Jack asks Frederic to teach her some recipes for the crispiest, juiciest chicken cutlets ever. Recipes include: Italian Breaded Chicken Cutlets; Cajun Cornmeal Crusted Chicken Cutlets.
Episode Guide
Below you’ll find a helpful episode guide for cooking along with Frederic and Jack, as well as tips and recipe rescues.
Equipment List:
Baking sheet
Serrated knife
Chef’s knife
Cutting board
Food processor
Pepper mill
Rasp or box grater
Measuring spoons
Meat mallet
Wax paper
3 shallow pans or bowls
Large skillet
Liquid measuring cup
Tongs
Rack over baking pan
Dry measuring cups
Tips:Standard breading procedure:
An assembly-line procedure for items to be pan-fried or deep-fried that consists of dredging the item in flour, dipping it in beaten egg, and coating it with crumbs.
It works because the flour helps the egg wash adhere, and the egg wash allows the breadcrumbs to stick.
Shake off the excess flour before dredging in egg, and pack enough breadcrumbs on to fully and evenly coat the food, but shake off the excess before frying.
Frying oils:
Oils with a high smoking point work best for frying because the oil needs to be at a high temperature yet still below its smoking point when frying. Good frying oils include most vegetable oils, peanut oil, safflower oil, soybean oil, grapeseed oil, and canola oil.
Fats that are not good for frying (because they have low smoke points) include olive oil and butter.
Pan-frying:
Pan-frying is a cooking method in which items are cooked in deep fat in a skillet; generally involves more fat than sauteing, but less than deep-frying.
The goal of pan-frying is to produce an exterior with a crisp, golden brown crust, which acts as a barrier to retain juices and flavors.
Recipe Rescues:The breading is soggy – The temperature of the frying oil was not hot enough. Serve chicken over a salad or in a sandwich so that it is not as noticeable.
The breadcrumbs got too dark – Make sure to use a low-sugar content bread for making breadcrumbs. The sugar will cause the breading to burn in the high heat of the frying oil.
Your chicken is not cooked through – After slicing, return the chicken to the oven and continue cooking until the inside is no longer the least bit pink in color, and juices run clear.
The coating is too spicy – Serve chicken with mayonnaise, a yogurt sauce, or lemon wedges.
Learn the recipe for a Black Bean soup that creates the perfect, self-serve big game party bash.
Episode Guide
Below you’ll find a helpful episode guide for cooking along with Frederic and Jack, as well as tips and recipe rescues.
Equipment List:
Colander
Large saucepan with lid
Large soup pot
Pepper mill
Immersion blender or regular blender
Wooden spoon
Cutting board
Chef’s knife
Slotted spoon
Measuring spoons
Rolling pin
Pizza cutter or chef's knife
Pastry brush
Parchment paper
Sheet pan or cookie sheet
Ladle
Liquid measuring cup
Tips:
Soak beans in 3-4 times as much UNSALTED water as the quantity of beans
Soaking beans is necessary because:
They need to absorb some moisture in order to cook evenly
Soaking keeps beans from splitting open
Soaking breaks down the indigestible sugars that cause intestinal problems
Soaking maximizes the nutritional content of beans
Quick soak vs. long soak:For quick soak
Bring beans to a boil for 3 minutes, and then remove from heat, cover pot, and set aside for 1-4 hours
Drain beans and get rid of soaking water
Rinse beans so that sugars do not remain
Cook beans as directed
Long soak
Soak beans in cold water overnight or for 8 hours
Drain beans and get rid of soaking water
Rinse beans so that sugars do not remain
Cook beans as directed
Puff pastry:
Available pre-made in the frozen section
It is many-layered, consisting of pastry dough and pieces of chilled butter – when cooked, moisture from butter creates steam, causing dough to separate into many flaky layers
Many applications, both sweet and savory – cheese straws, pot pie crusts, wrapping for encasing meats, flaky cookies like palmiers, pastries like Napoleons, croissants, pain au chocolate, etc.
Recipe Rescues:For a vegetarian black bean soup - omit the ham hocks for a vegetarian black bean soup, but make up for it by seasoning with extra salt.For a chunkier soup - only puree half of the soup in the blender and add it back in to the chunky soup.Other sausages to use in the Saucisson - any type of smoked cured sausage containing pork, beef, or a combination.
Jack turns to Frederic for help to learn how to make simple homemade candy including recipes for chocolate truffles and candied orange peel.
Episode Guide
Below you’ll find a helpful episode guide for cooking along with Frederic and Jack, as well as tips and recipe rescues.
Equipment List:
Liquid measuring cup
Small saucepan
Serrated knife
Cutting board
Whisk
2 small cake pans
Small baking sheet
Parchment or wax paper
Mixing bowl
Measuring spoons
Plastic wrap
Chef’s knife
Large saucepan
Rack for drying
Colander
Dry measuring cups
Colander
Tips:Melting chocolate:
Chop chocolate finely and uniformly before melting.
