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| de-oil
| thicken with arrowroot
| toast nuts |
| roast cumin or coriander seeds
| when is fish done? |
To De-oil
De-oiling is simply done. Use
the little cup with the spout rising from the bottom. Liquid and oil go
into the cup. Liquid is poured back through the spout
into the pan, leaving oil in the cup.
This is only difficult if there is lots of oil
and very little liquid. In this case, add some water or other liquid.
After de-oiling, you can boil down the liquid, if desired.
To Thicken with Arrowroot
(For relative merits of flour, arrowroot,
and cornstarch as thickeners, see Sauce Section, "Where did all the white
sauces go?")
Place arrowroot in a small bowl, about 1 teaspoon powder for each cup
to be thickened. Stir in cold or lukewarm water (or other liquid) to
make a thin paste. Stir mixture into the sauce. Bring to near-simmer so
that the arrowroot will complete its thickening action. Serve
immediately.
(If allowed to stand, a few little gelatinous nodules will form on
the bottom of the pan. If this should be objectionable, it can be
prevented by thickening at the last minute. Or, strain the sauce, which
some cooks do anyway.)
As the arrowroot need not be cooked, you can make the paste with more
arrowroot than you think you will need. Add part of the paste and see
what this does. For thicker sauce, just stir in more paste.
To thicken with cornstarch
Proceed as with arrowroot described above. Sauce must
be simmered about 10 minutes until the raw cornstarch taste disappears.
To
Toast Nuts in the Toaster Oven
Walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, and pecans may all be
frozen and freshly roasted, a few at a time, just before the meal.
They must be watched closely so as not to over-roast.
If you do this very often, you will learn what to expect from your
machine.
I have found that I can take nuts from the freezer
and put them through a minimum cycle. This heats them without toasting.
Then comes a second cycle, where I must be alert. There is only a window
of 1-2 minutes before they become over-roasted.
If you smell the nuts close up, you will detect the
characteristic aroma.
To Toast Croutons in the
Toaster Oven
Croutons are simple too, but again must be closely
watched. