Cooking a Good Everything Else
10-08-2012
, 04:13 AM
10-08-2012
, 05:30 AM
10-08-2012
, 05:05 PM
10-08-2012
, 06:07 PM
here's a few pics from recent meals I have cooked
seared ahi tuna from whole foods...picture was before avocado and wasabi vinegarette were added fyi
seared yellowtail, asparagus, garlic break, potato au gratin
broiled lobster tail
grilled split lobster tail
prime steak kabobs, grilled artichoke
feast of steak, artichoke, halibut, lamb sausage, etc
beer steamed clams/mussels with garlic, butter, onions sauce
seared ahi tuna from whole foods...picture was before avocado and wasabi vinegarette were added fyi
seared yellowtail, asparagus, garlic break, potato au gratin
broiled lobster tail
grilled split lobster tail
prime steak kabobs, grilled artichoke
feast of steak, artichoke, halibut, lamb sausage, etc
beer steamed clams/mussels with garlic, butter, onions sauce
10-08-2012
, 06:13 PM
10-08-2012
, 06:22 PM
10-08-2012
, 07:17 PM
cardcore,
forming a good tart shell involves some technique that's really hard to explain without actually demonstrating it. I went on youtube and searched for "how to make a tart shell" and watched about 20 videos. None of them were any good, it's just a bunch of randoms who got a recipe off the internet and they're just making the video to promote their own blog or website.
This is the only one I found worth watching, unfortunately the video starts in the middle of the demo, and he doesn't explain it all that well, but the shell looks good: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayPGI4AFnX8
The recipe you linked to is pretty terribly written, which is standard for tv show websites, and also standard for pastry recipes written by savory chefs. Techniques that require a few hours to learn and a few thousand repetitions to do well are given 2-3 sentences worth of explanation.
I interned at a bakery for 3 months where I made about 50 tart shells a day. But if I made one today it probably wouldn't be perfect just because I haven't made one a couple years.
The first thing I suggest is to use a tart ring instead of a fluted tart pan. Tart rings are easier to work with, it's easier to see and feel the thickness of the dough. Tart rings will make the outside crust flat, which looks much better imo. Fluted tarts look like something only 70 year old ladies would eat with their afternoon tea. Flat edged tarts look like something that was made in the 21st century. Another thing to consider is that the larger the tart ring/pan, the more difficult it is to transfer the rolled out dough onto the ring/pan. You might want to get a few 4-5 inch individual portion tart rings instead of one big one. The other advantage of smaller tarts is that women think they look cuter.
The first key to good tart shells is rolling out the dough to a consistent thickness of about 1/8 inch. It's really difficult to eyeball it, you need some kind of mechanical assistance. One way you can do this is by getting some long strips of something 1/8 inch thick and placing them on either side of your dough. Another way is to get some silicone rings to attach to your rolling pin. Keep the dough cold as you're rolling it out. If it gets too soft, put it in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes.
When the dough is rolled out, get a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and put the tart ring on it (obv if you still insist on using the fluted tart pan, this is not necessary).
Lightly flour the dough, and gently roll up the dough onto the rolling pin. Then unroll the dough onto the tart ring. When shaping the tart shell, try not to stretch it or break it. Err on the side of too thick. A shell that's too thin can leak or break easily, if it's too thick it's ok, but the texture will be a little off.
Start by picking up the edge of the dough with one hand and gently GENTLY pressing it into the inner edge of the ring without stretching the dough. You want to gradually work your way around and around pressing the dough into the edge, don't try to finish one spot first and then another spot and so on.
When you think it looks decent, pick up the whole thing and look at the underside of it (but not if the dough has gotten too soft, then put it in the fridge for a few minutes). Look at the bottom inner edge. You want as little space as possible between the ring and the dough. If there's more than about 1/8 inch of air between the bottom edge of the ring and the edge of the dough, you should press it in a little more.
If the dough tears or if the dough is so thin you can see through it in any spot, then get a little piece of excess dough and patch it up.
When it's all pressed in, take a paring knife and cut off the excess dough. Keep the blade parallel to the table and your cutting motion should be always be going away from the tart. Now take your thumbnail and run it around the top edge of the ring. This will release the top part of the shell from the ring a little.
