Cooking Tips from Thistle Lodge Executive Chef John Wolff

Remember cooking is an art. Cooking is always Sanibel Entertainment!

1.    Butter is a key ingredient in any kitchen and mine is no exception.  It is however a relatively expensive product for its use and should be regarded with frugality and restraint when it comes to most dishes.  “Fat is flavor”…. This is an old adage shared by many Chefs but it is true and butter is one of the most flavorful of all forms of fat used in cooking.  Not only does it add richness and fullness to a dish it also rounds out or brings together all of the flavor components in a given recipe.  Cooking in butter is another way of imparting the rich creamy and nutty nuances to foods simply by exposing them to it.  One must be careful with the amount , duration and intensity of the heat in the pan as well as the length of time the food stands in the heat with the butter.  Butter will burn quite easily (unless it is clarified) and impart a very bitter taste to anything cooked in it after this has occurred.  One of my favorite ways to make a nice pan sauce is to start with a simple “Buerre Noisette” or Brown Butter “sauce” and finish it with pan drippings (chicken, beef, veal, etc.) and a little heavy cream.   To prevent  whole butter from burning too quickly in a hot pan add a little olive oil (not extra virgin) or peanut oil first.  Doing this will raise the smoking  point or burning temperature of the mixture and allow more heat to dissipate.  Adding whole butter to the cooking oil when searing seafood  such as scallops,  grouper or sea bass,  is also an excellent way to produce a much nicer golden brown color.

2.    Egg Whites have the ability to form voluminous foam when whipped which is nothing new to most people.  However, foam does not always form properly or with as much mass as we would like which begs the question:  “What can one do to assure that the egg whites form voluminous firm peaks when whipped?” .  For what reason would the foam not form?  Are the eggs bad, too warm, too cold or is it something else altogether?  Most often the reason stiff peaks do not form is because a small amount of the egg yolk has passed into the egg white.  Egg yolks contain quite a lot of fat molecules that, simply put, interfere with the formation of tiny air bubbles created in the whipping process.  The best way to prevent this from happening is to use only your hands to separate the yolk from the white.  This minimizes the risk of breaking the yolk which allows the yolk liquid to spill into the white.  I have also found that store bought frozen egg white products whip up and foam more easily and with stiffer peaks than do had separated egg whites.  Egg white foam should always be “folded” into  other mixtures rather than the other way around which will prevent the fragile air bubbles from being destroyed all at once.

3.    Signs to look for when purchasing fresh fish.  The fish should be shiny, look moist and not dry.  The eyes should be clear and glasslike and not opaque or cloudy.  Finally, the gills should be pinkish red and the fish should not smell strong or too “fishy”.  Salt water fish should smell like the ocean coast and fresh water fish should have a somewhat grassy/earthy smell.

4.    Savory Mousse is an interesting and always appreciated dish that is often times shunned when it comes to actually using it because of the perception that it is very difficult to make.   Classically a savory mousse basically consists of a cooked protein pureed seasoned and then whipped into heavy cream and eggs to create a light but flavorful mixture that can be served as is or along with other components of a dish.  Today the term “mousse”  is used  to  describe any mixture that is whipped, frothed or prepared with the addition of gelatin.  Whipped egg whites are also typically folded in to the mixture to produce a lighter airy texture.   It is, however, quite simple as long as you keep a few things in mind.  1) Adding salt to the mousse will cause  the proteins in the meat  or fish to swell thus allowing for the absorption of more cream which will stabilize the structure of the mousse.  2) Remove every bit of connective tissue, tendons, cartilage, bone, skin and sinew from the meat or flesh.  In other words trim the meat very well and use great care when handling the flesh.  A little fat is ok, in fact it is essential but any of the aforementioned tissues will produce a disgusting grainy texture in the mousse.  3) When adding cream to the mousse, make sure that the mousse mixture has been cooled thoroughly or the fat and the proteins in the cream will separate.  This will also produce a grainy texture in the mousse.  Also add the cream in a steady stream not a little at a time.  This allows for uniform absorption and whipping of the mousse.

5.    Segmenting citrus fruit is painstaking and time consuming task but if it is broken down into several smaller steps the procedure can become second nature.   I remember as a child growing up in the Midwest eating fresh oranges on a hot summer afternoon was a real treat.  My mother would simply cut the fruit in to four wedges and hand it over.  Now I have kids of my own growing up in the citrus capital of the country and, because of my culinary skills, enjoy citrus completely peeled, and taken away from the inner pith.   When they go to grammas’ house they still get them the old fashioned way skin on cut into quarters.  To quickly segment a citrus fruit:  First, cut off the top and bottom so that they are flat and even.  Second, stand the fruit on end and (by the way a very sharp knife is essential) starting at the top carve the skin off arcing around to the bottom of the fruit.  Work your way around the fruit until all of the skin and pith (soft white spongy parts) are removed.  When you are done you will have a juice-flowing orange, lemon or lime ball.  Finally, to separate the segments, make cuts just along-side and parallel to the skins separating the fruit pieces to the center of the fruit.  As each subsequent cut is made the segment will fall out onto the knife and can be easily removed.

6.    I’ve touched on the technique of making Risotto in some previous tips so I’d just like to provide some quick hints to keep in mind and summarize the main prerequisites.  1)  Always use a good home-made stock.  This is crucial.  You can never get as good a flavor from store bought cubes or bases.  Make your own stock in large batches and keep it in the freezer for up to three months.  2) Constantly stir the risotto.  This ensures the rice absorbs as much flavor as possible and that the starch is evenly distributed and cooked into the mixture.  3)  Always finish the risotto with whole butter stirring it in at the very end of the cooking process just prior to serving.  This helps round out the flavors and adds creaminess and richness to the dish.  4)  Don’t forget to season with salt and pepper,  this goes for everything prepared in the kitchen however, it is essential with the cooking of risotto.  Remembering these four elements can mean the difference between mediocre risotto and the “oh my god..this is the best risotto I’ve ever had” risotto.

Casa Ybel Resort
2255 West Gulf Drive
Sanibel Island, Florida  33957

Cooking is always Sanibel Entertainment!