7 simple French cooking tricks that make every meal taste restaurant-quality

Chefs share the classic habits that turn simple ingredients into something special.

French cuisine is often regarded as fancy fare, built on complicated recipes that require a skill set seemingly beyond the reach of mere mortals. That may be true in the world of fine dining, but in general, many of the culinary techniques employed by professionals can be mastered over time, while others are actually a cinch for home cooks to pick up. We turned to French chefs to learn more about the latter—elemental French cooking tricks that make everyday meals taste restaurant-quality. Here are a few smart moves to add to your arsenal and level up your daily dishes.

Meet Our Expert

• Gregory Gourreau, executive chef of Vilebrequin La Plage Miami, specializing in Provençal French cuisine
• Hervé Malivert, chef-instructor and director of culinary affairs at the Institute of Culinary Education

Related: How to Blanch Vegetables to Preserve Their Color, Texture, and Flavor

French Culinary Traditions

Oui, French food encompasses foie gras and soufflés, but it also spotlights approachable classics made with pantry staples, like ratatouille and quiche Lorraine. “French cuisine is built on technique, not luxury ingredients,” explains Gregory Gourreau, executive chef of Vilebrequin La Plage Miami. “It’s not about complexity.”

Basics matter: French culinary training teaches cooks to master the fundamentals, including knife skills, proper seasoning, and temperature control, he says, noting that when those basics are done well, even the simplest ingredients shine. “A perfectly roasted chicken, a well-made vinaigrette, or a beautifully caramelized onion can be just as memorable as an elaborate dish,” Gourreau says.

Ingredients rule: Hervé Malivert, chef-instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education, concurs, noting that French techniques are designed to elevate the food’s natural flavor rather than mask it. “We train to respect the ingredients and prioritize quality,” he says.

Trucs, or Tricks

Great cooking, Malivert notes, is often the result of small, thoughtful habits, rather than complicated recipes. These simple cooking tricks or kitchen hacks—called trucs de cuisine or trucs—may seem slight or even insignificant at first glance, but in action, they prove almost miraculous, helping to build flavor, texture, and balance. “We call those small habits the foundation of cooking,” he says. “Those habits are exactly what elevate everyday cooking from basic to restaurant-quality meals.” 

Once you understand a few fundamental techniques, Gourreau adds, you can make almost any meal taste more refined with ingredients you already have in your kitchen.

The Tricks That Elevate Everyday Meals

Here are some of Malivert and Gourreau’s most relied-upon, timeless trucs that anyone can (and should!) pick up and use at home.

Employ Mise en Place

As you likely know, this French culinary phrase translates to “everything in its place.” It may be incredibly basic, but putting those words into practice, meaning gathering all of your ingredients and setting them on the kitchen counter before cooking, can be a petite secret to epicurean success. “Many people are familiar with this term, but it is important because it ensures ingredients enter the pan at the exact microsecond required, preventing burnt garlic or overcooked protein,” Malivert says.

Start With a Mirepoix

Simple yet powerful, an aromatic mirepoix, comprised of finely chopped vegetables, adds subtle flavor to soups, stews, and braises. When making a classic mirepoix with onions, carrots, and celery, Malivert recommends using onions for half of the mixture, then dividing the other half between carrots and celery. The vegetables should be cut to precision (which involves mastering knife skills and technique). “Sweat them without browning to build a deep, sweet flavor base for stews,” he suggests.

Tips

Mirepoix variations are all over the map. You can also swap in other aromatic vegetables like mushrooms, parsnips, leeks, peppers, tomatoes, and garlic in countless combinations.

Taste Constantly—and Adjust

Professional chefs taste throughout the cooking process, not just at the end, Gourreau points out. A pinch of salt here, a soupçon of stock there, repeat, stir, repeat, and voila! “Small adjustments to seasoning, acidity, or sweetness during cooking create better balance than trying to fix everything at the last minute,” he says.

Season in Layers

Adjacent to tasting and adjusting, seasoning in layers encourages cooks to keep those salt pigs and pepper grinders handy. “Rather than adding all the salt at the end, season lightly throughout the cooking process,” Gourreau says. This is the route to adding depth of flavor and creating a more balanced dish—without making it taste salty. As to fresh herbs, add them in the final stretch, he says. “These are simple techniques that transform everyday meals.”

Embrace Déglacer

Fundamental to sauce-making, this key technique entails deglazing by pouring liquid into a hot pan after searing meat or vegetables, Malivert says. “Use wine or stock as the liquid to loosen the caramelized bits (fond) from the bottom of the pan,” he says. “Scrape the bottom of the pan with your utensil to incorporate the flavors of the fond into the sauce.”

Deglazing captures flavors that would otherwise be left behind in the pan, Gourreau adds. Those caramelized pieces “instantly create the foundation for a delicious sauce,” he says.

Don’t Forget Monter au Beurre

Monter au beurre translates to “mounting a sauce with butter.” This technique involves whisking cold cubes of butter into a hot sauce right before serving, Malivert says. “It gives sauces a silky texture, beautiful shine and richer mouthfeel without making them heavy,” Gourreau notes. “It’s one of the simplest ways to make a dish taste restaurant-quality.”

Finish With Acid

Punchy and tart, acidic ingredients lend complexity and depth to sauces and stews—especially when used as the last flourish. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice or a splash of quality vinegar just before serving balances richness, Gourreau says. “It’s often the final touch that makes a dish complete.” The acidity cuts through heavy fats and brightens the overall flavor profile, Malivert adds.

Read the original article on Martha Stewart