
 i) Thick Cold Soup (also termed as cold or jellied consommé):-Melon Soup
ii) Thin Cold Soup: - Cold Consommé.
Classification of Hot Soups
The hot soups may be classified as
A Thin hot soups
B Thick hot soups
A The thin hot soups may be classified as:
a) Broths
b) Hot Consommés
a) Broths: These contain the ingredients, meat, vegetables and chicken, cut into regular shapes, by which they are made in suspension in the soup which makes it look cloudy. E.g. Scotch Broth, Minestrone
b) Hot Consommés: They are richly flavoured clear soups. It is made from beef, mutton or chicken stock to which lean meat (fatless meat) is added along with finely chopped or diced carrots, onions,
seasonings and egg whites. It is brought to boil, then simmered and then reduced. The protein in the egg white and mat coagulates and bind most of the cloudy material which renders a clear liquid which is the strained through a muslin cloth.
These consommés take the name from the garnish by which they are made.
E.g. Consommé Breton, Consommé Carmen, Consommé Royale
B The thick hot soups may be classified as:
a) Puree
b) Cream
c) Velouté
d) Chowder
e) Bisque
a) Puree: These are pulps of vegetables like carrots, peas, spinach turnip, tomatoes and potatoes. Except the starchy vegetables, others need extra thickening agent to be added to give a body to the soup. E.g. Tomato Puree, Puree of Green Peas, etc.
b) Cream: These soups are blended with béchamel or Velouté sauce with the puree of vegetables, meat, and poultry. Milk may be added to reduce the thickness and to give an even consistency
E.g. Cream of Chicken, Cream of Cauliflower, etc.
c) Velouté : This is prepared by a blend of stock, roux and puree and finished with mixing cream and egg yolk which enhances the taste and the texture. E.g. Chicken Velouté Soup etc.
d) Chowder: These soups thick heavy soups from America. Their bases are tomato or milk with seafood, potatoes, onions, pieces of bacon and various seasonings for flavour. E.g. Oyster Chowder, Prawn Chowder etc.
e) Bisque: This is puree or shellfish in fish stock thickened with cream or rice. It is a hot thick soup to which wine is added to flavour. E.g. Crayfish Bisque, Crab Bisque, Lobster Bisque etc.
Classification of Cold Soups
The cold soups may be classified as
A Thin soups
B Thick soups
A The thin cold soups are cold consommés made in the same way as the hot consommés, but then later chilled to jellied consistency.E.g. Consomme Madrilène, Consomme l’essence, Consomme en tasse.
B The thick cold soups are cold creamed soups which are essentially purees of vegetables or fruits thickened with cream. E.g. Vichy Choise, Melon Soup.
InternationalSoups
Soup                                                                      Country of Origin
Minestrone soup                                                               Italy
Green Turtle Soup                                                            England
French Onion Soup                                                          France
Petite Marmite                                                                  France
Mulligatawny soup                                                           India.

