TECHNIQUES

The moves everything else is built on.

152 techniques across 14 categories.

Knife skills

Lukasz at the counter slicing pepper, wider kitchen view

Knife Basics: Grip, Claw and Board

Thin strips of orange and pale yellow vegetables in a white bowl, with a paring knife on a wooden board

How to Julienne

A chef's knife chopping raw beef into a small pile on a grey board, with a whole steak beside it

Hand-Chopping Meat for Tartare

Hands dicing carrot into small cubes on a striped wooden board, beside carrot sticks and a bowl of grains

Cutting a Brunoise

A knife slicing a stack of green leaves into thin ribbons on a wooden board

Chiffonade of Basil and Greens

Zucchini cut into long, even batons on a wooden board, with a knife at the top

Batonnet and Even Dice

Peeled mandarin segments scattered on a pale blue background

Supreming an Orange

A flattened, spice-rubbed raw chicken on parchment, with a cleaver and a dish of peppercorns

Spatchcocking a Chicken

A meat mallet pounding thin chicken breasts on a bamboo board, with garlic and peppercorns nearby

Butterflying and Pounding Cutlets

Carrot cut into angled chunks on a wooden board, with a chef's knife at the top

The Oblique (Roll) Cut

Hands drawing a chef's knife across a whetstone

Honing and Sharpening a Knife

Hands cutting a raw whole chicken into parts on a wooden board

Breaking Down a Whole Chicken

Gloved hands filleting a fish with an orange-handled knife on a wooden board

Filleting a Round Fish

A knife and fork carving slices from a roast turkey on a wooden board

Carving a Turkey

Dry heat on the stove

A bone-in steak turned with tongs in a smoking cast-iron grill pan, a hand on the handle

Searing

Wide overhead table: soup pot, kale, pasta, cheese grater

Sautéing

Glazed pan-cooked pork bites on black rice

Stir-Frying

Three breaded cutlets shallow-frying in bubbling oil in a dark skillet

Pan-Frying

Four strips of bacon rendering in their own bubbling fat in a black pan

Rendering Duck Skin and Bacon

Flames leaping from a wok tossed over a roaring burner

Wok Hei: Breath of the Wok

Velveting Meat

Velveting Meat

Two salmon fillets cooking skin-side down in a stainless steel pan

Crispy Skin on Fish

A spice-crusted pork chop with lemon slices in a cast-iron skillet, a fork resting in the pan

Blackening

Dry-fried green beans with dried red chilies on a white plate, chopsticks resting on top

Sichuan Dry-Frying (Gan Bian)

Sliced red and white onions softening in a pot, stirred with a wooden spoon

Sweating Onions and Aromatics

Chopped onions cooking in a skillet on an induction hob, stirred with a wooden spatula, steam rising

Caramelizing Onions

Cinnamon sticks, star anise, coriander seeds and dried leaves toasting in a dry pan

Toasting Whole Spices

Flames rising from a skillet held by its handle over a burner

Flambéing

A rolled French omelette topped with chives and grated cheese on a white plate

The French Omelette

Oven cooking

Cheese-topped enchiladas baked in a glass dish, scattered with cilantro, with lime halves on the side

Baking Casseroles and Enchiladas

A pot pie with a flaky puff-pastry lid, a spoon lifting out the filling of meat, corn and peas

Pastry-Topped Pies

A molten chocolate cake broken open, dusted with powdered sugar and topped with mint, on a brown plate

Baking Molten Cakes

Raw chicken drumsticks tied together at the ends with kitchen twine

Trussing a Chicken

Squares of pork belly with crisp, blistered crackling on a wooden board

Crackling on Pork Belly

Two twice-baked potatoes topped with bacon and herbs on a speckled plate

Twice-Baked Potatoes

Roasted Brussels sprouts, beets, parsnips, carrots, garlic and a charred orange half on a sheet pan with a serving spoon

Roasting Vegetables on a Sheet Pan

Whole heads of roasted garlic, tops cut open to show golden cloves, on a dark baking tray

Roasting Whole Garlic

A white fish fillet baked in an open parchment parcel with olives, potatoes and cherry tomatoes

