We take a look at the world’s most decorated Michelin star chefs, and why

they are considered the best chefs in the world

8 Basic Cooking Skills Every Budding Chef Must Know

Today, we are here with some basic cooking skills every budding chef should
know before entering the industry. These skill sets may seem simple;
however, the perfection of these culinary techniques is what makes or breaks
a dish.

No chef is born with a Michelin star; from Michel Roux to Gordon Ramsay,
they all began with the basics. So, here are our ‘must-know’ cooking skills to
take you from nervous novice to a confident chef, to begin with.

1. Knife Skills
When it comes to mastering the cutting skills there are many technical
aspects to it that only a trained chef would know. From getting the right grip on
the knife to cutting in precisions, there are various techniques involved when
you handle a knife in a professional kitchen. This is the first and foremost skill
set you learn in the culinary school which will be one of the most tested skills
during the trade test of a job interview at the beginning of your career.
Practice is the key to master this skill; so now you know what you should be
doing during your free time in the culinary school.

2. Making the Perfect Stock

A good stock is the heart and soul of dishes such as soups, stews and other
stock-based preparations which take them to the next level. While you’re at
school getting trained to become a chef, stock making is something you will do
on an everyday basis. Taking that into account you should be all set to
prepare that perfect pot of stock.
3. Mastering the Five Mother Sauces
Once you get into the kitchen, you will learn and make a variety of traditional
and modern sauces for different cuisines. However, it’s the knowledge of the
five French mother sauces that will prove essential to learn more. In the
beginning, they may seem a little complex to learn but knowing to prepare
these five sauces are extremely important for a chef, and once learned; it will
nurture your confidence in the kitchen.

4. Becoming an Egg Expert 

Eggs are not that scary if you look at it from a layman’s point of view.
However, when you’re in a professional kitchen, eggs could be one of those
intimidating little things that could go terribly wrong if you don’t know the
different techniques behind the not so similar methods of cooking an egg.
When you become a chef, you don’t just cook an egg; you’re boiling,
poaching, and frying it. So, make sure you learn the basics very well while
you’re in the school itself.

5. Meat, Poultry & Fish

One should be well aware of the safety steps taken when they are dealing
with meat, poultry or fish in a professional kitchen. Every step in handling,
cooking and storing this kind of perishable food items safely is essential to
avoid any kind of food contamination. As a budding chef, you should know to
check its freshness, doneness while cooking, how to clean it and also packing
it properly for storing.

6. Vegetable Sanitation
Managing fruits and vegetables are also as important as handling meat. With
the amount of food being prepared in a commercial kitchen, each and every
ingredient should be carefully handled before it is being used for cooking.
When it comes to fruits and veggies, its freshness should be checked properly
to ensure that it is clean and undamaged to avoid any kind of food poisoning.

7. Kneading the Dough

Whether you’re a cookery chef or a pastry chef, kneading the dough is an
inevitable task in the kitchen. Be it flatbread or loaf bread the perfection of the
final product is in the kneading of its dough. It wouldn’t look like a task as such
but remember if the consistency of the dough goes wrong it will definitely ruin
the bread.
8. Staying Safe in the Kitchen
Last but not the least; take care of yourself when you’re hustling through the
busy kitchen atmosphere. A commercial kitchen is a high paced place so if
you’re not careful enough you could hurt yourself easily. This is mainly why
you should have a better grip on the above-said skill sets to keep up with the
pace to stay safe.

To have a good start in the culinary industry and to create a successful career
ahead, getting the fundamentals right is the way to go about it. So go ahead
and enroll yourself into a good culinary school such as ICCA Dubai which will
help you take your first steps towards building a career in the world of culinary

1. Master basic knife skills

Why it matters: Whether you're meal prepping or just trying to make dinner for
tonight...you really, really need to know how to cut up the foods you're trying to
prepare. "Start with a high-quality chef’s knife and learn basic knife skills—this
will completely transform how you cook at home!” McKel Kooienga, RD,
founder of Nutrition Stripped, recently told Well+Good. Having proper
technique will help speed up the prep time on your recipes (meaning less time
cooking and more time eating!) and reduce the risk of injury.
How to do it:  Carefully.  Start with a good knife that's actually sharp, find a
few onions, potatoes, or other cheap vegetables, and follow along with video
tutorials. Some of the basic cuts: rough chop (where you're cutting things into
large chunks), dice (small, equally-sized chunks), mince (tiny, tiny pieces), and
chiffonade (cutting leaves and herbs into strips). Nail these methods, and your
dinner prep will get so much faster

2. Learn how to stir fry vegetables

Why it matters: Want to make a healthy dinner while also keeping your dishes
to a minimum? Try a stir fry, which typically includes oil (or another cooking
fat) and your favorite veggies all tossed into a wok or sauté pan. Richard
LaMarita, a culinary arts chef and instructor at the Institute of Culinary
Education, says the age-old technique is perfect for making “great textured,
perfectly cooked vegetables.”