Take a fork and prick the bottom of the shell all over. You may or may not need to weigh down the dough to prevent it from puffing up, imo a good tart shell recipe doesn't need this. Bake it at whatever temp the recipe says until it's golden brown, but leave the oven on. Let it cool for 10 or so minutes. Beat an egg with a pinch of salt. Brush a paper thin layer of egg onto the shell. This will create a moisture barrier and prevent the filling from making the shell soggy. Put it back in the oven for exactly 1 minute. Voila.
forming a good tart shell involves some technique that's really hard to explain without actually demonstrating it. I went on youtube and searched for "how to make a tart shell" and watched about 20 videos. None of them were any good, it's just a bunch of randoms who got a recipe off the internet and they're just making the video to promote their own blog or website.
This is the only one I found worth watching, unfortunately the video starts in the middle of the demo, and he doesn't explain it all that well, but the shell looks good: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayPGI4AFnX8
The recipe you linked to is pretty terribly written, which is standard for tv show websites, and also standard for pastry recipes written by savory chefs. Techniques that require a few hours to learn and a few thousand repetitions to do well are given 2-3 sentences worth of explanation.
I interned at a bakery for 3 months where I made about 50 tart shells a day. But if I made one today it probably wouldn't be perfect just because I haven't made one a couple years.
The first thing I suggest is to use a tart ring instead of a fluted tart pan. Tart rings are easier to work with, it's easier to see and feel the thickness of the dough. Tart rings will make the outside crust flat, which looks much better imo. Fluted tarts look like something only 70 year old ladies would eat with their afternoon tea. Flat edged tarts look like something that was made in the 21st century. Another thing to consider is that the larger the tart ring/pan, the more difficult it is to transfer the rolled out dough onto the ring/pan. You might want to get a few 4-5 inch individual portion tart rings instead of one big one. The other advantage of smaller tarts is that women think they look cuter.
The first key to good tart shells is rolling out the dough to a consistent thickness of about 1/8 inch. It's really difficult to eyeball it, you need some kind of mechanical assistance. One way you can do this is by getting some long strips of something 1/8 inch thick and placing them on either side of your dough. Another way is to get some silicone rings to attach to your rolling pin. Keep the dough cold as you're rolling it out. If it gets too soft, put it in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes.
When the dough is rolled out, get a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and put the tart ring on it (obv if you still insist on using the fluted tart pan, this is not necessary).
Lightly flour the dough, and gently roll up the dough onto the rolling pin. Then unroll the dough onto the tart ring. When shaping the tart shell, try not to stretch it or break it. Err on the side of too thick. A shell that's too thin can leak or break easily, if it's too thick it's ok, but the texture will be a little off.
Start by picking up the edge of the dough with one hand and gently GENTLY pressing it into the inner edge of the ring without stretching the dough. You want to gradually work your way around and around pressing the dough into the edge, don't try to finish one spot first and then another spot and so on.
When you think it looks decent, pick up the whole thing and look at the underside of it (but not if the dough has gotten too soft, then put it in the fridge for a few minutes). Look at the bottom inner edge. You want as little space as possible between the ring and the dough. If there's more than about 1/8 inch of air between the bottom edge of the ring and the edge of the dough, you should press it in a little more.
If the dough tears or if the dough is so thin you can see through it in any spot, then get a little piece of excess dough and patch it up.
When it's all pressed in, take a paring knife and cut off the excess dough. Keep the blade parallel to the table and your cutting motion should be always be going away from the tart. Now take your thumbnail and run it around the top edge of the ring. This will release the top part of the shell from the ring a little.
Take a fork and prick the bottom of the shell all over. You may or may not need to weigh down the dough to prevent it from puffing up, imo a good tart shell recipe doesn't need this. Bake it at whatever temp the recipe says until it's golden brown, but leave the oven on. Let it cool for 10 or so minutes. Beat an egg with a pinch of salt. Brush a paper thin layer of egg onto the shell. This will create a moisture barrier and prevent the filling from making the shell soggy. Put it back in the oven for exactly 1 minute. Voila.
Last edited by Ron Burgundy; 10-08-2012 at 07:27 PM.
10-08-2012
, 07:49 PM
Quote:
cardcore,
forming a good tart shell involves some technique that's really hard to explain without actually demonstrating it. I went on youtube and searched for "how to make a tart shell" and watched about 20 videos. None of them were any good, it's just a bunch of randoms who got a recipe off the internet and they're just making the video to promote their own blog or website.
This is the only one I found worth watching, unfortunately the video starts in the middle of the demo, and he doesn't explain it all that well, but the shell looks good: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayPGI4AFnX8
The recipe you linked to is pretty terribly written, which is standard for tv show websites, and also standard for pastry recipes written by savory chefs. Techniques that require a few hours to learn and a few thousand repetitions to do well are given 2-3 sentences worth of explanation.
I interned at a bakery for 3 months where I made about 50 tart shells a day. But if I made one today it probably wouldn't be perfect just because I haven't made one a couple years.
The first thing I suggest is to use a tart ring instead of a fluted tart pan. Tart rings are easier to work with, it's easier to see and feel the thickness of the dough. Tart rings will make the outside crust flat, which looks much better imo. Fluted tarts look like something only 70 year old ladies would eat with their afternoon tea. Flat edged tarts look like something that was made in the 21st century. Another thing to consider is that the larger the tart ring/pan, the more difficult it is to transfer the rolled out dough onto the ring/pan. You might want to get a few 4-5 inch individual portion tart rings instead of one big one. The other advantage of smaller tarts is that women think they look cuter.
The first key to good tart shells is rolling out the dough to a consistent thickness of about 1/8 inch. It's really difficult to eyeball it, you need some kind of mechanical assistance. One way you can do this is by getting some long strips of something 1/8 inch thick and placing them on either side of your dough. Another way is to get some silicone rings to attach to your rolling pin. Keep the dough cold as you're rolling it out. If it gets too soft, put it in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes.
When the dough is rolled out, get a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and put the tart ring on it (obv if you still insist on using the fluted tart pan, this is not necessary).
Lightly flour the dough, and gently roll up the dough onto the rolling pin. Then unroll the dough onto the tart ring. When shaping the tart shell, try not to stretch it or break it. Err on the side of too thick. A shell that's too thin can leak or break easily, if it's too thick it's ok, but the texture will be a little off.
Start by picking up the edge of the dough with one hand and gently GENTLY pressing it into the inner edge of the ring without stretching the dough. You want to gradually work your way around and around pressing the dough into the edge, don't try to finish one spot first and then another spot and so on.
When you think it looks decent, pick up the whole thing and look at the underside of it (but not if the dough has gotten too soft, then put it in the fridge for a few minutes). Look at the bottom inner edge. You want as little space as possible between the ring and the dough. If there's more than about 1/8 inch of air between the bottom edge of the ring and the edge of the dough, you should press it in a little more.
If the dough tears or if the dough is so thin you can see through it in any spot, then get a little piece of excess dough and patch it up.
When it's all pressed in, take a paring knife and cut off the excess dough. Keep the blade parallel to the table and your cutting motion should be always be going away from the tart. Now take your thumbnail and run it around the top edge of the ring. This will release the top part of the shell from the ring a little.
Take a fork and prick the bottom of the shell all over. You may or may not need to weigh down the dough to prevent it from puffing up, imo a good tart shell recipe doesn't need this. Bake it at whatever temp the recipe says until it's golden brown, but leave the oven on. Let it cool for 10 or so minutes. Beat an egg with a pinch of salt. Brush a paper thin layer of egg onto the shell. This will create a moisture barrier and prevent the filling from making the shell soggy. Put it back in the oven for exactly 1 minute. Voila.
forming a good tart shell involves some technique that's really hard to explain without actually demonstrating it. I went on youtube and searched for "how to make a tart shell" and watched about 20 videos. None of them were any good, it's just a bunch of randoms who got a recipe off the internet and they're just making the video to promote their own blog or website.
This is the only one I found worth watching, unfortunately the video starts in the middle of the demo, and he doesn't explain it all that well, but the shell looks good: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayPGI4AFnX8
The recipe you linked to is pretty terribly written, which is standard for tv show websites, and also standard for pastry recipes written by savory chefs. Techniques that require a few hours to learn and a few thousand repetitions to do well are given 2-3 sentences worth of explanation.