Cooking en Papillote

A whole raw fish dusted with coarse salt next to a spoonful of salt on dark slate

Baking in a Salt Crust

Moist heat

Pasta at a rolling boil in a large steel pot on the stove

Boiling Pasta

A pot of vegetable soup with mushrooms, carrots and herbs simmering on a stovetop

Simmering Soups and Stocks

A sous vide circulator clipped to a steel water bath holding vacuum-sealed bags of food

Sous Vide

A poached egg with a runny yolk on spinach and toast, topped with microgreens

Poaching Eggs

A soft-boiled egg in an egg cup with toast soldiers, and a halved boiled egg on the plate

Boiled Eggs, Soft to Hard

Hands mixing white rice with a wooden paddle in a wooden sushi tub

Seasoning Sushi Rice

Salmon and white fish poaching in an orange court-bouillon with chilies and dill

Poaching Fish in Court-Bouillon

A person locking the lid of a stainless steel pressure cooker

Pressure Cooking

A saucepan of thick, creamy polenta with a wooden spoon, seen from above

Cooking Polenta

A hand stirring risotto with a spatula in a wide steel pan

Making Risotto

A bowl of clear golden consommé with a parsley leaf on a wooden board

Clarifying Consommé with a Raft

A pan of fluffy white rice cooked by absorption, mixed with toasted orzo

Cooking Rice by Absorption

Cooked beans under a glass lid in a steel pot on the stove

Cooking Dried Beans

Braising and stewing

Beef bourguignon braised until fork-tender in a rustic bowl

Braising, low and slow on the stovetop

Kapusta (sauerkraut + kielbasa) in wooden bowl on wood

Stewing

Meatballs simmered in marinara on ravioli

Simmering Meatballs and Rolls in Sauce

Braised beef bourguignon over mash with carrots

Cooking in a Dutch Oven

Confit

Confit

Red Braising (Hong Shao)

Red Braising (Hong Shao)

Building Bigos

Building Bigos

Grilling and smoking

Bone-in steak with charred corn and loaded potato

Grilling

Bone-in steak with charred corn and loaded potato

Reverse Searing Thick Steaks

Setting Up a Two-Zone Fire

Setting Up a Two-Zone Fire

Cold Smoking

Cold Smoking

Cedar-Plank Grilling

Cedar-Plank Grilling

Skewering and Grilling Yakitori

Skewering and Grilling Yakitori

Charring Peppers

Charring Peppers

Frying

Breaded fried steak with pepper gravy and mash

Breading and Shallow-Frying

Tempura Batter

Tempura Batter

Double-Frying

Double-Frying

Placki Ziemniaczane (Potato Pancakes)

Placki Ziemniaczane (Potato Pancakes)

Frying Pączki

Frying Pączki

Sauces and emulsions

Sliced seared duck breast, red wine reduction, dark plate

Pan Sauces and Reductions

Seared chicken, fettuccine in alfredo sauce, broccoli, roll

Cream and Cheese Sauces

Breaded fried steak with pepper gravy and mash

Pan Gravy

Roasted salmon fillet with a glossy caramelized maple glaze

Glazing, brushed on in layers

Meatballs simmered in marinara on ravioli

Tomato Sauces

Making Mayonnaise

Making Mayonnaise

Hollandaise

Hollandaise

Béarnaise

Béarnaise

Beurre Blanc

Beurre Blanc

Béchamel

Béchamel

Making a Vinaigrette

Making a Vinaigrette

Pesto in a Mortar

Pesto in a Mortar

Velouté

Velouté

Cooking a Roux

Cooking a Roux

Browning Butter (Beurre Noisette)

Browning Butter (Beurre Noisette)

The Cacio e Pepe Emulsion

The Cacio e Pepe Emulsion

Thickening with a Cornstarch Slurry

Thickening with a Cornstarch Slurry

Zupa ogórkowa finished with sour cream and dill

Tempering Sour Cream (Hartowanie)

