Malden Bridge Chef - Cooking and Pastry Classes

Baking crust, dough & puff pastry Tip
Before baking a tart crust, cookie dough or anything made with puff pastry, put the oven ready tray in the refrigerator
for at least 10 minutes or until the fat contained in the crust, dough or puff pastry becomes strong. You will have a better
result at the end since the fat will not melt before starting to cook.
This does not apply to dough containing life yeast, fresh or active dried (like bread), since the dough is supposed to raise at a warm temperature before being baked.

Produce Tip
Take a little extra time to choose the freshest fruits and vegetables. Do not hesitate to examine several or many
before making a selection. Make sure they are not too firm or too tender. Avoid spots, scratches, wrinkles and
wilted leaves. Check against mold, particularly when choosing berries.

Baking Tip
Seven Important Reasons to Use Salt in Baking & Pastry:
When you are making any dough, batter or pie crust always add salt to it, even if the recipe does not call for it.
Add 1 1/4 tablespoons of salt to 2 lb. of flour. The salt brings out flavor, aroma, color, texture and also controls
moisture and density, while helping with conservation. It is not necessary to add salt to pastry cream,
sauce anglaise, chantilly, chocolate mousse, etc... simply because milk & chocolate already contain salt.

Safety Tip
When handling a hot pot, pan, tray or any kitchen utensils remember to never use a damp or wet towel or glove,
the heat passes through humidity instantly and you will burn yourself.

Cooking Vegetables Tip
Never cook a vegetable more then 20 minutes or you will loose all the essential vitamins. Steamed, boiled,
roasted or in a soup most do not need more than 10 minutes to be cooked (greens, flowers...), root vegetables
(carrots, turnips...) might need up to 20 minutes. Exceptions are when cooking a stew, for example, when the
flavors mix together slowly.