les cuissons classic cooking techniques used in french cuisine. chef louis eguaras, psb, cpec, cpfc
DESCRIPTION
The Cooking Process (Les cuissons) Classifications Description of each individual cooking technique (cuisson) How to use this information Review of culinary termsTRANSCRIPT
Les CuissonsClassic cooking techniques
used in French cuisine.
Chef Louis Eguaras, PSB, CPEC, CPFC
Les cuissons
• The cooking technique influences :– the flavor– the consistency– the digestibility– the hygiene and preparation
The Cooking Process(Les cuissons)
• Classifications• Description of each individual cooking
technique (cuisson)• How to use this information• Review of culinary terms
Les cuissons: Classifications
• One should select a cooking technique that is best adapted to the quality and size of the product and the final result desired.
• This is why one needs to understand the classification of the different cooking techniques.
Les cuissons: Classifications
• Different criteria can be used for the classification of the selected cooking technique:
• Type or Flavor
• Humidity
• Color
• Material
• Temperature
•…..
Les cuissons: Classifications
• Type or flavor (how the flavor develops)• Concentration
• Expantion (Expansion)
• Mixte (Mixed)
Sear to preserve cooking juices and flavor
Exchange of flavor, start cold
Applying both principles to the same ingredient
Les cuissons: Classification• Humidity
• Dry
• Humid (Moist)
• Small amount of liquid
• Large amount of liquid
Les cuissons: Classification• Color
• à brun (brown)
• à blanc (white)
Les cuissons: • Classic French cuisine is based on seven
cooking techniques:
Le Rôtir
Le Sauter
Le Griller
Le Frire
Le Poêler
Le Pôcher Le Braiser
Cooking techniques(cuissons)
• Classifications• Description of each individual cooking
technique (cuisson)• How to use this information• Review of culinary terms
The Seven Cooking Techniques
• Le Rôtir• Le Poêler• Le Sauter• Le Griller• Le Frire• Le Pocher• Le Braiser
Les cuissons: DescriptionLe Rôtir
Dry
A BrunConcentration
Definition: Cooking a tender piece in a dry atmosphere (no liquid or vegetables), in the oven or on a spit.
English term: Roasting
Les cuissons: Le Rôtir
• Prepare the piece• Tie• Dry the piece• Season• Sear (saisir, marquer en
cuisson)• Cook, turning the piece• Baste• Leave to rest• Make a jus
• With a jus (not a sauce)• No jus on the meat• Always uncovered• Sliced in dining room : serve
with watercress and jus served in a sauce boat
• Sliced in kitchen: jus on the bottom of the plate with meat on top of the jus, watercress on the side of the plate
Techniques Services
Les cuissons: Le RôtirGoals:
– Formation of a crust through the Maillard reaction (color and creation of typical aromas)– Ensure a moist and juicy interior.
Executed by the rôtisseur (or the grillardin in a smaller brigade)
Les cuissons: Le Rôtir
• Dry oven• Roasting pan• Spit• Tongs• Thermometer• String• Wire rack (for resting the meat)• Saucepan for the jus.• Chinois (China cap sieve) for the jus.
Equipment and tools
Les cuissons: Le RôtirUsed for:
• Tender pieces of butchery meat too large to use le sauter
• Poultry
• Game (venison)
• Fish (large)
• Vegetables (onions, potatoes)
Les cuissons: Le RôtirVariations:
Le Poêler, considered one of the seven classic cooking techniques.
The Seven Cooking Techniques
• Le Rôtir• Le Poêler• Le Sauter• Le Griller• Le Frire• Le Pocher• Le Braiser
Les cuissons: DescriptionLe Poêler
Humid
A BrunConcentration
Definition: Special roast. Has to be done in the oven, covered. Some aromatic garniture will be added near the end of the cooking time.
English term: ?? Note: Do not confuse with poêler meaning to cook in a poêle (frypan). This is a sub-type of sauter
Les cuissons: Le Poêler
• Prepare the piece • Tie• Dry the piece• Season• Sear (saisir, marquer en cuisson)• Cook (oven 180ºC) turn the piece
and baste• Add aromatic garnish (matignon
grasse)• Finish cooking• Leave to rest (covered)• Make a sauce (infuse the matignon
for 20 mn)• Glacer
• With a sauce• Sauce on the side in a sauce
boat.• The garniture is normally very
elaborate (example garniture financière)
Techniques Services
Les cuissons: Le PoêlerGoals:
– Combine the advantages of rôtir and braiser to obtain a tender and juicy meat with some of the flavor of roasting.– During the cooking process there is an exchange of flavors between the different elements. These flavors are then fixed by the fat.– Cooking with a cover creates a flavorful as well as a humid atmosphere– The glaçage is serves to replace the crust that would have resulted from straight roasting.
