Wednesday's In the Know: The 7 Cuissons

I will never forget the countless hours at Le Cordon Bleu flipping through flashcards, especially trying to remember the spelling and definition of each cuisson during Foundations 1 class.  The 7 cuissons refers to the 7 classic cooking techniques. Fully understanding these cuissons helps you determine which method of cooking should be used based on the protein at hand and overall desired outcome. For example, a tough piece of meat would best benefit from braising.

So class, let’s begin:

Le Rotir: Roasting

• Cooking a tender piece of meat in a dry atmosphere on high heat, usually around 425ºF.

Le Poeler: There isn’t an exact translation but…

• Le poeler is a humid roasting method used for cooking cuts too tough for dry roasting but too tender for braising. This technique isn’t often used.

Le Sauter: Sauté or Pan-Frying

• Cooking tender pieces of meat in a blazing hot pan with a little bit of fat (usually oil) on the stovetop. The dark sear results in a beautiful golden brown color – what we called GBD (golden brown and delicious) in culinary school – and that adds tremendous flavor. Color = flavor!

Le Grillier: Grilling

• Cooking directly over a hot heat source below. Think steaks or hamburgers.

Le Frire: Deep Frying

• Cooking an item fully submerged in hot fat (usually peanut or canola oil depending on what you are making). Think fish and chips, coconut shrimp or tortilla chips.

Le Pocher: Poaching

• Cooking an ingredient fully submerged in liquid (water or stock). From fish, shrimp and chicken!

Le Braiser: Braising

• Cooking an ingredient almost fully covered (by ¾) in liquid. Low and slow is the goal here as the slow cooking method tenderizes the meat resulting in a delicious “falling off the bone” flavor profile and consistency.

Most of these I am sure you already knew, but by understanding the 7 cuissons, you become more empowered to venture away from your preferred cooking technique exploring a whole new territory of pure deliciousness!

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Cheers to starting a new tradition around The Table Together!

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Sincerely,

Tiffany Lewis

Founder and true believer in the power of bringing people around The Table Together!