Clarified Butter and Ghee

Clarified Butter and Ghee

Reducing Stock to Demi-Glace

Reducing Stock to Demi-Glace

Italian Salsa Verde

Italian Salsa Verde

Dough and pasta

Hands rolling fresh pasta dough on a floured surface

Fresh pasta, rolled and cut by hand

Baked garlic knots beside white-bean chili

Yeast Dough and Knots

Slice of deep-dish chicken pot pie, flaky baked puff pastry

Working with Puff Pastry

Seasoned ground beef and tortillas overhead

Warming Tortillas

Pierogi Dough

Pierogi Dough

Sealing and Pleating Pierogi

Sealing and Pleating Pierogi

Folding Uszka

Folding Uszka

Shaping Orecchiette

Shaping Orecchiette

Filling and Sealing Ravioli

Filling and Sealing Ravioli

Folding Tortellini

Folding Tortellini

Potato Gnocchi

Potato Gnocchi

Pleating Gyoza and Potstickers

Pleating Gyoza and Potstickers

Kluski Śląskie (Silesian Dumplings)

Kluski Śląskie (Silesian Dumplings)

Flavor building and preserving

Raw seasoned meatballs resting on a plate before cooking

Marinating and Brining

Kapusta (sauerkraut + kielbasa) in wooden bowl on wood

Pickling and Fermenting

Quick Pickling

Quick Pickling

Ogórki Kiszone (Fermented Dill Pickles)

Ogórki Kiszone (Fermented Dill Pickles)

Making Kimchi

Making Kimchi

Curing Gravlax

Curing Gravlax

Curing and Smoking Kiełbasa

Curing and Smoking Kiełbasa

Żurek Starter (Zakwas)

Żurek Starter (Zakwas)

Preserved Lemons

Preserved Lemons

Compound Butter

Compound Butter

Making Dashi

Making Dashi

Making Jam Without a Thermometer

Making Jam Without a Thermometer

Making Sauerkraut

Making Sauerkraut

Curing Bacon at Home

Curing Bacon at Home

Blooming Spices in Fat (Tadka)

Blooming Spices in Fat (Tadka)

Tying a Bouquet Garni

Tying a Bouquet Garni

Soffritto, Mirepoix and Włoszczyzna

Soffritto, Mirepoix and Włoszczyzna

Baking & Bread

Starting and Keeping a Sourdough Starter

Starting and Keeping a Sourdough Starter

Shaping a Baguette

Shaping a Baguette

Steam in a Home Oven

Steam in a Home Oven

Using a Poolish

Using a Poolish

Dimpling Focaccia

Dimpling Focaccia

Autolyse and Stretch-and-Fold

Autolyse and Stretch-and-Fold

Shaping a Boule

Shaping a Boule

Scoring Bread

Scoring Bread

Braiding Challah

Braiding Challah

Boiling Bagels

Boiling Bagels

Pastry & Desserts

Laminating Dough for Croissants

Laminating Dough for Croissants

Making Shortcrust Pastry

Making Shortcrust Pastry

Blind Baking a Tart Shell

Blind Baking a Tart Shell

Choux Pastry

Choux Pastry

Pastry Cream (Crème Pâtissière)

Pastry Cream (Crème Pâtissière)

Tempering Chocolate

Tempering Chocolate

French, Swiss and Italian Meringue

French, Swiss and Italian Meringue

Making Caramel

Making Caramel

Crème Anglaise

Crème Anglaise

Whipping Cream

Whipping Cream

Baking a Soufflé

Baking a Soufflé

Creaming Butter and Sugar

Creaming Butter and Sugar

Folding in Whipped Egg Whites

Folding in Whipped Egg Whites

Thin Crêpes and Naleśniki

Thin Crêpes and Naleśniki

Plating

Making Bright Green Herb Oil

Making Bright Green Herb Oil

Building Height on the Plate

Building Height on the Plate

Shaping a Quenelle

Shaping a Quenelle

Sauce Swooshes and Dots

Sauce Swooshes and Dots

Warm Plates and Clean Rims

Warm Plates and Clean Rims

Doneness and Food Safety

A dial meat thermometer inserted into the thigh of a roasted turkey, its needle reading in the 160s, with fresh thyme and trussed legs visible

Turkey Doneness

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