                                            Potato Preparations

Introduction Potatoes make an important accompaniment in continental cuisine. They are used as hors d’oeuvres or as an accompaniment to the main dish or can form as a dish by itself in the vegetable course.
01 Allemande Potato Cook potatoes in their jackets, peel and cut into thick rounds and well
butter. Serve hot.
02 Allumettes(Straw Potato) Cut potatoes into match stick shapes fry in deep fat. Add salt just
before serving.
03 Anna Potato Cut potato in cylindrical shape into slices of 1/16” thick. Grease Anna mould with butter and cook in the oven.
04 Arlie Potato Mashed potato, scooped out from baked jacket potato which is mixed with chopped onion, butter and cream and then piped back into their jackets and put under a salamander with cheese topping.
05 Baked Potato (au Four) Wash and wipe equal sized potatoes with their skins. Place in a bed of
salt and bake in oven. When cooked make slits- cross and open by pressure from either sides. Place a dot of butter and a sprig of parley and serve hot.
06 Boulanger Potato Slice potatoes and onions and sauté. Season, add stock and cook in oven.
07 Chateau Potato Turn the potatoes to the shape of large olive, blanch, sauté in butter and place in the oven for finishing and cooking.
08 Chips Cut slices of potato very thin. Deep fry till golden brown.
09 Cocotte Potato Pick small sized potatoes. Turn them into shape of olive, blanch, sauté in butter and place in the oven for finishing and cooking.
10 Creamed Potato Cook potato in shallow water, peel and slice. Moisten with milk and butter. Season and bring to boil. Add cram before serving.
11 Del Monacon Potato Cut potato in dices in ½”. Place in a tray, add milk, sprinkle bread crumbs, dot with butter and place in the oven for cooking.
12 Duchess Potato Mash potato with egg yolk, milk, butter, nutmeg and seasoning. Stir well till it leaves the side of the pan. Pipe the mixture (appareil) mixture into rosettes, brush eggs and put in the salamander to brown on top.
13 Fondantes Potato Turn the potatoes into drum shape in the size of eggs. Sauté in butter and place in a tray. Add stock and seasoning and finish the cooking in the oven.
14 Fried Potato (Finger Chips) Cut potato in 2” length and ½” square and then deep fry.
15 Hongroise Potato Chop onion, sauté in butter and sprinkle paprika. Add tomato concasse and large roundels of potatoes. Add stock, cook and then place in oven and finish. Sprinkle chopped parsley and serve hot.
16 Jacket Potato Potato baked with their skins.
17 Lyonnaise Potato Slice potato and sauté them. Then sauté slice onions and mix together. Season. Place in a tray and finish in the oven.
18 Macaire Potato Baked jacket potato mashed, seasoned and then mixed with butter. Then they are shaped into balls and thereafter flattened, dusted with flour and sautéed in butter.
19 Maître d’hotel Potato Cook potato in shallow water, peel and slice. Moisten with milk and butter. Season and bring to boil. Add cream and parsley before serving
20 Mignonette Potato Cut potatoes double the matchsticks and then deep fry.
21 Mousseline Potato Mashed potato, adds whipped cream, mix well and serve hot.
22 Pailles Potato Cut potato in large julienne and then deep fry.
23 Parsley Potato Shape the potatoes, cook in a steamer and season. Sauté in melted butter and chopped parsley.
24 Steamed Potato Shape the potatoes, cook in a steamer and season. 

Salads & Salad Dressings

Introduction &Definition
A salad is a dish made up of a single or multiple food items usually consisting of vegetables such as carrots, beetroot, tomatoes, onions, celery, potato or, fish, egg, meat, chicken, served cold, well seasoned, having a strong and spicy taste, and presented in a crisp, colourful state. It consists of three parts:
a) The Base: The underliner as it is usually called, it consists of leafy vegetables such as lettuce, water cress, cabbage, etc.
b) The Body: This is the most important part of the salad. It consists of the actual ingredients used – salad greens, fruits in moulded aspic jelly, sliced cooked potatoes, raw cabbage, tomato stuffed with tuna fish, dices or strips of chicken and meat, etc . Therefore, it gets its name from the particular ingredient used, such as Apple Salad. Apart from giving it a name, it also balances the flavour and taste.
c) The Garnish: This intends to add the eye appeal of the finished product and it may also improve the taste.
The Purpose of salad
Salads take an important position in the meal. It can be served as an hors d’oeuvre when served at the beginning of the course being served in small quantities. It can be served as a main dish, or a course as a salad course, and even can be served as an accompaniment to entrees and main courses.
The Importance of Salad Dressing
The most essential requirement of a salad is it should be piquant and well seasoned apart form being cold, crisp, colourful and attractive. To achieve the first two objectives it becomes necessary to add dressings to the salads.
A dressing is a liquid or semi liquid form of mixture of spicy elements with its liquid base being cream, olive oil, lime juice, vinegar, alcoholic or non alcoholic beverage or raw eggs.
A dressing adds to salad
a) The Flavour,
b) Some Food value.
c) Its Digestive capability
d) Improved palatability
e) It’s Appearance.
Some very popular dressings are discussed below
Salad Dressings
Mayonnaise Dressing
It is a coating of mayonnaise sauce (made out of egg yolk, and olive oil as the main ingredients seasoned with mustard, sugar, white pepper and salt). The sauce is thinned down by adding lime juice or vinegar to a pouring consistency which usually forms a coating for meat, chicken, egg etc. as for
salads like egg mayonnaise, chicken mayonnaise, etc.
Vinaigrette Dressing
A dressing consisting of olive oil and vinegar as the main ingredient mixed in varied proportions in various types of derivatives- namely French, English and American and with seasonings and mustards to enhance its taste.
a) French: 3 parts of oil and 1 part of vinegar with French mustard and seasonings.
b) English: 1 part of oil and 2 parts of vinegar with English mustard and seasonings.
c) American: Equal parts of oil vinegar with sugar and seasonings.
d) Lemon: A mixture of olive oil, lime juice and seasonings.
Acidulated
Cream Dressing
3 parts of thin cream and 1 part of vinegar or lemon juice, salt and pepper.