I interned at a bakery for 3 months where I made about 50 tart shells a day. But if I made one today it probably wouldn't be perfect just because I haven't made one a couple years.
The first thing I suggest is to use a tart ring instead of a fluted tart pan. Tart rings are easier to work with, it's easier to see and feel the thickness of the dough. Tart rings will make the outside crust flat, which looks much better imo. Fluted tarts look like something only 70 year old ladies would eat with their afternoon tea. Flat edged tarts look like something that was made in the 21st century. Another thing to consider is that the larger the tart ring/pan, the more difficult it is to transfer the rolled out dough onto the ring/pan. You might want to get a few 4-5 inch individual portion tart rings instead of one big one. The other advantage of smaller tarts is that women think they look cuter.
The first key to good tart shells is rolling out the dough to a consistent thickness of about 1/8 inch. It's really difficult to eyeball it, you need some kind of mechanical assistance. One way you can do this is by getting some long strips of something 1/8 inch thick and placing them on either side of your dough. Another way is to get some silicone rings to attach to your rolling pin. Keep the dough cold as you're rolling it out. If it gets too soft, put it in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes.
When the dough is rolled out, get a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and put the tart ring on it (obv if you still insist on using the fluted tart pan, this is not necessary).
Lightly flour the dough, and gently roll up the dough onto the rolling pin. Then unroll the dough onto the tart ring. When shaping the tart shell, try not to stretch it or break it. Err on the side of too thick. A shell that's too thin can leak or break easily, if it's too thick it's ok, but the texture will be a little off.
Start by picking up the edge of the dough with one hand and gently GENTLY pressing it into the inner edge of the ring without stretching the dough. You want to gradually work your way around and around pressing the dough into the edge, don't try to finish one spot first and then another spot and so on.
When you think it looks decent, pick up the whole thing and look at the underside of it (but not if the dough has gotten too soft, then put it in the fridge for a few minutes). Look at the bottom inner edge. You want as little space as possible between the ring and the dough. If there's more than about 1/8 inch of air between the bottom edge of the ring and the edge of the dough, you should press it in a little more.
If the dough tears or if the dough is so thin you can see through it in any spot, then get a little piece of excess dough and patch it up.
When it's all pressed in, take a paring knife and cut off the excess dough. Keep the blade parallel to the table and your cutting motion should be always be going away from the tart. Now take your thumbnail and run it around the top edge of the ring. This will release the top part of the shell from the ring a little.
Take a fork and prick the bottom of the shell all over. You may or may not need to weigh down the dough to prevent it from puffing up, imo a good tart shell recipe doesn't need this. Bake it at whatever temp the recipe says until it's golden brown, but leave the oven on. Let it cool for 10 or so minutes. Beat an egg with a pinch of salt. Brush a paper thin layer of egg onto the shell. This will create a moisture barrier and prevent the filling from making the shell soggy. Put it back in the oven for exactly 1 minute. Voila.
Fantastic post.
10-08-2012
, 10:07 PM
Aged this coppa about 18 months after drying before I sliced it
10-08-2012
, 10:33 PM
Quote:
here's a few pics from recent meals I have cooked
seared ahi tuna from whole foods...picture was before avocado and wasabi vinegarette were added fyi
seared yellowtail, asparagus, garlic break, potato au gratin
broiled lobster tail
grilled split lobster tail
prime steak kabobs, grilled artichoke
feast of steak, artichoke, halibut, lamb sausage, etc
beer steamed clams/mussels with garlic, butter, onions sauce
seared ahi tuna from whole foods...picture was before avocado and wasabi vinegarette were added fyi
seared yellowtail, asparagus, garlic break, potato au gratin
broiled lobster tail
grilled split lobster tail
prime steak kabobs, grilled artichoke
feast of steak, artichoke, halibut, lamb sausage, etc
beer steamed clams/mussels with garlic, butter, onions sauce
Last edited by -Insert Witty SN-; 10-08-2012 at 10:34 PM.
Reason: :)
10-08-2012
, 10:36 PM
10-08-2012
, 10:54 PM