HEALTHY NUTRITION TIPS: 30 TOP CHEF SECRETS

15.10.13 30 Top Chef Secrets 

30 TOP CHEF SECRETS 

30. Lose your saltshaker. : 

Proper seasoning is paramount. First, lose your saltshaker. Pinch kosher 

salt straight from a dish. The coarse grains and the touch of your fingers 

give you maximum control. Add a pinch, taste, and repeat if necessary. 

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29. Counterbalance salt with vinegar. : 

Oops—too much salt? Use a splash of vinegar to provide a 

counterbalancing punch of acid and sweetness. 

28. Don't overcrowd the pan. : 

For deeply flavored foods, don't overcrowd the pan. Ingredient overload 

makes a pan's temperature plummet, and foods end up steaming rather 

than caramelizing. This adds cooking time and subtracts taste. All 

ingredients should fit comfortably in one layer, so use a pan that's big 

enough for the job, and cook in batches if necessary. 

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27. Salt and refrigerate raw chicken. : 

Nothing beats crispy chicken skin. Buy a whole chicken the day before you'll cook it, sprinkle on 

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a tablespoon of kosher salt, and leave it uncovered in the fridge. The air 

and salt will draw out excess water. 

26. Let meat rest. : 

If you slice into your meat right after it comes off the grill, those precious 

juices, still circulating with residual heat, will bleed out onto your plate. Let 

the meat rest: Wait 5 minutes before biting into burgers or grilled chicken, 

7 minutes before cutting into steaks, and at least 15 minutes before 

carving a turkey or a larger roast. 

25. Make your own vinaigrette. : 

Bottled dressings are a waste of money and calories. Make your own 

vinaigrette by whisking together three parts oil (olive, canola, or sesame) 

with one part vinegar (balsamic, red-wine, or rice), plus salt and pepper. 

Build extra flavor by adding minced shallot, Dijon mustard, fresh herbs, or 

honey. 

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24. Water down your pasta sauce. : 

The secret to great pasta sauce? The cooking water. Save a cup of the 

pasta's cooking water before you drain it, and add the water to your sauce 

as needed. The starch in it helps the sauce adhere to the pasta, creating a 

creamier, more flavorful final product. 

23. Refrigerate with caution. : 

Never store tomatoes in the refrigerator. And keep peaches, potatoes, 

onions, bread, garlic, and coffee out of there, too. Cold temperatures 

compromise the flavor and texture of these staples. 



22. Blend butter and olive oil. : 

Try cooking with a 50:50 mixture of butter and olive oil. Butter brings big, 

rich flavors, but it burns and blackens at very low temperatures. Oil 

prevents the milk solids in butter from charring, allowing you to ratchet up 

the heat. 

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21. Save your Teflon. : 

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18. Preheat the pan. : 

Teflon coatings can deteriorate on high heat, so save your nonstick pans 

for gentler tasks like cooking omelets and sauteing fish. 

20. Know when to shake and when to stir. : 

Great cocktails need serious shaking. Bond was wrong—martinis (and 

other drinks) that are made with clear spirits should be stirred. Shake only 

cocktails made with fruit juices. 

19. Zap citrus fruits in the microwave. : 

More pucker for the price! Zap lemons, limes, or oranges for 15 seconds 

in the microwave before squeezing them. The fruit will yield twice as much 

juice. Another round of G&Ts, anyone? 

Pan roasting is a popular restaurant technique rarely employed by home cooks. Preheat a castiron 

or stainless-steel pan on the stove with a bit of olive oil until you see wisps of smoke rise. 



Add your chicken, steak, or fish, and cook until one side is nicely browned 

—about 3 to 4 minutes. Then flip it and place the entire pan in a 400°F 

oven to finish cooking. 

17. Puncture your meat. : 

The problem: Dense meats like steak, pork, or chicken legs can burn on 

the outside before they're fully cooked on the inside. The solution: Insert a 

clean stainless-steel rod or nail into the thickest part of the meat, and finish 

cooking. "The nail will act as a conductor, drawing in heat and cooking the 

meat from the inside out," says Roland Henin, CMC, U.S. coach for the 2009 Bocuse d'Or 

Culinary Olympics. 

16. Sample as you cook. : 

The best tool in your kitchen is your mouth. Taste a dish at least three 

times during the cooking process, adjusting the seasoning every step of 

the way. 

