Blogs

[#1]

It has been many years since I brought home my first set of really good cookware. I can remember it, however, like it was yesterday. These pans were made of clad metal and had a stainless steel interior. They were absolutely drop-dead gorgeous. They were the top of the line brand of cookware and all cost a fortune, so I had to pick my pieces carefully. I chose a 10” skillet, a 12” skillet, a 2.5 qt. chef's pan or saucier, and a 10” sauté pan (the 12” sauté pan was what I really wanted, but it was beyond my budget). I was thrilled, but actually had mixed feelings about using it for the first time. Part of me (the bigger part) couldn't wait to put them to use and make some delicious meal. But there was another part of me that was somewhat apprehensive, not wanting the shiny new pans to look anything but brand spankin' new. Well, you know the bigger part of me won that battle. The first thing I ever made with those new pans is still crystal clear in my head. It was a simple preparation, nothing fancy - just pan-roasted salmon fillets.
I put the 10” skillet on the stovetop to pre-heat for a few minutes while I seasoned my salmon fillets with salt and pepper - again, following a doctrine my mother instilled in me - K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid). When the pan was hot, I dropped in a pat of butter. Now you're going to think I'm crazy, but this is one of the most vivid cooking memories I have - watching that pat of butter slide across the pan, across the stainless steel like it was skating on a newly iced skating rink. You can only watch that happen once, for the next time you try it, your pan won't be brand new. I took a moment to enjoy the scene while the butter melted.
As soon as I heard the butter stop sizzling, I placed my two salmon fillets in the pan, flesh side down and stepped back to let them cook. (That's key when you're cooking without a non-stick interior - don't try to turn foods too soon. The food needs time to sear and change its surface structure in order to release nicely from the pan.) After about 3 or 4 minutes, I grabbed the handle and gave it a sharp jerk. The salmon released beautifully. I flipped the fillets over and sent the pan immediately into a 425 degree F oven to finish cooking. (There's another key cooking technique - finishing foods in a hot oven cooks the foods faster and more evenly than on the stovetop.)
A few minutes later, the salmon emerged from the oven (with my help, of course). Let me tell you, those salmon fillets were gorgeous! The top of the fillets were so evenly brown, and a beautiful brown at that. The surface of the fish was crispy and the flesh perfectly cooked through but not over-cooked. I've never been a big fan of salmon, but that changed right then. You may have heard me talk about the texture of foods when I'm cooking on QVC sometimes. I always find that when I'm cooking on a stainless steel interior, or a porcelain enamel interior like on our cast iron cookware, I can achieve a crispier, crunchier texture on my foods. A food scientist could tell you why, but not me. I just know that cooking in that stainless steel clad skillet gave me a great result, and that particular salmon has remained in my memory all these years.
It's funny the things you remember, isn't it? I can also remember making a braised chicken dish in the 10” sauté pan. I can't remember exactly what I did, what ingredients I added, but I have been told that I've never made it so well since then, which is a little disheartening.
Today I will be getting ready for tomorrow - a big day for Technique. I'll be on the air right at midnight. We have a very special surprise for you - I wonder what it is...
Finally, some of you are asking some very good questions, and I would love to answer them all. I will try to do so in subsequent blog postings, but in the meantime, I will be available for a live chat tomorrow at noon on qvc.com. We have one hour of Technique at midnight and again at 10am, and then I'll see you online at noon. Whatever questions I don't get to answer there, I'll address in another blog posting. Keep cooking happily and let me know what you think of our surprise.