Melt chocolate in a double boiler or in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Turn the heat off just before beginning to whisk; the residual heat will be enough to melt the chocolate. Having the heat any higher will scorch the chocolate.
Whisk the chopped chocolate over the heat to prevent scorching.
Making ganache:
Ganache is a mixture of chocolate and cream, and is usually made with either semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, as opposed to milk chocolate. Flavorings like liqueurs can be added to ganache.
Ganache can be made by heating the cream gently to a simmer, and then by pouring it over a bowl of very finely chopped chocolate.
Candying:
Candying is a cooking method used to preserve and sugar-coat fruits, citrus rinds, flowers, herb leaves, etc. by cooking them in sugar syrup and then coating with more sugar to let dry at room temperature.
Recipe Rescues:Ganache is not firm enough – Refrigerate ganache for at least 2 hours before attempting to make truffles. You can spread the ganache onto a sheet pan for faster cooling.
Burnt sugar – Start over with the sugar syrup. A sugar syrup needs to be cooked slowly and gently at a simmer; do not let it boil furiously.
Candied orange tastes too bitter – Blanch an additional time; the more times you blanch the orange peels, the mellower the bitterness becomes.
Michael liberates the tired (of cafeteria food), poor (from expensive lunches) and hungry masses with a brown baggin' party where everyone gets together to make lunch. Plus, special tips on transporting these delectable dishes and keeping them fresh!
Gameplan
1 Day Before the Lunch Party:
Toast Barley for Roasted Barley Salad. Simmer barley in chicken stock.
Core and chop tomatoes for Roasted Tomato Soup. Roast chopped tomatoes with garlic, balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
Mince and sauté onions, basil, and roasted tomatoes for Roasted Tomato Soup.
Drain barley and set aside to cool.
Puree roasted tomato mixture to soup consistency and cover and refrigerate overnight until ready to serve.
Slice and roast zucchini for Frittata and Tomato Sandwich.
Blend egg mixture for Frittata Sandwich. Remove roasted zucchini from over, chop into large pieces and stir into egg mixture.
Cook frittata in a large skillet. Finish frittata by cooking under a broiler. Sprinkle with Provolone cheese. Set aside to cool. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Slice bread and line up on sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toast bread slices in the oven. Cool and set aside.
Chop and cook smoked bacon for Roasted Barley Salad.
Chop zucchini, garlic, thyme and carrots for Roasted Barley Salad. Saute chopped vegetables in leftover bacon fact. Add apple cider vinegar to the pan to create dressing for salad.
Assemble Roasted Barley Salad with barley, bacon, and dressed vegetables.
Chop parsley and set aside for Roasted Barley Salad.
Morning of the Lunch Party:
Slice bread for Frittata and Tomato Sandwiches. Pack in paper bag.
Pack toasted bruschetta slices into paper bag.
Reheat Roasted Tomato Soup and pour into thermoses.
Slice tomatoes thickly for Frittata and Tomato Sandwich. Pack into small plastic container.
Pack salt and pepper and chili flakes.
Stir reserved parsley into Roasted Barley Salad. Pack up salad.
Slice Frittata and pack into container.
Pack basil leaves into small container.
At the Party:
Assemble Frittata and Tomato Sandwiches.
Serve Roasted Tomato Soup in mugs. Top with bruschetta slices.
Serve Roasted Barley Salad.
Eat and Enjoy!
Celebrate your new home with a home made meal that's as simple as it is delicious. You'll be the envy of the neighborhood with recipes for Crespelli "Short Stacks" with BBQ Chicken; Slightly Cooked Gazpacho and Olive Oil Cake.
Gameplan
2 Days Before Party:
Assemble and simmer all ingredients for Barbeque Sauce. Cool, cover and refrigerate sauce until day of party.
Blend ingredients for Crespelli Short Stacks crepe batter. Cover batter and refrigerate.
Mince carrots for Slightly Cooked Gazpacho. Saute carrots with garlic, add tomato juice. Season and pour into a bowl to cool. Cover the Gazpacho and refrigerate.
Reheat Barbeque Sauce. Using a roasted store-bought chicken, remove the skin and pull the chicken from the bone. Stir the chicken into the warm Barbeque Sauce. Stir in orange zest. Set aside to cool. Cover and place chicken in refrigerator.
Pull Gazpacho from the refrigerator and finish Gazpacho by adding small-diced red onion, zucchini, celery, fennel, fennel fronds. Season Gazpacho, cover and set aside in refrigerator.
Cook crepes in butter. Layer crepes on a sheet pan on top of wax paper.
Assemble Crespelli Short Stacks by buttering crepes and layering them with chicken in Barbeque Sauce. Wrap finished crepes in foil and set aside in refrigerator.
