–photo by Jake Moore

This weekend’s inaugural Men's Health cooking school was a day-long lesson in man food, complete with succulent samples to taste along the way. No man (or woman) left the auditorium hungry. But aside from the delicious cuisine (which included the best roast chicken this foodie has ever tasted) and the chance to see all-star chefs in action, perhaps the best thing about the day was the opportunity to learn the surprisingly simple tips and techniques the chefs use to craft their signature dishes. You can apply these lessons to plenty of the recipes already in your repertoire. If you couldn't make the trip to NYC, you’re in luck. We’re letting you borrow our class notes.

CHEF TIP #1: Embrace the power of vinegar. Add a touch of vinegar to balance dishes with the perfect hit of acidity. One particularly good choice: sautéed vegetables, where you can use vinegar like wine to deglaze the pan, says Seamus Mullen, chef at Tertulia in NYC (pictured above right). His favorite? Sherry vinegar. He used sherry vinegar to flavor the Romesco Sauce and the anchovy flatbreads he prepared at the cooking school.

CHEF TIP #2: Season vegetables perfectly. The trick to flavorful blanched greens and asparagus? Salt the ice bath that you use to shock the vegetables after you’ve cooked them, Mullen says. They'll come out of the ice bath with just the right amount of salinity.

CHEF TIP #3: Add wheat to pizza crust without subtracting flavor. Whole-wheat flour may be healthier than the regular variety, but it can create a bitter-tasting crust. Sneak in some extra fiber by using 70 percent white flour, 30 percent wheat. At that concentration, you'll still have the flavor and texture of a white crust, says Jim Lahey of Sullivan Street Bakery.

CHEF TIP #4: Give your pies an extra zing. It’s easy to upgrade your pizza repertoire. Begin by expanding your cheese horizons. Mozzarella may be the ultimate pizza cheese, but any high-moisture cheeses will work well, Lahey says. Two to try: cheese curd or Gruyere, which he used on the spinach pizza he made at the cooking school. Another place to add flavor is when you season your pizza peel to keep the dough from sticking before you slide it into the oven. The traditional method is to add cornmeal or semolina, but you can amp up the flavor using wheat bran or caraway seeds instead, Lahey says.

CHEF TIP #5: Make your own curry. Buying a jar of curry paste is a convenient way to flavor Thai food, but whipping up a homemade paste is way better, according to Harold Dieterle from NYC's Kin Shop. Use a blender to mix together a fresh spice blend. For the Khao Sai Dieterle made at the cooking school, he made curry paste using several fresh ingredients, including cilantro stems and galangal.

CHEF TIP #6: Start stir fries with the ultimate wok mix. When you make stir fries and noodle dishes, use Dieterle’s "wok mix": shallots, lemongrass, ginger, and garlic, all finely minced. Stir those together for about a minute before adding other ingredients.

CHEF TIP #7: Invest in Maine sea salt. These coarse, crunchy grains are the go-to seasoning for Dan Kluger from ABC Kitchen. The reason: Maine sea salt gives your dish variety with each bite. Each salt grain is a different size, so one bite of your dish will be very salty, while the next is subtly salty. Kluger sprinkled Maine sea salt on the crispy chicken he made at the cooking school.

CHEF TIP #8: Whip up creamy spuds. How do you know mashed potatoes are ready to serve? When you stir them, they should pull away from the pot and hold their shape, Kluger says. He whips potatoes in a mixer to give them extra fluff.

 

Via: Chef Wisdom from the MH Cooking School