             A Brief Introduction on Various Popular Salads

Sl. No. Name of the Salad Description Dressing01 Andalouse Salad Quarters of tomatoes, julienne of sweet pimentos, plain boiled rice, crushed garlic, onions and chopped parsley. Vinaigrette
02 Assorted Cold Cuts Cold hashes of roast mutton, roast chicken, roast beef, smoked ham, salami, on a bed of lettuce and finely chopped cabbage, garnished with vegetables like cold boiled broccoli,
olives, gherkins, radish, etc. Vinaigrette
03 Beetroot Salad Diced cold boiled beet root Vinaigrette or Vinegar
04 Caesar Salad Golden brown fried white bread of 5mm cube on a bed of lettuce leaf, with quarter boiled egg, cheese, croutons, anchovies and seasonings. Egg, garlic and olive oil
05 German Sauerkraut Salad Sauerkraut (pickled cabbage), cooked in consommé or water set in piles, seasoned and garnished with hard boiled egg and beetroot cut into roundels, Vinaigrette
06 Cole Slaw Salad Sliced cabbage, capsicum and carrots Vinaigrette or Mayonnaise
07 Egg Mayonnaise Sliced eggs on bed of lettuce, garnished with cherry chopped celery and leeks
Mayonnaise
08 Fish Mayonnaise Fish mayonnaise with tomato and parley for decoration Mayonnaise
09 French beans Salad Seasoned French beans Vinaigrette
10 Fruit Salad Diced assorted fruits – apples, pineapples, banana, mango cherry, etc. Sugar syrup with a few drops of brandy or apple wine.
11 Greek Salad Thickly cut slices of tomatoes with green pepper, de-seeded cucumber, olives, and cheese seasoned and then garnished with crumbled cheese and serve with pita bread.Olive oil and
lemon juice
12 Japonaise Salad Tomatoes, pineapple, orange dices and lettuce. Lemon or cream dressing.
13 Lobster Salad Boiled cold lobster mixed with mayonnaise on a bed of lettuce, decorated with olives and parsley Mayonnaise
14 Meat Salad Cold cuts of meat Vinaigrette
15 Niçoise Salad Flakes of tuna with tomatoes, olives, cucumber, beans and eggs cut into quarters, garnished with anchovy fillets. Garlic dressing, sprinkled with chopped parsley and basil
16 Potato Salad Diced cooked potato Thin Mayonnaise
17 Russian Salad Diced vegetables and fruits- carrots, cauliflower, French beans, turnip, potato and
apple Thin Mayonnaise
18 Spiced Duckling & Orange Salad Roast shredded duckling meat, flavoured with curry powder and marmalade, seasoned and decorated with orange slices, thin strips of duck skin, chives and parsley.
Olive oil mixed with white wine vinegar and mayonnaise.
19 Tossed Salads Made out of green vegetables – celery, lettuce cabbage, herbs, onions, shallots and chives. Vinaigrette or Mayonnaise
20 Waldorf Salad Pieces of celery apples and halved and shelled walnuts. Thin Mayonnaise