Les cuissons: Le Poêler
• Usually executed by the saucier
Les cuissons: Le Poêler
• Dry oven• Cocotte or heavy pan with a fitted lid• Tongs• Thermometer • String• Wire rack (for resting the meat)• Saucepan for the sauce• Sautoir for the glaçage• Chinois (China cap sieve) for the sauce
Materials and equipment
Les cuissons: Le Poêler
Used for:
• Pieces of meat too tough for roasting,
but too tender for braiser.
• Poêler is applied most often to red meats
using the technique Poêler à l’ancienne
Les cuissons: Le PoêlerVariations: poêlers speciaux
Poêler en cocotteLike en casserole but aromatic garnish is served to the customer (garniture grand mère).
Poêler en casseroleCook in butter, cover. Deglaze with stock.
Poêler à l’ancienneThe matignon is sweat in butter, covered with a slice of pork fat (barde). The seared meat is wrapped with this, then wrapped in parchment paper, then oven roasted. Sauce is made with matignon, madeira and demi glace.
The SevenCooking Techniques
• Le Rôtir• Le Poêler• Le Sauter• Le Griller• Le Frire• Le Pocher• Le Braiser
Les cuissons: DescriptionLe Sauter
Dry
A BrunConcentration
Definition: Cooking a small tender piece in a small amount of hot fat.
English term: Sauté, pan-frying
Les cuissons: Le Sauter
• Prepare the piece• Dry the piece• Season• Sear (saisir, marquer en
cuisson)• Cook the piece, turning
and basting• Allow to rest• Make a jus.
• With a sauce, or butter• Sauce served on the plate
or in a sauce boat• Served traditionally with a
simple vegetable (green beans, sautéed potatoes..)
• No sauce on the piece • Butter can be poured on
the meat• Always uncovered
Techniques Services
Les Cuissons : Le SauterSear the pieceCook the piece
Adjust the temperature
Bleu, saignant (rare), à point (medium),
bien cuite (well done)RED MEAT
Rosé (pink)
WHITE MEAT, OFFAL, VENISON
A Point
VEGETABLES,FISH
Bien cuit, à point,
baveux (runny)
EGGS
Serve on a dish or platePrepare the sauce in the
pan to save the sucs
Serve on a dish or plate
Prepare brown butter
Serve on a dish or platePrepare the sauce in the
pan to save the sucs
Lustrer with butter
Napper fishLustrer
vegetables LustrerLustrer with butter
Les cuissons: Le SauterGoals:
– The proper formation of a crust through the Maillard reaction (coloration and formation of typical aroma)– Maintain the natural juices of the piece.
Executed by :
The saucier for meat and poultry The poissonier for fish The entremetier for eggs and vegetables
Les cuissons: Le Sauter
• Stove• Sautoir• Tongs• Thermometer or finger test • String• Wire rack (for resting the meat)• Saucepan for the sauce or butter• Chinois (China cap sieve) for the sauce
Materiels and Equipment
Les cuissons: Le SauterUsed for:
• Small tender cuts of meat• Poultry• Offal• Venison• Fish• Vegetables• Eggs
Les cuissons: Le SauterVariations:
MeunièreThe piece is dredged in flour first, cooked in butter only
Sauter Finished in the dining room. The piece can be served in the sauce, or sometimes covered by the sauce.
The SevenCooking Techniques
• Le Rotir• Le Poêler• Le Sauter• Le Griller• Le Frire• Le Pocher• Le Braiser
Les cuissons: DescriptionLe Griller
Dry
A BrunConcentration
Definition: Cooking a tender piece on direct contact with a grill through radiation in open air, or ventilated space.
English term: Grilling.
Les cuissons: Le Griller• Heat and clean the grill• Prepare the piece• Can be marinated• Tie• Dry the piece• Season• Sear (saisir, marquer en
cuisson)• Cook and quadriller the piece• Leave to rest.• Lustrer
• With a sauce emulsionnée or a compound butter
• Sauce served on the side in a sauce boat. Butter on the meat and on the side
• Meat served with watercress; fish with parsley
• No sauce on the piece• Always uncovered
Techniques Services
Never pierce red meat
Les cuissons: Le GrillerGoals:
– The formation of a crust through the Maillard reaction (coloration and formation of typical aromas).– The piece is traditionally quadriller.
Executed by the grillardin or the rotisseur in a small brigade
Les cuissons: Le Griller
• Grill• Tongs• Thermometer or finger
test• String• Wire rack (for resting the
meat).
Materiels and Equipment Contact surface• Vignes (vines)
• Flat stone
• Grill/ Plaque à snacker
Heat Source• Gas / Propane
• Wood fire
• Electricity.
