Tourne

cooking tips

4 French Techniques That Aren't All That Scary

When you first step into the kitchen and prepare a dish you love for the first time, things can be a little overwhelming; often the last thing you want to do is translate what a technique actually means as you're knee deep in the kitchen.

When you first step into the kitchen and prepare a dish you love for the first time, things can be a little overwhelming; often the last thing you want to do is translate what a technique actually means as you're knee deep in the kitchen. I get it: there are some French cooking methods and terms that scared me so much when I started cooking that I let go of the dream of creating a certain recipe and moved on to something that felt more accessible.

Truth is, fancy words aside, you'll be surprised how many of these techniques are actually fairly simple concepts once you get a little confidence in the kitchen. Like most things we're afraid of, it's never as bad when you tackle the problem head on and figure out what you need to succeed.

So don't sweat the technique right away; once you get into the swing of these, you'll feel like a kitchen queen. Get acquainted with these French terms and techniques, and they'll soon seem like no kitchen biggie.

French

Definition: Tournée

Tournée (pronounced tour-nay) is French for the word "turned."

Tournée (pronounced tour-nay) is French for the word "turned." The term refers to a method of cutting and peeling root vegetables into oblong, seven-sided football-like shapes. Aside from its aesthetic element, the classic French technique helps vegetables like carrots, turnips, and potatoes to cook evenly. Learn how to achieve a tournée cut.

Spring

Embrace the Season With Navarin of Lamb

For Easter this year, I decided that rather than serving my usual glazed ham, I'd opt for another meat that's emblematic of the season: lamb.

For Easter this year, I decided that rather than serving my usual glazed ham, I'd opt for another meat that's emblematic of the season: lamb. This Sunday, I'll be making navarin d'agneau printanier, a classic French stew of young lamb with springtime vegetables. With its colorful turned vegetables floating in light broth, and the use of lamb shoulder, fresh peas, and sprigs of chervil, this classic is like Spring comfort in a bowl. For a stunning and seasonal dish that's sure to impress guests, read more.

How To

How to Tourné Vegetables

I've always been enamored with French technique.

I've always been enamored with French technique. Why? Because French technique is to cooking as ballet is to dance: classical, and foundational for everything else in the Western culinary world. Unfortunately, I don't know nearly as much about classical French sauces and knife skills as I wish I did. So, I decided to put myself up to the task of tournéeing, or turning, vegetables into even, elegant elliptical shapes for an aesthetically appealing lamb stew. The result was gorgeous, but I'm quite sure I'll never do it again. It took a ton of work and practice to turn a vegetable just right! But in case you're curious, read on to learn the art of tournéeing a vegetable.