Now sear this! Cooking tips, recipes

There are more important things in life than cooking disasters. However, when you have gone to the trouble to choose a recipe and purchase fresh ingredients, you want a degree of certainty in how your efforts will turn out. 

The very thing that will provide that certainty is your knowledge of  basic cooking techniques.  Teaching these techniques has become increasingly important to me, because they will allow you to approach your kitchen with pleasure, and where there’s pleasure, there’s desire to do it again! 

In TODAY’s prep kitchen, as we prepare recipes from all over the world, we repeatedly use the same basic techniques. I’ve come to approach any recipe knowing I can handle it. You’ll come to enjoy your time in the kitchen, without tension over getting the recipe right. Having these techniques will free you up to play with flavors and food combinations. My desire for you is that cooking feel leisurely. Really, it can and does! Cooking as a profession is one thing, whereas cooking at home can settle the day.

This particular technique, called SEARING, is a fabulous start to many a fast dish. It’s a quick, thorough browning of the surface of foods, creating an immediate boost in flavor. About 80% of my home cooking utilizes this technique, and I thought this was something you could jump right into! It’s easy to learn and fast to do. Today, we are focusing on searing proteins: scallops, chicken breasts and tender steak. All of these dishes are meant as a main course, and included in each recipe is an optional quick sauce, made in the same pan you were searing in. 

The Technique: Searing
Browning the surface of food over intense heat. The flavor benefit is a deeply savory sweetness, with a texture of crusty/chewy. This happens when the sugar-based starches in the food caramelize from the high heat, becoming concentrated, and turning a deep brown.  There will be spatters from the pan, so wear an apron (or something black)! The golden key to searing is intense heat. Add some oil to the pan, set the heat to high, and let it get HOT. When the surface of the oil takes on a wavy appearance, it is ready.   

The Pan: Saute Pan
10”– 12” diameter, with low, sloping sides. This is one of the most commonly found pans in the home kitchen, with nonstick surfaces seeming to prevail. However, a stainless-steel interior will brown and crisp better and faster.  

SEA SCALLOPS
Anytime the topic of scallops comes up, someone asks for help in getting them to brown. The main complaint is ending up with pale, watery scallops. The most probable reason for this is that the scallops you have bought have been soaked in a preserving sodium solution, which they absorb. These are known as “wet” scallops, though they will likely not be labeled that way. They will look bright white and shiny. When they are cooked, this solution leaches out, and this excess moisture prevents browning. “Dry” scallops, on the other hand, have not been soaked. Their color is slightly darker, and can have a slight pink or orange hue. They are also not as shiny. You will probably have to ask if they are dry, and they will probably be priced higher, but their taste is intensely sweet and meaty. Upon trying them, you’ll sing hallelujah.

1 pound “dry” sea scallops (about 10 -12)
Salt to taste  (use sea salt if you have it)
1 TB olive oil  (or other cooking oil)

Sauce:
½ lemon
1 TB unsalted butter

1. If the small muscles are still attached to the sides of the scallops, remove them by pinching them off with your fingers. There is one per scallop, and they come off easily.

Salt the scallops. Heat the oil in a large stainless-steel saute pan over high heat, until the surface of the oil forms ripples. Turn heat to medium-high.

2. Place the scallops on one of their flat sides in the pan, allowing space between them. Let sear for 3 minutes. Turn the scallops over and sear 3 minutes more. Reduce heat to medium-low and turn them back to the first side. Let scallops cook for another 2 minutes or so, depending on size. (You can remove one after 2 minutes and check for doneness by cutting in half). Transfer scallops to serving plates.

3. To make sauce: Return pan to heat. Squeeze the juice of the lemon half into the pan and quickly add the butter. Swirl pan until butter is melted and blended with the juice. It will thicken and turn a golden brown.

*This sauce is very tangy and the scallops are very sweet, so drizzle the sauce onto the plate around the scallops and let the eater use the sauce as they wish. Sing hallelujah.

FORMERLY BORING CHICKEN BREASTS
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are cooking away in how many kitchens, on how many nights of the week? There are a million ways to cook them, and here is one that’s delicious.

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves  (about 6 ounces each)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 TB olive oil

Sauce:
1 TB unsalted butter
¼ cup finely chopped shallots
¼ cup brandy, cognac or white wine

1. Trim breasts of any cartilage, and salt both sides. Heat the oil in a large stainless-steel saute pan over high heat, until the surface of the oil forms ripples. Turn heat to medium-high.  Add the breasts and let sear for 3 minutes. Turn breasts over and grind pepper over the browned side. Let sear 3 minutes more. Pour excess fat from pan and return to a medium-low heat. Let cook for about 5 minutes more. Transfer breasts to a plate and tent with foil, allowing to rest for 5-10 minutes, allowing the juices to settle.

2. To make sauce: Return pan to a medium heat and add butter and shallots. Let cook, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Add the brandy, which should sizzle and steam. Let simmer for about 1 minute, until sauce is thickened. (If sauce reduces quickly, remove from heat and use). Pour sauce over chicken breasts and serve.

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