Old line cook at the diner I used to work at told me I was over-reducing my stocks...

I always thought the deeper the color the better the flavor right? Like really let that veal stock ride for hours until it's almost syrup. This guy Jimmy who's been cooking since the 80s pulled me aside last Tuesday and said I was basically making glue instead of stock. He showed me his method... pulls it at a light nappe and says you lose the clarity and the clean taste if you push it too far. Tried it on my demi-glace for Saturday service and the sauce actually tasted brighter. Made me feel kinda dumb honestly. Anybody else get set straight by a veteran about something you thought you had figured out?

2 comments

2 Comments

sage_lewis102d ago

Oh man, the lighter stock thing is such a tough lesson to learn. I remember this old baker I worked with who told me I was overworking my pie dough trying to get it perfectly smooth. He was right too, the flaky ones were way better.

nancys902d ago

isn't it funny how that works? you think you're doing the right thing by being careful and precise, but sometimes the best stuff comes from being a little rough and letting it be imperfect. i've noticed that in cooking, in fixing stuff around the house, even in how i talk to people. you try too hard to make everything perfect and you just end up making a mess or sounding fake. better to just go with the flow and let things be a little messy.