Home cooking is very healthy and tasty. But sometimes you want to diversify the usual table - for example, by including a restaurant-level dish in the menu. You can easily prepare a salad, soup, main course or dessert at the level of a chef, you just need to master some of the techniques used in catering establishments.
Instructions
Step 1
Let go of stereotypes. Restaurant dishes surprise with a combination of unusual ingredients and unusual flavoring accents. For example, chefs recommend adding some honey to minced fish, and sugar to borscht. Experiment more boldly. Try adding cilantro instead of parsley to the soup, and throwing a pinch of curry into the sour cream sauce - you will get completely new flavoring nuances.
Step 2
One of the important differences between restaurant dishes and homemade ones is the wide use of all kinds of sauces and spices. Study the flavors. Do not use pre-mixed sachets or bottles. Prepare pasta sauces yourself, vary the set of spices for steaks, soup or pilaf.
Step 3
Use professional recipes. They can be found in restaurateur magazines and professional websites. If you do not understand the terminology, read the books that future catering specialists learn from. There you can learn a lot about the principles of restaurant cuisine.
Step 4
If you enjoyed a meal in a restaurant or cafe, read the list of ingredients on the menu carefully. In good restaurants, it is customary to communicate with the chef. You can invite him into the hall, praise a successful dish and ask for a recipe. Usually a flattered chef does not refuse guests. However, keep in mind that he can still hide a couple of secret ingredients.
Step 5
Those wishing to seriously study restaurant cuisine and cook high-quality dishes at home should sign up for courses for amateur chefs. Such classes can be short-term - in the form of several master classes, or rather long. Choose a course where you will be taught not only how to make a dish from pre-prepared ingredients, but also how to properly prepare food.
Step 6
Learn the principles of restaurant serving. Avoid serving landscapes on plates or decorating dishes with sausage roses and onion lilies. Carving is a separate art form that is widely used at buffets and banquets, however, it is practically not found in portioned serving. Instead of apple swans and baskets, garnish the salad with a couple of olives and the mashed potatoes with vegetable chips and chives. Decorate the dish with drops of sauce or oil, herbs, or peppercorns.
Step 7
Use products that restaurant chefs buy. Today in big cities there are specialized shops where you can buy everything you need - from New Zealand lamb to exotic fruits. Many chefs personally select the ingredients they need from local markets. Follow their example. The taste of the future dish depends on the quality of the raw materials.
