100 Secret Cooking Hacks I Learned in Restaurants

About this Video

• Video Title: 100 Secret Cooking Hacks I Learned in Restaurants
• Channel: Joshua Weissman
• Speakers: Joshua Weissman, Chef Chris Young, Chef Christian
• Duration: 00:46:00

Introduction

This video presents 100 cooking hacks learned from restaurant kitchens. The video aims to empower viewers with professional techniques for achieving restaurant-quality results at home. The hacks cover various cooking aspects, from cookie preparation and fish skin removal to advanced techniques like sous vide and creating unique textures.

Key Takeaways

1. Make-Ahead Cookie Logs: Freeze cookie dough in a log for easy, on-demand baking.
2. Easy Fish Skin Removal: Use boiling water and a tea towel to loosen fish skin before removing.
3. Emulsified Pasta Sauce: Create a flour slurry and add it to pasta water for a thicker, emulsified sauce.
4. Crispy Chicken Skin: Render fat slowly in a cold pan over low heat for crispy chicken skin.
5. Microwave Herb Frying: Microwave herbs with olive oil for easy, crispy fried herbs.
6. Resting Dough: Resting dough between kneading sessions makes it more manageable.
7. Oven-Baked Bacon: Bake bacon on parchment paper with added water for flat, crispy results.
8. Eggshell Removal: Use a wet finger or another piece of eggshell to easily remove eggshells from cracked eggs.
9. Blacklight for Crab Shells: Use a blacklight flashlight to easily spot any remaining crab shell pieces.
10. Gram Measurements: Use a kitchen scale for precise and efficient ingredient measuring.
11. Microwave and Air Fryer Fries: Microwave frozen fries until almost falling apart, then air fry for crispy results.
12. Dry-Aging Hack: Use a fish sauce brush on steaks for easy dry-aging.
13. Parmesan Rind Crisps: Microwave parmesan rinds for crispy snacks.
14. Dry Ice Ice Cream: Use dry ice to quickly freeze sorbet in a stand mixer.
15. Dry Ice Carbonation: Carbonate fruit with dry ice in a sealed container.
16. Wet Knife for Sticky Foods: Wet your knife before cutting sticky foods for easier cutting.
17. Resting Cookie Dough: Chill cookie dough for firmer texture and deeper flavor.
18. Faster Boiling Water: Cover your pot to speed up the boiling process.
19. Sous Vide Chuck Steak: Use sous vide to tenderize chuck steak overnight.
20. Reverse Sear Steak: Use the reverse sear method to cook thick steaks evenly.
21. Dry Ice Carbonated Drinks: Carbonate juice using dry ice in a sealed bottle.
22. Pickle Juice Salad Dressing: Use leftover pickle juice to make a unique salad dressing.
23. Semolina for Pizza: Use semolina instead of flour for easier pizza peel transfer.
24. Cast Iron Pizza Oven: Use an upside-down cast iron skillet and a broiler to simulate a Neapolitan pizza oven.
25. Creamier Eggs: Add a little mayonnaise to eggs for creamier texture.
26. Vegetable Peeler Cheese: Use a vegetable peeler to make cheese ribbons.
27. Frequent Steak Flipping: Flip steak every 30 seconds for even cooking and a great crust.
28. Deli Cups for Measurement: Use deli cups for easy liquid measurement conversions.
29. DIY Dough Proofer: Use an empty oven with a mug of hot water to proof dough faster.
30. Homemade Slurpee: Make a homemade slurpee by mixing powders and carbonated drink, then freezing.
31. Cornstarch Slurry for Sauce: Use a cornstarch slurry to thicken sauces quickly.
32. Wire Rack for Meat Resting: Rest meat on a wire rack to prevent overcooking.
33. Salt Brine Potato Test: Use a salt brine to determine potato suitability for French fries.
34. Salty Pasta Water: Taste pasta water; it should be as salty as the ocean.
35. Dry Meat Before Searing: Dry meat completely before searing for a better crust.
36. Fruitier Sorbet: Use fructose in sorbet for enhanced fruit flavor.
37. Blender Cleaning: Clean your blender by blending warm water and soap.
38. Air Fryer Searing with Mayo: Use mayonnaise in the air fryer to help sear meats evenly.
39. Score Fat Cap for Even Rendering: Score the fat cap of a steak to prevent curling and ensure even fat rendering.
40. Cook Turkey From Frozen: Cook a turkey breast from frozen for faster and juicier results.
41. Dental Floss for Cinnamon Rolls: Use unflavored dental floss to cut cinnamon rolls cleanly.
42. Break in Frying Oil: Add a little used oil to fresh oil to improve frying results.
43. Vodka Batter: Use vodka in batter for a crispier result.
44. Cook Tomato Paste Before Use: Cook tomato paste down to caramelize it and enhance its flavor.
45. Gelatin for Oil Cleaning: Use gelatin to clarify and clean used frying oil.
