Perfect cooking with chef scientist Arthur Le Caisne

Bring to room temperature

“We avoid cooking meat or fish straight out of the refrigerator, which would force us to overcook the exterior before the center is hot. »

In the kitchen
Keeping them for an hour at room temperature is not enough to heat them evenly. Put them in a freezer bag, remove the air by flattening it, seal it tightly and immerse it in a sink filled with room temperature water. In less than thirty minutes, the food will be at the right temperature.

Health point
Do not leave food out of the fridge (meat, fish, etc.) in the open air for too long as bacteria can develop.

Dry before cooking

“Cooking fish and meats while still moist prevents the creation of flavorful cooking juices. »

In the kitchen
When moist food comes into contact with heat, it releases steam which prevents the formation of a beautiful, delicious golden crust.

Health point
Removing moisture from the surface of food with absorbent paper promotes a rise in temperature, which allows faster cooking and thus preserves more nutrients.

Use little water for pasta

“There is a misconception that you need a lot of water so that the pasta does not stick together. Pasta sticks only from the first minute of cooking, when the starch it contains transforms into a sticky gel that is diluted in water. Afterwards, they no longer stick. »

In the kitchen
Cooking the pasta in a little water (30 cl per 100 g of pasta) allows you to obtain water more concentrated in starch which can easily thicken any sauce, without diluting it.

Health point
With less water to heat, we use less energy and help save the planet.

Turn the meat often

“Contrary to popular belief, to cook a flank steak, we no longer simply go back and forth, which risks creating too thick a crust on the surface and limiting heat transfer to the center. »

In the kitchen
It’s not easy to brown the ground meat of a bolognese which loses a lot of water during cooking. Make them into balls before cooking them in the pan, rolling them around. Just mash them with a fork when adding the tomato sauce.

Health point
Turning the meats every thirty seconds shortens their cooking time and preserves their nutritional qualities.

Choosing the right dish

“In a large pan, the water in the food has room to escape without cooling the cooking of the food and guaranteeing tasty cooking. In the oven, on the other hand, we prefer a tighter dish, which stores heat well and prevents food from drying out and burning.

In the kitchen
For crispy chicken with tender breasts, remove the string from the chicken before roasting it, remove the two legs, lengthening the muscles to allow them to cook faster and ensure even cooking.

Health point
In a tight dish, we avoid the formation of carcinogenic burnt fats.

Cover your pans and sauté pans

“Good smells in the kitchen come from a combination of odorous molecules released into the air by heated food. As they escape, they impoverish the flavors of the dish. Except for grilled meats or fish which require drying. »

In the kitchen
Covering prevents the “delicious molecules” inside the dish from evaporating and allows food to maintain a more tender and juicy texture.

Health point
The heat and steam retained inside the pan preserves the heat-sensitive minerals.

In the oven, avoid cooking at 180°C

“This temperature is too low to quickly brown the food and too high to obtain even cooking throughout the thickness of the food. »

In the kitchen
To properly cook a roast beef or leg of lamb, opt for a gentle temperature of 120°C and switch to grill mode at 220-240°C at the end of cooking to brown it quickly, without drying it out.

Health point
Cooking at low temperatures preserves both heat-sensitive nutrients such as vitamins and enzymes.

Salt for a long time before cooking

“Salt is not just a seasoning that enhances flavors, it also changes the molecular structure of proteins and improves the texture of foods. On the other hand, peppering before cooking is counterproductive, because burnt pepper gives a bitter and acrid taste. »

In the kitchen
Salting a salmon fillet in advance causes it to lose a little constitutional water which helps to firm up its flesh and prevent the coagulation of certain proteins which causes the small white foam which can appear on the surface. For a tender and crispy fillet, salt it two hours before cooking and do 80% of the cooking on the skin side (which acts as an insulator and slows down heat transfer) in a hot pan with oil.

Health point
Salting in advance limits its use to the strict minimum.

Fat, yes, but which one?

“Don’t be fooled by the old belief that if you add a little oil the butter won’t burn. »

In the kitchen
Only add butter at the end of cooking or when cooking at a temperature below 130°C. Prefer peanut oil or olive oil for cooking.

Health point
Butter starts to brown and be harmful to health above 130°C when the proteins and lactose it contains start to burn. Adding oil only helps dilute the burnt butter.