10 gadgets needed in a modern kitchen
We continue develop the theme of modernist gastronomy. In the previous article, Anton Utkin explained what the molecular kitchen is and why it is needed, but this time we asked him to tell about the gadgets that should be in each progressive kitchen.
Libra
Libra - the first device, separating the serious kitchen from culinary efforts and "did everything right" from the howls in the spirit of "my dough again did not fit." Of course, did not fit - the flour measured cups? What cups, American or European? How many grams per cup? 200? 220? 240? 250? Ah, tablespoons? With or without a slide? If with a slide, with which slide? And so on. With this approach, not that porridge can not be cooked - any dish turns into a guessing game of proportions and a bunch of dirty measuring utensils. Only grams, only old school. Here, colleagues from ChefSteps clearly and lucidly demonstrate how much the scales simplify cooking: speed, accuracy, cleanliness.
In the serious kitchen will need two appliances. The first one is ordinary kitchen scales, on which you can place a bowl for products and which will count several kilograms up to a gram. The second is a small hundred meter scale (for example, AWS-100), which can strictly measure molecular chemicals or coffee for espresso shots to the nearest hundredth of a gram.
Thermometer
Another device without which meaningful dialogue about the exact modern kitchen is impossible, - a thermometer. Thermometers also come in several forms; We will focus on the two most useful, but certainly digital: in the era of laser thermometers for $ 20 it is even embarrassing to discuss mechanical models.
An immersion thermometer with a probe can come in handy if you bake or cook something else. The temperature probe measures the temperature in the center of the product (because it is obvious that the baked steak is heated from the edge to the center), so that as soon as the temperature of the center of your steak has reached the desired mark, the best of the thermometers will give a signal. In this case, guessing with the temperature of your stove, the thickness of the meat, a timer, etc. just canceled. They put a piece of meat, inserted a dipstick, turned on the oven and turned off when the alarm went off. What is easier?
An infrared thermometer, on the other hand, measures the surface temperature - but instantly. He took it in his hand, like a gun, went to the pan, in which the oil heats up, and a second later took the safest readings in the safest way. The easiest way to measure such a thermometer is the liquid contents of a griddle or saucepan.
Pressure cooker
Pressure cookers the first models are familiar to many and are deservedly gathering dust on the entresol: who has ever scrubbed the kitchen from the contents of an exploding pressure cooker, stopped using it forever. However, since then much water has flowed, and the latest generation pressure cookers are reliable and safe devices with several emergency pressure relief valves, automatic locking against accidental opening, and so on. Boil potatoes for 10 minutes or beans for 20? Make a thick aromatic broth for half an hour and not lose a single gram of liquid? The pressure cooker requires some skill, but it is the most underrated kitchen appliance of the present: many recipes that require many hours of torment with a pressure cooker turn into a half-hour sprint.
The principle of operation of the pressure cooker is very simple: it is an airtight pan in which vapor pressure is created when heated. When the pressure rises, the boiling point of water rises - in modern pressure cookers to about 120ºC. Hence the "speed" in the name - at elevated boiling points, heat treatment occurs much faster than in a conventional saucepan, sometimes - faster at times.
"Mercedes" among the pressure cookers - Swiss appliances Kuhn Rikon series Duromatic; they differ mainly in design and size. By the same analogy, "BMW" - pressure cookers from Fagor; there is a greater variation in variations, and you can find a pressure cooker affordable. All other brands and models of pressure cookers are not worth mentioning - it is still a serious pressure device that must be made conscientiously.
Water bath
Water bath - the main tool for the cooking method already mentioned in the last episode under the name sous vide - “in vacuum”. And in many cases it makes no sense to heat meat, fish, and vegetables with fruits to one hundred degrees, fry at high temperature or cook. Vegetables become tender after 85ºC - it is at this temperature that pectin is destroyed. Proteins need even less - yes, fully cooked meat can be made at a temperature of 50-60 degrees.
The easiest and most reliable way to cook at low temperature is to pack the food in a vacuum (hence the name "sous view") and immerse it in a water bath with temperature control. Now on the market there is a large selection of water baths - from fully closed systems like Sous Vide Supreme to immersion thermo-circulators, which consist of a heating coil, a water pump and a temperature control circuit. Unfortunately, all these devices cost half a thousand dollars and more, but the situation is about to change dramatically: Nomiku launches the device for $ 360, and Sansaire, which comes out at the end of the year, will cost $ 200 at all. It is possible to depict a water bath without special equipment using a gas stove and a thermometer; sometimes some models of multivarcs are also suitable in heating mode. If you are cooking fish, not meat, then in most cases you can do with a thermometer and hot water from a tap.