46. Squeegee for Crumbs: Use a squeegee to easily clean up crumbs on countertops.
47. MSG or Shirataki for Umami: Add MSG or Shirataki soup noodle base for instant umami.
48. Alka-Seltzer Nacho Cheese: Use Alka-Seltzer to make nacho cheese that melts easily.
49. Save Leftover Scraps: Save vegetable scraps to make stock or soup.
50. One-Handed Dredging: Use one hand for wet ingredients and one for dry to avoid messy dredging.
51. Fruit Acid for Candy: Mix fruit acid with sugar for a sweet and sour candy-like effect.
52. Revive Wilted Herbs: Revive wilted herbs by soaking them in ice water.
53. Warm Water for Ice Cream Scoops: Dip your ice cream scoop in warm water for easier scooping.
54. Add Herbs at the End: Add herbs at the end of cooking to maximize their flavor.
55. Poached Omelette: Make a Parisian omelette by poaching eggs in boiling water.
56. Blender Herb Oil: Make herb oil in a blender without cooking the herbs.
57. Efficient Knife Work: Minimize putting your knife down for efficient cutting.
58. Food Processor for Onions: Use a food processor for quick onion chopping.
59. Pectinex for Pithless Citrus: Use the enzyme Pectinex to remove pith from citrus fruits.
60. Instant Soup: Blend cooked vegetables with broth and oil to make instant soup.
61. Press Tofu: Press tofu before cooking for better texture and browning.
62. Freeze Butter for Pie: Freeze butter before grating it for even pie crust pieces.
63. Ziploc Piping Bag: Use a Ziploc bag as a piping bag for easy dispensing.
64. Faster Sous Vide: Use a hotter initial water bath for faster sous vide cooking.
65. Sugar for Faster Caramelized Onions: Add a pinch of sugar to caramelize onions faster.
66. High-Heat Caramelization: Use higher heat and deglazing to speed up onion caramelization.
67. Team Water Charity: Donate to the Team Water charity for clean water initiatives.
68. Water Displacement Vacuum Sealing: Vacuum seal food using water displacement in a Ziploc bag.
69. Sous Vide Hollandaise: Make hollandaise using sous vide for a smooth, consistent result.
70. Salt and Vinegar for Poached Eggs: Add salt and vinegar to prevent poached eggs from falling apart.
71. Lemon and Salt Cutting Board Cleaner: Clean a cutting board with lemon juice and salt.
72. Wet and Dry Towels: Keep wet and dry towels on hand while cooking.
73. Piping Bag and String for Noodles: Pipe and cut noodles using a piping bag and string.
74. Mise en Place for Efficient Cooking: Prepare all ingredients beforehand (mise en place) for efficient cooking.
75. Open Flame Pepper Charring: Char peppers directly over an open flame for quick charring.
76. Damp Towel for Pepper Char: Wipe char off peppers with a damp towel instead of washing.
77. Hot Plates for Hot Food: Use hot plates for hot food and cold plates for cold food.
78. Parchment Paper and Foil for Cheese Storage: Store cheese in parchment paper and foil for longer preservation.
79. Use Parmesan Scraps in Stock: Use parmesan scraps in chicken stock for added flavor.
80. Microwave Braised Vegetables: Microwave vegetables for a melt-in-your-mouth texture.
81. Kettle Blanching: Blanch vegetables using a kettle and a bowl.
82. Foil for Celery Storage: Wrap celery in foil to retain moisture and maintain crispness.
83. Salt Cucumbers for Less Water: Salt cucumbers before dressing to remove excess water.
84. Date Food Labels: Label food with a discard date.
85. Refresh Stale Bread: Refresh stale bread in a low-temperature oven.
86. Paper Bags for Mushrooms: Store mushrooms in paper bags to prevent slime.
87. Squirt Bottles for Sauces: Store sauces in squirt bottles for easy dispensing.
88. Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken Stock: Make chicken stock from leftover rotisserie chicken in an Instant Pot.
89. Ice Filter Stock: Freeze and filter chicken stock for a clearer result.
90. Skim Impurities from Stock: Skim impurities from stock to improve clarity and flavor.
91. Pot Rice Cooking: Cook rice on the stovetop by rinsing and steaming.
92. Rest Lasagna: Rest lasagna before cutting for easier serving.
93. Pectinase for Clarified Juice: Use pectinase to clarify juice by removing pulp.
94. Vacuum Seal Pickling: Vacuum seal vegetables for instant pickling.
95. Warm Water for Dessert Cutting: Run your knife under warm water to cut desserts cleanly.
96. Culinary Tweezers for Plating: Use culinary tweezers for precise plating.
97. Cold Meat and Grinder for Grinding: Use cold meat and grinder parts to prevent fat from melting during grinding.
98. Cooking Spray for Sticky Ingredients: Lightly spray measuring spoons with cooking spray to prevent sticky ingredients from sticking.