Thanks to all of you who sent in your cookery questions. Here are my answers to some that were sent in, check to see if yours is included. Sorry I couldn’t answer them all, but keep them coming in.
Emma from Bromley asked:
Ok this is a weird one… my husband has bought loads of silicone spoons for cooking. I think they taint the food with a sort of plasticky taste. What kind of spoons do you like for cooking with?
We do use silicone spoons in the restaurants, this is a modern approach as wooden spoons were deemed not suitable a few years ago by the Food Standards Agency. However, this is because in a commercial setting there are a lot more considerations to be made. I have never had any issue with them tasting plasticky.
At home, I use wooden spoons, I have some lovely olive wood ones that don’t go all dry and splintered like old fashioned wooden ones.
Alison from Chester asked;
How do I know when fish is cooked? I always seem to overcook it and it goes dry.
Many years ago, I was taught this technique and I still use it today, always remember to use lovely fresh fish with this method.
Obviously, you need to make a judgement on the initial cooking time depending on the cooking method, size of portion etc. If you err on the side of the caution by maybe a minute or two then place a wooden cocktail stick into the fish and push gently, the stick should pass into the fish without resistance (bouncing/pushing back). If you have a little resistance then cook for a further minute, try again and then allow the fish to rest.
Remember, fish shouldn’t be cooked completely all the way through but should show a little translucence and shimmer like a rainbow.
Christine from Birmingham asked:
Is there any quick fix for cooking/baking items in oven that need different temperatures? I cook bread pudding which is gas 3 but biscuits gas 5? Seems such a waste of fuel having to cook separately.
Cooking is mostly the application of science towards raw ingredients, and obviously some things react differently to gentle pressure/cooking and some to extreme etc.
The two examples you give require different temperatures to give the correct results.
However, I totally agree with you about the frustration of wasting energy. In the restaurants the chef will plan and make a list of items that can go into the oven together at the same temperature, and then organise the temperatures of the ovens accordingly.
This might be a method you could adopt in a way.
Sam from Bromley asked:
Might seem like a silly question but how long does it take to preheat an oven?
So many variables!
Gas, electric, fan assisted, age, condition etc
Many ovens will have a pre heat function on them nowadays, but I would say in general that most modern ovens will come to temp within 15-20 minutes.
Richard from Marlow asked:
Any advice for proving and kneading sourdough. I have a rye flour mother but have been using white for the main bake. Refresh mother – leave 24 hrs, add flour kneed leave 4 hours, kneed again, leave 8 hours. doubles in size, soft and nearly springy to touch…Bake 45 mins, first 10 at 220 then 200. I don’t get that “oven Bloom”, despite razoring top and the floor is “00”. Do you have any tips?
It sounds like you are very proficient in bread making Richard and that the dough has all the love and attention needed.
A lot of the time the result of a loaf will depend on the oven and the trays. Our bakers use stone bed deck ovens as these hold the heat when the small door is opened and have a constant heat above and below. The bread is on blue steel trays
Cheryl from Manchester asked:
Hi Tom. Having given up alcohol recently (for health reasons) I find so many recipes are now off limits. What could I use instead but still give the right balance of flavours. I’m thinking of white and red wine. Moules mariniere, red wine and port sauce (for duck), beurre blanc…the list is endless. Would very much appreciate your help.
Well, the honest answer is the flavour you get from wine and port etc is fairly difficult to recreate.
However, there are two things to look at;
- Firstly, when you add wine/brandy etc to a dish the cooking process removes all the alcohol as it evaporates off. If you have any reservations about residual alcohol, boil the alcohol first then ignite it, once the flame dies or fails to ignite the alcohol has evaporated (but be very careful, especially with higher abv liquids)
- Or you can use zero alcohol beers etc for braises and stews
Alternatively, look at where the alcohol originates from eg.:
Wine from grapes – red or white – grape juice
Cider from apples etc – apple juice
Jules from Nottingham asked:
Please can you share your best cheese souffle recipe, I want to be the queen of souffle at my dinner party and never made any before….
I suggest the best idea is a twice baked souffle, so all the hard work is done beforehand and it’s simply a matter of finishing them. I like to serve this souffle with a Walldorf salad.
Ingredients
- 40g flour
- 40g butter
- 8g salt
- ¼ pint milk
- 100g egg yolks
- 360g good cheddar – grated
- 600g egg whites
Method
- Make a roux with butter and flour, add in salt the add mix and cook out. Allow to cool slightly then add in cheese. Then beat in yolks, 25g at a time until smooth and glossy.
- Whisk egg whites to a soft peak, beat in one third of whites to cheese mixture to soften it.
- Then fold in the remaining two thirds.
- Butter the moulds then divide equally amongst them. Cook at 140 degrees for 23 minutes.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool.
- When you are ready to serve, remove from mould. Place in dish, add one spoon of cream over the top and a sprinkle of parmesan.
- Bake at 180 degrees for 7-8 minutes until golden brown.
Kirsty from Glasgow asked:
Hi Tom, please can you share an easy recipe for Lemon Posset?
I love Lemon Posset, simple, rich and delicious.
Ingredients
- 450ml double cream
- 130g caster sugar
- freshly squeezed juice of 2 lemons
Method
- Mix the cream and sugar together in a saucepan over a high heat and bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
- Turn the heat down to a simmer and stir for 1–2 minutes until the bubbles are quite large.
- Add the lemon juice and whisk thoroughly.
- Pass this mix through a fine sieve into a bowl and leave to cool for about 5 minutes. Skim off any air bubbles, then pour the posset into your serving glasses.
- Leave to cool completely, then place the bowls in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
Collen from Reading asked:
Hi Tom, this is not really a cooking question, what is your ultimate sandwich filling?
Easy one .. Egg Mayonnaise with watercress…delicious!
Please keep you questions coming in.