1 Hour Before Party:
Pre-heat oven to 350?F and place wrapped Crespelli Short Stacks for 30 minutes to heat through.
Reduce orange juice for Olive Oil Cake. Reserve.
Assemble chopped scallions, cabbage, apple, lemon juice, lemon juice, olive oil for Apple Slaw.
Blend milk, eggs, olive oil, liquor, reduced orange juice, sugar, rosemary, lemon zest and anise seed for Olive Oil Cake batter.
Add dry ingredients, baking powder and flour, to Olive Oil Cake batter.
Bake Olive Oil Cake in two greased round spring-form pans.
Plate Gaspacho in a large bowl. Finish with chopped fresh parsley, fresh basil and Sweet 100 tomatoes and red wine vinegar.
At the Party:
Toss Apple Slaw with dressing.
Remove Crespelli Short Stacks from the oven and slice into 8 pieces.
Un-old Olive Oil Cakes and spread with orange marmalade while cake is still warm. Slice cakes into eights and garnish with rosemary.
Eat and Enjoy!
Jack asks Frederic to teach her the do’s and don’ts to making the perfect hamburger and oven fries.
Episode Guide
Below you’ll find a helpful episode guide for cooking along with Frederic and Jack, as well as tips and recipe rescues.
Equipment List:
Large cast iron skillet or grill
Wax paper
2 baking sheets
Measuring spoons
Flat wide spatula
Cutting board
Chef’s knife
Tongs
Pepper mill
Tips:Forming patties:
Don't overwork the meat. Mix and pat; don't squeeze.
Overworking ground beef turns it into flavorless mush, as the heat from your hands and the friction of mixing breaks down the little bits of fat that provide the juice and flavor.
Season meat before forming patties to more evenly distribute it throughout the burgers.
Choosing ground meat:
Ground chuck is perfect for a flavorful burger.
For a juicy burger, you want meat with at least 20 percent fat.
Potatoes:
Use a high-starch baking potato such as Idaho or Russet for making oven-fried potatoes.
Make sure potatoes are thoroughly dry before baking; excess moisture keeps the skins from crisping up.
Bake potato wedges in a single layer, evenly spaced and not touching each other.
Recipe Rescues:If your burgers are not seasoned enough - Test a small amount in the pan for seasoning before cooking entire batch.If your burgers are dried out - only Don’t press down on the burgers while cooking; that causes all the juices to leak out. Also, don't overmix the meat when forming patties.If your potatoes are soggy - Return them to the oven and raise the oven temperature.If the potatoes stick to the bottom of the pan - Run a flat metal spatula underneath them to loosen. Next time, toss with a little more oil.
With help from Frederic, Jack learns how to make the ultimate comfort food, Pot Roast with Roasted Vegetables.
Episode Guide
Below you’ll find a helpful episode guide for cooking along with Frederic and Jack, as well as tips and recipe rescues.
Equipment List:
Pepper mill
Large Dutch oven with lid
Measuring spoons
Tongs
Cutting board
Chef’s knife
Can opener
Dry measuring cups
Liquid measuring cup
Sheet pan
Aluminum foil
Ladle
Vegetable peeler
Instant-read thermometer
Wooden spoon
Carving knife
Tips:Cuts of meat for a pot roast:
Pot-roasting is all about taking large cuts of cheap, tough meat and turning them tender, flavorful and succulent.
A moist, tender pot roast starts with choosing the proper cut of beef. You are looking for something that is well-marbled with fat and connective tissue. Cuts from the shoulder are ideally suited for the job.
Ideal cuts of meat for a pot roast include: beef chuck roast, 7-bone blade roast, beef bottom round rump roast, and beef chuck top blade boneless roast Boneless (also known as top chuck roast).
Searing:
Searing is a very high-heat, fast cooking method used to brown the exterior of the meat and produce a nice crisp crust.
Searing adds flavor to meat and seals in the juices.
Tenting and resting meat:
Tent meat to keep it warm while resting, but don’t let foil touch meat, as this affects crust and does not give it the room it needs to rest.
Meat needs to rest so that the juices redistribute throughout the piece of meat. If you cut into the meat immediately, you lose at least half of its juices.
Cooking with red wine:
Do not cook with any wine that you would not drink.
Choose a dry red wine, with some body and depth.
Zinfandels yield smooth, full-bodied sauces.
Cote du Rhones and Cabernet Sauvignons are also good choices for pot-roasting.
Recipe Rescues:If the roast sticks to the pan when searing - Use tongs to carefully lift meat and turn it. Next time, use a little more oil, and make sure heat is at least medium-high.If the sauce is not thick enough - Make a slurry of 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 2 tablespoons cold water, add it to the sauce, and bring it to a boil.If your vegetables are mushy - They are overcooked. Mash or puree them and serve. Next time, make sure oven temperature is high (450 degrees F), and roast until just caramelized and tender.