Probably the most revelatory issues I discovered whereas working as a line prepare dinner was that restaurant meals is, primarily, superb reheated leftovers. Certain, proteins are seared on the spot and crème brûlée is torched to order, however all the things else—risotto, pasta, inexperienced beans, soups—are made hours and days prematurely. As quickly as an order is fired (which means the server tells the kitchen workers to begin making ready the salads and steak tartare for desk 11), all the things is reheated in skillets and sizzler platters within the oven. What does this should do with potatoes? Proper. These are ready approach prematurely too.
The Absolute Finest Strategy to Prepare dinner Potatoes, In keeping with So Many Checks
Our 22 Crispiest, Creamiest Potato Facet Dishes
Most mornings on the job, I used to be tasked with peeling kilos and kilos of russets for creamy potatoes. I might then lower the spuds with the most important restaurant-provided chef’s knife I might discover and switch them to a 22-quart container, cowl them in water, and retailer the extremely heavy container within the fridge. At that time, they might hang around, uncovered, for just a few days till we have been working low on mashed potatoes or hand lower French fries and it was time to make extra.
The lesson right here shouldn’t be that you need to get a job as a line prepare dinner, or that that you must put money into a 22-quart vat to get forward on Thanksgiving prep. No. The lesson right here is that you possibly can maintain potatoes from turning brown by storing lower potatoes in chilly water to sluggish the oxidation course of (aka the factor that makes peeled potatoes flip brown). You in all probability ought to maintain them lined in an hermetic container although. Whereas we did this for Russets, you too can observe this methodology for Yukon golds, child pink potatoes, candy potatoes, and even winter squash. Simply ensure that the potatoes are totally and utterly submerged in water. If the peeled potatoes are uncovered to air, they are going to begin to flip shade (first a pinkish-red shade after which they’ll flip darkish brown).
This can be a good cooking tip that may enable you to save lots of time within the kitchen, particularly earlier than huge dinner events and vacation feasts. Simply remember to retailer peeled potatoes in water for not more than 24 hours. After that, the cool fridge air will convert the starches within the potatoes to sugar, inflicting the flavour and texture of the spuds to vary. As an alternative, simply begin cooking potatoes for a mash, potato salad, or hash browns. However guess what? You may make these prematurely too.
What’s your favourite little-known cooking tip to save lots of time within the kitchen? Share your secrets and techniques within the feedback beneath.