Back to the Cutting Board:
Refining the Techniques of Cookery
By: John O’Connell Jr, C.C. C.P.C
Finesse [noun]- refinement or delicacy of workmanship, structure, or texture.
Throughout my training every chef that I have ever studied under, worked with, or been around has always said the same thing. “What sets you a part from the person next door is that little extra.” But what is that little extra? Is it attention to detail, better ingredients? The answer is all of the above. But as the fame Chef Thomas Keller has said “The Respect for Food is a Respect for Life; of Who we are and What we do.” The idea of respecting food comes in different areas, one it comes from knowing our product, where its from, what it’s flavor and texture is, and lastly what can it pair with. Second we must know how to cook that product to make the product even more appealing by it’s self in it’s natural state. This is where the skills and techniques of cookery come into play. You don’t poach a chicken breast with skin on, you give that chicken breast the love and attention it deserves. You sear that chicken breast skin down in a HOT skillet with butter (clarified or whole) or canola oil (not olive oil, don’t waste your money). You sear that breast till it is nice a firm, nice crunch, a beautiful golden brown color; basting it with the cooking fat with a spoon to help cook the other side and develop flavor. You listen to the pan sizzle as you put that cold chicken breast down onto the HOT skillet. Season generously with Salt, Pepper, and Garlic Salt. And viola you have an amazing singular dish with no sides that taste great and look great. Add in some honey glazed beta carrots (local) some nice truffled pommes puree, and a nice natural glace of chicken stock with roasted mire poix and bones, maybe finished in the pan that you seared in; there you have a complete dish. But to add more technique into his dish we could macedoine the carrot, tournee the potato and pan roast them with some clarified butter you now have a more skill driven dish that looks great.
But as I look at more and more menus and more and more photos of food from restaurants proper techniques have been lost. Knife Skills are almost non existent and skillets are being replaced by immersion circulators. Has the art of cookery been lost to the science of cookery? If anyone has ever had the pleasure of partaking in competition or has done certification then you would understand the appreciation for the proper execution of techniques. To show understanding of skills to refine the basics of cooking you can amazing even the most complex mind. In a conversation with three CMC’s not so long ago they gave me an inside look to what it takes to be a CMC. The secret to pass this rigorous test is simple; just execute the techniques the recipe calls for.
SIMPLICITY
By refining the techniques that are at the backbone of our trade we can improve on the mission of food, making it memorable for our guest. By refining our skills we can provide a more simplistic appeal with uniformity in knife cuts, proper execution of cooking techniques. By refining our skills we refine our food and keep it simple for the diner. In today’s gastronomic world simplicity is out the window, people are too concerned with the Achatz and Adria food of molecular gastronomy (another debate in itself) that they lost sight of the rest of the ingredients in good cooking, Technique and Flavor. Simple food is Delicious food, I am not saying that Grant Achatz’s food is not delicious heck the man has more James Beard Awards and Nominations then I’ll ever have. By going more advanced with food you need to know more about your diner and flavor palate of those people. Putting too many flavors on one plate can confuse the palate that the meal could become un-enjoyable to the guest. But simplicity in food the proper execution of techniques can impart the same if not more powerful emotional reaction in food that molecular gastronomy does to their diners.
TESTING YOUR SKILLS
I challenge anyone to test their skills, hone them. You can test your skills in different ways. First competition, competition I believe is the best way to test, hone and learn skills. But be warned sometimes competing can become addicting. By competing your putting yourself in a situation that offers critical feedback and also test your mental toughness. Second, take a certification exam. Certification can offer a lot for your career, by becoming certified your proving to your diners you know what your doing. Certification like competition provides critical feedback to the participant and validates if you have refined your skills. And lastly do your own skills inventory, practice each one of the cooking techniques and put it in front of one of your colleagues. Practice your knife skills and incorporate them into your menus. Challenge your brigade at work to do the same. Remember you’re only as strong as your weakest link. By taking pride in your skills through refinement you are doing that little extra that the guy next door is not.
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