How to do it: To create your own stir-fry, heat your cooking pan on high heat,
then drizzle with oil. Toss in cut veggies, which LaMarita recommends cutting
into matchsticks or half-moons for quick cooking.

He recommends stirring the vegetables throughout until they appear done, but
“still have a bit of crunch.” Depending on the type of vegetables you choose
(e.g. broccoli will take longer to cook than onions), your cook time will be
approximately six to 10 minutes.

If you want to add diced chicken breast, ground turkey, or another animal-based
protein, add those ingredients prior to adding the vegetables since they take
more time to cook. Cook until the protein is lightly browned before tossing in
your produce of choice.

3. Get comfortable with herbs and spices

Why it matters: This one feels like a given, but, then again, how many times
have you made a dish only to find it lacking flavor? “I know you are not using
them enough," LaMarita says.

“Herbs and spices make food healthier as they are medicinal,” he says. “Plus,
they make food taste better and add flavor.” Meanwhile, “spices will add depth
and complexity to your cooking."

How to do it: Stock your pantry with essentials like turmeric, cinnamon, ground

ginger, cumin, and other flavors you love. Spice blends, which combine
multiple dried herbs and spices to create a specific flavor profile, are also easy
ways to quickly add flavor (like taco seasoning or herbes de Provence).

Then, try incorporating these flavors into some of your favorite dishes—like
using them as a rub on grilled salmon or sprinkling them on roasted vegetables.
You can play with the amounts called for in recipes, too—if you know you like
heat, add more chili flakes or chili powder than what's recommended in the
ingredients list.

There are slightly different ways to handle these ingredients, says LaMarita, to
help you get the most flavor possible out of them. When cooking with dried
herbs (like dried oregano you'd keep in your pantry), add them in at the
beginning of the cooking process so they have time to release their flavor, he
says. Fresh herbs, like basil or mint leaves, are best added at the end to preserve
their fresh flavor. (They also make for great salad dressings and sauces, as seen
in the video below.) As for spices, LaMarita recommends dry toasting them in a
pan until the fragrance is strong and their color changes—that's how you start to
release their flavor.

Rae Oliver January 4, 2022

The Michelin star is undoubtedly the highest honour within the international
culinary industry. Some people have gone as far as calling them “the Oscars
of the culinary world”.

Chefs all across the world dedicate their lives to earning just one coveted star
in recognition of their excellence. But there are those select few who have
managed to collect an astounding number of stars in their constellation of fine
dining restaurants.

Simple hacks to check the freshness of fish

There’s nothing more alluring and exotic than a delicious fish delicacy. Whether you are a fan of
buttery fish steaks or you love the crispy Indian-style fish, the delightful taste and texture of fish is
pure bliss.
As much as we love the idea of indulging in a sumptuous fish delicacy, the mere thought of buying
that perfect fresh fish is no less than a challenge and most of us just go by the words of the fish
seller. But are we sure that the fish we are buying is actually fresh or it has been tampered with
additives or is it stale? Well, these are some of the major concerns of every fish lover; So, we have
curated some simple hacks to check the freshness of fish so that you enjoy the best quality fishes at
the comfort of your home.

Smell the fish

Smelling the fish might seem gross to most of us, but experts believe that it is the best way to ensure
that the fish you're eating is fresh! When it comes to buying fish make sure that the fish has a mild
scent and doesn’t have a smell or a sour odour. Fresh river fish or sea fish has a mild watery smell,
the strong fishy smell indicates the fish is stale or has been preserved with chemicals. In fact, the
smell often remains even after cooking

Eyes don’t lie

Fish eyes don’t lie. This might sound weird but it is actually true, make sure that the fish eyes don’t
have a whitish dull layer or do not appear sunken. Fresh fish eyes are shiny, bludging and bright.
Make sure there’s no cloudiness, this indicates that the fish is stale or rotting.

Firm texture

Always check the texture, fresh fish will have a firm texture on the exterior as well as the interior.
Also make sure that the fish is bright and shiny and does not look dull. The flesh of fresh fish
always bounces back on touching and there’s a natural metallic appearance. What’s more, fresh fish
skin has a tight and scaly texture, make sure that the scales are not coming out naturally. This
ensures that fish is fresh. Stale fish usually have a dull look and loose scales.

Check the appearance

The first thing while picking up the perfect seafood or fish is to take a look at the appearance of the
fish. Make sure that the colour is bright, the eyes don't have a whitish layer and the gills and tail
appear fresh. Ensure that it has a slightly slippery texture and there's no discoloration of the flesh. In
fact, if you are getting the fish cut into pieces, the flesh of the fresh fish will always ooze out blood
and will have a bright pink colour

Check the gills

To ensure that fish is fresh, just lift the gills and check if the interior of the fish has bright reddish
pink colour. In fact, fresh fish will have a slight wet texture and it won’t be dry. This ensures that
the fish is freshly sourced from the river or sea.