Cooking Tips From Bobby Flay
At a recent cooking demonstration at Bobby Flay's namesake steakhouse , located at The Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, N.J., Chef Flay not only cooked up delicious shrimp and grits, he also shared some great cooking tips that you'll want to keep handy this holiday season.
Grits are basically the American version of polenta, but instead of costing a few bucks, Italian restaurants can charge $32 a plate. Make grits or polenta for the holidays: Take ¼ of the polenta you are going to make and toast it dry in a pan. This will give your polenta a nice nutty flavor and it will separate your polenta from everyone else's. Try this trick with Bobby's Shrimp and Grits from Bar Americain, for polenta are sure to impress.
You should always have two oils on hand in your house: a light oil to cook with and then a really good extra-virgin olive oil to drizzle, but not to cook with. Olive oil is too thick for cooking so serve it at the end of your dish. Extra-virgin olive oil works great in Bobby's Feta Cheese and Green Onion Dip.
Be sure to check your oils. Taste or smell them to see if they have gone bad — you’ll be able to tell. This is especially true of nut oils.
If you're looking for a way to brighten up your meals, make a vinaigrette with oil and vinegar instead of a sauce for your food. It takes a lot less time and is a lot easier to make.
Salt and pepper are the basis of good flavors in cooking — they are the fundamental ingredients that make food taste good. You must season your food with salt and pepper on both sides. The thing Bobby asks the most in his kitchens is, “Did you season that with salt and pepper on both sides?” If you're making Bobby's Standing Rib Roast for the holidays, be sure to use plenty of salt and pepper.
Once you grind a fresh spice it starts to loose flavor at that moment. Get rid of your spices when you change the battery in your smoke detector. Be sure to check them before you make Roasted Pork Tenderloin Filled With Stuffing.
Don’t pound your chicken breast into submission. You’re pounding it to make it even so it cooks equally. Keep your pounding in check when you make Bobby's Chicken Parmigiana.