Les cuissons: Le Griller
Used for:
• Small tender cuts of meat
• Fish
• Vegetables
Les cuissons: Le GrillerVariations:
There are no variations for Le Griller
The Seven Cooking Techniques
• Le Rôtir• Le Poêler• Le Sauter• Le Griller• Le Frire• Le Pocher• Le Braiser
Les cuissons: Description
Le Frire
Dry
A BrunConcentration
Definition: Cooking a tender piece in a large amount of hot fat.
English term: Deep frying
Les cuissons: Le Frire
• Prepare the piece• Dry the piece• Cook • Drain on paper• Season just before serving
• With a sauce emulsionné• Sauce served on the side
in a sauce boat• Serve on papier gauffre or
paper doily on a tray, not on the plate
• No sauce on the product• Always uncovered
Techniques Services
Les cuissons: Le FrireGoals:
– The proper formation of a crust through the Maillard reaction (coloration and formation of typical aromas)– The interior of the piece should be moist – Finished produce should not be too oily
Les cuissons: Le Frire
CUISSON
Types of product used
Small pieces, plain, breaded or battered
Examples Fish : smelt, whiting, sole, strips..
Eggs
Vegetables : Potato, zucchini, herbs…
Cromesquis : foods wrapped in a crepe (chicken, fish, shellfish, etc.)
Cotelettes : foods that are breaded (poultry, fish, shellfish)
Fritot : food fried in batter
Beignets : Raw ingredient cooked in a batter
• Deep fryer• Tongs• Thermometer • Wire rack (for resting the meat)• Araignée (spider / wire skimmer)
Materiels and Equipment
Les cuissons: Le Frire
Used for:
• Small tender cuts of meat
• Fish
• Vegetables
• Eggs
Les cuissons: Le Frire
Variations:
By fat/oil temperature
Low temperature (140ºC / 285ºF)
Medium temperature (160ºC / 320ºF)
High temperature (180ºC / 355ºF).
Les cuissons: Le Frire
The Seven Cooking Techniques
• Le Rôtir• Le Poêler• Le Sauter• Le Griller• Le Frire• Le Pocher• Le Braiser
Les cuissons: DescriptionLe Pocher
Large amount of liquid
A BlancConcentration
Definition: Cooking an ingredient in a large amount of liquid. The liquid can be hot or cold
English term: Boiling, simmering, poaching
Expansion
Les cuissons: Le Pocher
• Prepare the piece• Prepare the liquid for
cooking (flavor, temperature)
• Immerse the piece and cook
• Remove from liquid and keep covered
• Finish the sauce
• With a sauce• Covered by the sauce or
served in the cooking liquid
• Sauce served in a sauce boat.
Techniques Services
Goals:
– The tenderization of a tough piece of meat or
– Using a liquid to impart flavor to an ingredient during cooking (poaching vegetables)
or– Hydrate an ingredient that needs liquid for cooking (rice, pasta)
Les cuissons: Le Pocher
• Russe or cocotte• Araignée (spider / wire skimmer)• Thermometer or finger test• Pan with fitted lid for keeping piece warm and
moist.
Materiels and Equipment
Les cuissons: Le Pocher
Used for:• Less tender cuts of meat
• Fish
• Vegetables
• Eggs
• Grains
• Pasta
Les cuissons: Le Pocher
Variations:By temperature
• Pocher à chaud (start in boiling liquid)
• Pocher à l’anglaise (pocher à chaud
using water and salt only)
• Pocher à froid (start in cold liquid)
NB: Blanchir ( to blanch) is not a cooking technique but a preparation.
Les cuissons: Le Pocher
The Seven Cooking Techniques
• Le Rôtir• Le Poêler• Le Sauter• Le Griller• Le Frire• Le Pocher• Le Braiser
Les cuissons: DescriptionLe Braiser
Small amount of liquidA Brun
Mixed
Definition: Cooking an ingredient in a small amount of liquid covered, over low heat. Slow cooking
English term: Braising, stewing.
A Blanc
Les cuissons: Le Braiser
• Prepare the piece: cut or larder or tied…
• Sear the meat• Add the garniture
aromatique • Deglacer and mouiller• Cook• Decanter• Finish the sauce
• With a sauce• Serve in the sauce or
glacer.
Techniques Services
Goals:
– The transformation of the connective tissues of tough cuts of meat into gelatin
or– Impart a particular flavor to a product
Les cuissons: Le Braiser
CUISSON
Braiser à brun
Braiser à blanc
Braiser en ragoût
Type of element used
Cut of meat – second or third category
Cut of meat – young animal, large fish and blanched vegetables
Cut of meat – second or third category
Examples Beef : leg meat
Beef : leg meat
Veal : shoulder Veal : rack, saddle, loin, noix (thigh meat)
Veal : shoulder, neck
Lamb : shoulder Lamb : shoulder, neck
Vegetables : lettuce, celery Game : hare, wild boar and venison (shoulder, collier (neck))
Fish : salmon, turbot, sea bass, carp
Poultry : hen (poularde), duck Poultry : rooster (coq)
• Cocotte or braisière• Chinois (China cap sieve) for decanter• Tongs• Spatula
Materiel
Les cuissons: Le Braiser
Used for:
• Medium tender cuts of meat
• Fish
• Vegetables
Les cuissons: Le Braiser
Variations:By color
• A blanc
braiser à blanc
etuver
• A Brun
Braiser à brun
Braiser en ragout.
