Skill and skills-this is what every self-respecting chef should improve throughout life. From the first fried egg to organizing the perfect holiday table, we are constantly working on honing techniques, combining flavors and textures, trying new ingredients and strive to rise to a new level. The better we get, the bigger the goals we set. Therefore, if you cook well according to recipes, know the cooking time and temperature, you can cope with difficulties – you are ready to create your own dishes. From the preparation of the recipe to the design of the plate should take into account a lot of things. We spend months developing, discarding a lot of ideas and dishes. In order to be a truly original chef, you will have to do the same.

We will talk about how to work out and design dishes. As an example, we use a hybrid of soup and salad, which was a hit of the last dinner from our team. Recreating a recipe at home is a great practice: when you cook - think about how each ingredient becomes part of the whole. Try substituting ingredients-add apricots or plums or take tuna instead of scallop. Try and have fun - then start thinking about a new dish that will be served at your dinner.

Patience and practice will take you to a whole new level, and in the shortest possible time.

1) Make a list of ingredients.

Make it a rule to write down interesting ingredients that you met during a hike in the market, in the restaurant menu or just in the grocery catalog. Creating a dish can take a long time, so it is important to focus on what really interests you and is able to keep in good shape. As a rule, cooks use what they can find around - fresh vegetables in the season or meat, which seemed attractive in the butcher's shop. Frequently encountered ingredients and products in their season are usually cheap, so you can not worry that the study will take a lot of money.

We start by focusing on two or three bright components. You can add something to enhance them, for better taste and texture, but the key to a perfect dish is simplicity, because too many ingredients will make the dish confusing and messy. In the end, you can change the key ingredient, which often happens, so count on them as a starting point, but do not stop thinking about new.

Don't be afraid to consider different combinations and options. When working with three components, a great move is to make a classic combination with a new taste. Think about how chefs love to mix peanut butter and jelly (a classic combination) with foie Gras - the rich, buttery liver and nut paste we ate as kids. All this adds to the taste sensations-this is one of the features of a successful and original dish.

Some of the dishes we've created are a revision of basic and common recipes, but with our key ingredient. You can play with taste - make minestrone sweet or, conversely, remove the sweetness of ice cream. Still in need of inspiration? Start with a common ingredient and beat the texture. Turn peanut butter into dry powder or make a gel from bright orange juice.

Example:

After ordering a set for 15 people, we started thinking about the menu options. Everyone agreed that it should be completely new and decided to start with a light snack of squid, with a lot of oil and mashed potatoes or a sauce of green pepper. We found her bright, spicy notes really inspiring. People used to think that chefs design their dishes around meat and seafood, but in this case it was spring and we were inspired by plants. The combination of nastroenie with squids and butter it seemed really interesting. We bought the ingredients and started testing.

2) Consider making the dish.

It is very important to immediately imagine what the dish will look like. Think about how guests will eat it - what ingredients should get on the spoon at the beginning that would keep the temperature, and which can wait.

Look for inspiration in good books. Use them, along with online sources, to understand how the best chefs combine ingredients on a plate. Sometimes it is the special style of the chef that inspires us to new dishes. Start with the design and think in the opposite direction - this is also a good exercise and imagination training.

Example.

Initially, we thought that this dish would be more flat, not so “soup”. We presented sliced squid, sauce, poured inside and around the rings and drops of oil on top. It reminded us technique of design Rene Redzepi, drawing inspiration from the Danish landscape. Its dishes have a lot of natural colors and design resembles flat landscapes. So we decided to look through the amazing book Noma: Time and Place in Nordic Cuisine.

3) Draw a sketch.

If you have at least a vague idea of what the dish should look like - draw it. Spend a little time: drawing is a great way to focus not only on the main components, but also to pay attention to the secondary ones - what can be added for better taste, texture, appearance. And keeping the drawings from time to time you can look back, analyze your development and, perhaps, use it as a base for new dishes.

4) Prepare for the tasting.

When you try a new dish, the collected mezanplas is slightly different from the one that is prepared for the service.

Usually, we take the unpresentable parts of the products to check the taste, texture and layout options on the plate, keeping the best for the final tasting. Changing the position of each ingredient will allow, in the end, to focus on the one that you like best.

Tip: if you can get the support and advice of a colleague - do it. We often resort to this method in our kitchen, asking each other how best to do. This is an effective method.

5) take notes.

Have a notebook at hand to record your thoughts. Write as much as possible-over time, everything is forgotten.

Example.

At this stage, we have prepared a container with all the components that could be added to the dish. We found that our main ingredient, squid, is not related to other ingredients. We took the scallops and their texture and mild flavor is perfectly combined with the peppery nastroenia. Pickled onions added spice to the dish, and peanuts told the necessary crunch. We decorated a few plates and realized that the dish looks great in a bowl, resembling a lake full of water lilies. In addition, this feed allowed the guest to grab all the ingredients for one spoon.

We asked our tasters to share their opinions about the dish and many said they expected more, given the bright color. A few drops of lime juice told the dish amazing notes of acidity

5) Move on.

Now you know how to create your own perfect dish

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The article is based on the materials Сhefsteps.com