Evacuator
Vacuum packers historically used to store food — if you put food into a bag, pump air out from there, and heat it with a hot seam, then the bag is stored in a refrigerator two to three times longer. Another useful application of vacuumizers (no, we do not like the industrial word "vacuum cleaner") is the packaging of products for a water bath.
Evacuators are of two types - edge and chamber. Edge - the most inexpensive and simple devices that pump out the air from special packages over the edge, and then sealed them. The only problem is to solder the liquid, which is also possible, but requires a certain skill and dexterity. Chamber packers in the kitchens of restaurants and supermarkets do not have this problem, but such machines are much more expensive and have impressive dimensions.
The most popular vacuumizers for home are the FoodSaver edge series. For them, you need special packages - it is usually easier to buy them in rolls and cut them as needed to the desired size. In addition, for FoodSaver there are additional accessories like cans, from which you can pump out the air with the same device; You can store delicate products in vacuum cans for a long time or make quick daily pickles.
Siphon
Modernist gastronomy impossible without foams and mousses, and they, in turn, - without a siphon. You place a liquid in the siphon, charge a gas cylinder there and squeeze your whipping cream, mousse or foam under pressure. Gas cans for siphons are of two types: with nitrogen and with carbon dioxide. Nitrogen - for foaming and whipping, carbon dioxide - for carbonation. Due to legislative obscurantism, nitrogen-filled cartridges have recently been sold only to legal entities, so enlist the support of a familiar PI or LLC and buy them in bulk and large quantities. There is no such problem with carbon dioxide.
The most famous siphons are the Austrian firm iSi. In bottles of the Creative Whip series, you can foam and soda (although the latter is less convenient). Half a liter is more practical than a liter, because with a liter siphon you have to use two cans at a time.
And a few more notes: nitrogen is better dissolved in a liquid at low temperatures, so cool (and shake!) What you are going to churn. Hold the can vertically down when squeezing out a liquid. And most importantly - the slightest blockage will stop the whole process, so get a very small sieve to filter fluids before use in the siphon. The Modernist Cuisine team recommends acquiring a set of at least three sieves: 75 microns for cleaning consommé and oil, 300 microns for tender puree and 850 microns for sifting flour and other small loose mixes.
Submersible blender
Another indispensable tool for what you are going to lather or just stir well - immersion blender. A submersible blender is not a competitor to its older brothers in the kitchen processor and desktop blender, because it cannot cope with a large amount of solid products. But for sauces, creams and foams it is simply irreplaceable; Choose an immersion blender with a steel working part - so you can mix and beat what you have on the stove, and right during cooking. Delicate cream soup in five minutes? Easy!
Microplan
Microplane - it is so popular trademark graters that the word has become a household word, like "copier" in our country or "kinex" in the West. Microplans give the finest chips, so that they end up with any torment in the spirit of “make zest”, “rub chocolate or nutmeg” and so on. A cloud of cheese for pasta? A lime zest to decorate edamame rice? Microplan only.
Burner
Small hand torch, in everyday life known as "creme brulee burner", is a useful way to bring meat or fish cooked sous vide. Firstly, it is easy for her to browse the surface of the meat literally in seconds. Secondly, if you cook at very low temperatures, then this is the best way to be safe and destroy all microbes from the surface of the meat, because for obvious reasons, most bacteria are on the surface of your product, but not inside.
Small appliances:
syringe, tweezers, brush, skimmer spoon
The bravest can continue to experiment with textures and tastes with a set of chemicals and instruments; the best option to start is the Molecule-r set, which has a syringe, a polyurethane tube, a skimmer spoon, and measuring containers - with this kit you can make eggs from olive oil, spaghetti from fruit juice, spherize yogurt, etc. P. Tweezers and a brush will also be useful in the household to decorate dishes and evenly distribute the sauce over the surface of the products.
Photo: www.occa-home.co.uk, www.amazon.com, www.eartheasy.com, www.johnlewis.com, www.isi.com, www.bsurvey.me, www.home.microplaneintl.com.