Food Techniques

HOW TO MAKE SALAD DRESSING
All salad dressings are a combination of oil and vinegar, balanced to add richness and sharpness in the right
measures and emulsified to coat the salad leaves evenly.
Oil and vinegar mixed together will naturally separate, but some substances will cause them to hold together, or
emulsify, for long enough to dress and eat a salad.
For a classic French vinaigrette, combine three parts oil with one part vinegar – usually wine vinegar or cider
vinegar. Pour into a clean jam jar. Add mustard to help bring it together; plus salt and pepper to taste. Then
whisk or close the lid tightly and shake until completely mixed. Taste and adjust any of the ingredients to your
liking.
Mayonnaise, double cream or egg yolk can be used as emulsifiers for creamier dressings. Flavour your dressing
with your favourite soft herbs – parsley, mint, chives or basil – or a little garlic.
HOW TO COOK PERFECT RICE
Long-grain or basmati rice should be light and fluffy when perfectly cooked.
To make sure you get good results every time, wash the rice in cold water until it runs clear. Drain the rice and
put into a medium saucepan. Pour in water so that it covers the rice by 1.5cm/5/8in. Add a generous pinch of
salt. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat so that the water is simmering. Cover with a tight-fitting lid.
White rice will cook in 10-12 minutes. When ready to serve, fluff the rice with a fork to separate the grains.
HOW TO COOK SALMON
Salmon fillets can be cooked in many ways. Here are two simple and delicious recipes.
To pan-fry salmon fillets, brush the fish with melted butter or oil. Heat a griddle pan or frying pan until hot, then
lay the salmon fillets in, skin-side down. Fry the fillet for 4-5 minutes on this side, until the salmon starts to
change colour in the middle. Turn the fillets over for a further three minutes until the salmon is just cooked.
To grill salmon fillets, first brush a pan with oil or melted butter and then do the same to the fish. Place the fillet
in the pan, skin side up. Cook under a very hot grill for four minutes on each side. Grill until the salmon is opaque
and firm and serve immediately.
HOW TO SEPARATE EGGS
Some recipes require only the yolks or whites of eggs or use both parts of the egg separately. When separating
eggs, remember that a little white left in the yolk doesn't matter, but just a touch of yolk in the egg whites may
make them unusable as the fat in the yolk will prevent the whites from whisking properly.
-Place two very clean glass bowls in front of you.
-Crack the eggs, one at a time, over one of the bowls and let the whites fall into the bowl. Keep the egg yolk in
one half of the shell.
-Transfer the egg yolk from one half of the shell to the other, tipping any egg white remaining in the shell into the
bowl.
-Add the egg yolk to the second, empty bowl.
-Repeat the process with the remaining eggs.
SKINNING TOMATOES
This is a foolproof way of skinning tomatoes.

-Place the whole, fresh tomatoes into a bowl. Cover with boiling water. Set aside for 30-60 seconds, or until the
skins have split.
-Remove the tomatoes from the water using a fork. When they're cool enough to handle, peel off the skins.
PREPARING ARTICHOKE HEARTS
The globe artichoke is related to the thistle. Its leaves are edible, as is the bottom part of the flower, called the
'heart' or 'fond' (which you can also buy tinned or frozen).
-Holding the artichoke by the stem, saw the body of the artichoke in half horizontally. Discard the purple leaves at
the tip.
-Break the stem at the base of the artichoke by pushing it away from you. Pull the stem from the artichoke and
remove the fibres.
-Snap the leaves from around the cut edges of the artichoke. Cut the remaining leaves from the artichoke.
-Holding the artichoke in the palm of your hands and, angling the knife, peel away the skin to leave only the white
'fond'. Slice off the tip of the artichoke.
-Scrape the hairy choke from the centre of the artichoke using a spoon.
HOW TO ROAST VEGETABLES
Roasted vegetables are a simple and versatile dish. Using a mixture of different vegetables will give a good
balance of tastes and textures.
Prepare butternut squash by chopping off any tough skin. Scrub or peel root vegetables like parsnips. You can
also use other vegetables such as carrots, celeriac or sweet potatoes.
Vegetables roast at different speeds so cut to the right size to make sure they all cook evenly. Soft vegetables like
aubergines cook faster so cut these up larger. Hard vegetables like parsnips take longer to cook so chop up finer.
Place them in a single layer in a roasting dish. Add some robust herbs such as thyme or rosemary with a few
pinches of salt and pepper to taste.
A few cloves of garlic, left whole in their skins, can be roasted with the vegetables to give them flavour. You can
also use them to make a sweet roasted garlic paste to spread on toast or add to dressings.
Pour on a glug of vegetable or olive oil and use your hands to make sure that the vegetables are completely
coated.
Root vegetables will cook in 40-50 minutes in a fairly hot oven – 180-200C, or 350-400F.
Soft vegetables like peppers, aubergines, onions and tomatoes roasted at higher temperatures will have lovely
charred edges.
HOW TO COOK ASPARAGUS
Look for asparagus that is freshly picked and has a juicy, firm feel. The ends should not be too white and dry.
Asparagus with thicker stalks will naturally snap at the woodiest part of the spear.
Young asparagus spears are more tender and don’t need to be snapped before cooking. Simmer in a frying pan of
boiling salted water. Check to see if the asparagus is cooked by testing with knife halfway down the spear. When
ready, shake off any water and serve immediately with a knob of butter.
Alternatively, you can blanch your asparagus spears in salted, boiling water for one minute. Remove with tongs
and shake off the water. Fry on a hot griddle pan or frying pan in some olive oil until the spears are golden-brown
in places. Season with freshly ground black pepper and sea salt flakes.

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Food Techniques

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HOW TO MAKE SALAD DRESSING

HOW TO COOK PERFECT RICE

HOW TO COOK SALMON

HOW TO SEPARATE EGGS

-Place two very clean glass bowls in front of you.

-Add the egg yolk to the second, empty bowl.

-Repeat the process with the remaining eggs.

This is a foolproof way of skinning tomatoes.

PREPARING ARTICHOKE HEARTS

HOW TO ROAST VEGETABLES

HOW TO COOK ASPARAGUS

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