Les cuissons: Le Braiser
Meat will be raidir (seared to a light golden color)Garniture aromatique will be suerUse white stock or brown stockKeep the piece coveredThe sauce can be finished with demi glace.
• Prepare the piece: cut or larder, or tie…
• Sear the meat• Add the garniture
aromatique • Deglacer and mouiller• Cook• Decanter• Finish the sauce• Glacer the piece
Braiser à blanc
Les cuissons: Le Braiser
Mainly used for vegetables: turned, julienned..No searing in this caseNo garniture aromatique, but butter and seasoningUse white stock No sauceFirst step for vegetable glacer. If glacer à brun, brown stock can be used.
• Prepare the piece: cut or larder, or tie…
• Sear the meat• Add the garniture
aromatique • Deglacer and mouiller• Cook• Decanter• Finish the sauce• Glacer the piece
EtuverLes cuissons: Le Braiser
Meat can be larder and tiedMeat should be nicely brownedGarniture aromatique will be sauterUse brown stockThe piece is glacer with its own sauce
• Prepare the piece: cut or larder, or tie…
• Sear the meat• Add the garniture
aromatique • Déglacer and mouiller• Cook• Décanter• Finish the sauce• Glacer the piece.
Braiser à brunLes cuissons: Le Braiser
The piece will be cut in cubesMeat will be sauter to obtain brown colorGarniture aromatique will be sauterUse white or brown stockNo glaçage, the meat is served in its own sauce
• Prepare the piece: cut or larder, or tie…
• Sear the meat• Add the garniture
aromatique • Deglacer and mouiller• Cook• Decanter• Finish the sauce• Glacer the piece.
Braiser en ragoutLes cuissons: Le Braiser
The Seven Cooking Techniques
• Le Rôtir• Le Poêler• Le Sauter• Le Griller• Le Frire• Le Pocher• Le Braiser
Les cuissons: DescriptionGratiner
Definition: To give a golden brown or shiny color
English term: Broil?
• In this group we regroup:– Gratin rapide (quick)– Gratin Complet (full)– Glaçage
Only the gratin complet is a cooking technique, the other ones are finitions
Les cuissons: Description
Gratin rapide An already cooked ingredient is coated with a rich
sauce and placed under the broiler to obtain an even brown finish
• Example: gratin de fruit
Les cuissons: Description
Gratin Complet Uncooked ingredients are placed in an oven-
proof dish, cooked in the oven and served directly on the table. During cooking the dish will take on some color.
• Example: gratin Dauphinois
Les cuissons: Description
Glaçage
To coat a piece, vegetable or protein, with a sauce, or with butter and sugar to give a shiny finish
• Example: duck glacé or vegetable glacé
Les cuissons: Description
The Seven Cooking Techniques
• Rôtir• Poêler• Sauter• Griller• Frire• Pocher• Braiser
Cooking techniques(cuissons)
• Classifications• Description of each individual cooking
technique (cuissons)• How to use this information?• Review of culinary terms
Les cuissonsHow to use this information:
Once students understand the different particularities of each cuisson they can use it as a guide to be more efficient
What is the customer expecting from the chef?• Type of food: beef tenderloin, fish..• Price: $ 2 per plate versus $ 10 per plate
$$$ $$ $
Rôtir Poêler Braiser PocherSauterGrillerFrire
A brun brun or blanc A blanc
Dry humid small amount large amount of liquid liquid
Tender cuts of meat medium tender less tender cuts of meatFish PastaVegetable Grains
Cooking techniques(cuissons)
• Classifications• Description of each individual cooking
technique (cuisson)• How to use this information• Review of culinary terms
Review of Culinary Terms• Cuisson mixte• Cuisson par expansion• Cuisson par concentration• Cuisson à brun• Cuisson à blanc• Garniture aromatique• Viande de deuxième et troisième
categorie• Légumes blanchis• Macreuse, epaule, gite à la noix,
paleron, collier, gite, selle, longe• Larder• Mariner• Egoutter
• Eponger• Rissoler• Suer• Mouiller• Degraisser• Lier• Reduire• Fonçage• Singer• Decanter• Bouquet garni
Cooking techniques(cuissons)
• Classifications• Description of each individual cooking
technique (cuisson)• How to use this information• Review of culinary terms