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14. Pat meat and fish dry. : 

15. Shop on Wednesday. : 

Go to the supermarket on hump day. Research shows that only 11 percent 

of people shop for groceries on Wednesday, making it the best day to be 

in the aisles. And only 4 percent of people shop after 9 p.m. You may have 

to track down somebody to fetch fresh stuff from the back room, but what 

else do they have to do at that hour? Plus, shorter checkout lines mean 

less time reading the National Enquirer. 

Pat meat and fish dry before cooking. Surface moisture creates steam when it hits a hot pan or 

grill, impeding caramelization. If your fish has skin, use a sharp knife to squeegee off the water 

trapped within it. 



13. Drain pasta prematurely. : 

If you want perfect al dente pasta, adapt the box directions. Drain the 

pasta about 1 minute before the package tells you to. Dump the noodles 

back into the pot and stir in the heated sauce. The pasta will finish cooking 

in the pot. 

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12. Cook fish skin side down first. : 

Always cook fish skin side down first. The skin keeps the flesh of the fish 

from drying out and provides a crunchy counterpoint to the tender meat. 

Cook your fillet undisturbed for 75 percent of the time on the skin side 

(about 5 minutes), and then flip it to the flesh side to finish. 

11. Spice up your TV dinner. : 

Instantly improve your next TV dinner. After cooking, add fresh herbs, a 

squeeze of citrus, and a drizzle of olive oil to transform any frozen entree. 

10. Prepare plates beforehand. : 

Warm food served on a cold plate is a ROOKIE MISTAKE. Heat your 

dishes in a 150°F oven for 10 minutes before plating a meal. On the flip 

side, lightly chilled plates (use your freezer) boost the freshness of cold 

dishes like summer salads. 



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9. Revive overcooked meat. : 

Overcooked meat? Salvage dinner: Slice the meat thinly, put it on a plate, 

and top it with chopped tomato, onion, and jalapeño. Add olive oil and 

fresh lime juice (or a few spoonfuls of vinaigrette; see #6). The acid and oil 

will restore moisture and fat to the mistreated meat. 

8. Protect your fingers. : 

Don't dice a digit. Cut awkward-to-slice vegetables—such as mushrooms, 

carrots, and peppers—by first cleaving them in half. Then rest the flat parts 

on the cutting board. 

7. Brighten and balance flavors. : 

Keep a spray bottle of sherry or rice vinegar on hand while you're cooking. 

"Misting a scallop, a piece of fish, or even a salad really helps brighten 

and balance all the flavors," says Wylie Dufresne, chef at New York City's 

wd-50. 

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5. Immerse your meat. : 

6. Salvage wilted produce. : 

Freshen up limp vegetables: Drop your aging produce into ice water 

before cooking. Plants wilt due to water loss; ice water penetrates their 

cells to restore crispness. 

Put steaks and chops in a zip-top bag and then immerse the bag in tepid water for 30 to 60 

minutes before cooking. Raising meat's internal temperature makes it easier to cook evenly all 



the way through. 

4. Time your salting. : 

Time your salting well. If you add salt to vegetables as soon as they hit the 

pan, the sodium will draw out moisture. (They'll steam, not brown.) For 

deep, flavorful caramelization, add salt at the end. 

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3. Master the broiler. : 

Think of a broiler as an inverted grill, ready to bring serious, concentrated 

heat to whatever food you place below it. Chicken breasts, pork chops, 

and steaks take about 10 minutes to broil; just be sure to flip them midway 

through the cooking process, as you would when grilling. 

2. Cushion your cutting board. : 

Avoid a visit to the E.R. Place a damp kitchen towel underneath your 

cutting board to prevent it from rocking or slipping while you're chopping or 

slicing foods. 

1. Bake your bacon. : 

The secret to perfectly cooked bacon: Skip the pan or the skillet. Bacon's 

tendency to scrunch up makes for uneven cooking. Instead, place no more 

than a half pound of bacon on a 12 x 18 baking dish or baking sheet with 

sides and roast in a 375°F oven for 12 to 15 minutes, for that perfectly 

crisp (but not too crisp) texture.

HEALTHY NUTRITION TIPS: 30 TOP CHEF SECRETS

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