Cooking Tips from Thistle Lodge Executive Chef John Wolff

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

1. Here are a few little know “tricks of the trade” , some of which I can’t remember where I learned them , some of which I picked up on my own and some that were taught to me at some point by fellow chefs and colleagues.   To cook baked potatoes more quickly rub them  with oil and stick a metal skewer through about three at a time and bake on sheet pan in the oven at about 375° (make sure the potatoes are not touching one another) this will reduce cooking time by as much as 20 minutes.  Always allow eggs to come to room temperature before whipping and add water instead of milk, this will give you greater volume and the eggs won’t scald or burn as easily.  Add aromatics to stored rice to impart flavor and an interesting aroma.  Fresh herbs, dried fruit, saffron and truffles can be used to name a few.  Speaking of saffron, if you’ve ever wondered why it is so expensive it is because each flower (a member of the crocus family), produces three (3) yellow stigmas which are hand picked and dried.  It take 14,000 of these little threads to make just one ounce of spice.  Powdered saffron is less expensive but also less potent.  The threads will retain freshness up to 6 month in an air tight container.

2. Foie Gras .  Foy What?  It is French for “fat liver”.  This exquisite yet controversial food item is one of my favorites not only to eat but to prepare as well.  There are as many ways to prepare foie gras as there are Chefs.  It is truly a western delicacy that has been elevated to star status.  There are however those who hold great disdain for the production methods of this food as they involve “force feeding” or overfeeding the animals to produce the engorged livers that are so highly prized.  By animals, am referring to the Moulard and Muscovy duck breeds which are used for their unique qualities pertaining to the livers of each type of duck.  Moulard produces a superior liver that is more suitable for canning and commercial foie gras products and is the primary breed used in France for this reason.  Muscovy is a specialty breed used mainly in the United States for its cleaner , less sinewy texture as well as the fact that it has less viens.  Most people initially find foie gras hard to get used to, after all it is liver, but its buttery flavor and sweet taste combined with is delicate texture make it very irresistible to those who have been adventurous enough to have tried a well prepared foie gras dish.  Try cutting a piece of foie gras, about ¼ inch thick, slightly score one side of the slice with a criss-cross pattern lightly season and place scored side down in a hot skillet.  Sear on one side for about one minute or until dark brown.  Flip and repeat on the other side.  Serve over a piece of toasted brioch with slices of poached pear or apple.  Reduce some port wine with dried cherries (do ahead of time) and drizzle over the top. This is heaven!

3. Stocks.  Escoffier held that stocks were the key to and basis for all dishes and that being the basis for most sauces and soups as well as a cooking medium were at the fundamental base of all food preparations.  Just as he believed that stocks were at the root of all preparations so too did he insist that it was inherent that the Chef procure on the very best ingredients and freshest  foods for the preparation of basic stocks.  Some of the key words to remember  in the preparation of stocks are concentration, fortification, reduction, timing, temperature and flavorings.  There are very technical guidelines to preparing stocks that prescribe exact proportions etc. .  I have found that once strong basic techniques are learned your proportions will be able to be adjusted to suit your needs.  Stocks are basically made from slowly cooking the bones of an animal or fish in water with vegetables and aromatics (mirepoix) and seasoned to taste.  Stocks should never reach a rolling boil and cooking temperature should be looked after periodically to see that this does not happen.  Reducing the stocks will intensify flavor as well as thicken the liquid to be used as a sauce or for soups.  Fortifying will further increase flavor intensity by re-adding mirepoix, wine or more stock and reducing the liquid even further.  Timing is critical as well depending on the types of bones one uses for instance, fish stocks and chicken stocks will not need to cook as long as beef stock because it does not take as long to extract maximum flavor from the bones in chicken and fish.  Making good stock is a labor of love and truly a culinary artisan skill…. patience always pays off.  Finished veal stock can be reduced  down to a “glace” state or glaze with sauce consistency and can be flavored with anything from chocolate to reduced wines and fruit to make amazing flavor combinations for beef, veal  and chicken dishes.

4. Sugar vs. Splenda: I don’t do a lot of baking but when I do I try and use real ingredients that are fresh.  I know people are interested in low cal, high flavor desserts and there are now a lot of sugar substitutes that can be used to this end.  However, as I have mentioned in previous tips, you must do your research and practice with different ingredients when perfecting a recipe.  For instance not all sugar substitutes have the same basic chemistry so their results can vary greatly.  I haven’t found one yet that produces a crispy “snap” when baking certain types of cookies for example.   Additionally, according to the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, artificial sweeteners such as Equal and Splenda have nearly the same number of calories, carbohydrates and starches per gram as natural cane sugar.  The only reason they are listed in the ingredients for most sweetened products as having “zero calories” is because they are used in such small amounts.  Artificial sweeteners are nearly 100 times sweeter than natural cane sugar and therefore can be used in much smaller increments to produce the same sweetening effect.  So, again, do your homework.  Know the nature of the ingredients you are using and don’t always believe the hype.

5. Amuse bouche: The Amuse bouche literally “to amuse the mouth” is a small bite-sized morsel traditionally offered before the first course of a meal to stimulate the palate with a small yet intensely flavored item.  It is also offered complimentary as a mini showcase of the talent of the Chef.  It is a very important piece of the fine dining puzzle in that it is the first impression the guest has of what is to come.  You can use common ingredients to prepare exquisite little items for the “amusement” of your guests before a meal (just like in a fine dining restaurant) without too much extra effort.  When I prepare an Amuse, I really let my culinary creativity shine.  In a professional kitchen we usually have some interesting things at our disposal to aid in the creative process making it easier to wow the guests with exotic ingredients and specialty products.  I like to try and keep it simple though, and in the domestic kitchen such items as potato, small bits of cured meat or fish, a little sour cream , a little fresh herb for garnish and maybe an infused oil for flavor and color can make the ingredients for a nice start to your special meal at home.  They can be hot or cold, but I usually always serve them on a small bread and butter sized plate or dish.  Next time try delighting your guest by the deliverance of an “Amuse bouche” compliments of the Chef!

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

Cooking is always Sanibel Entertainment!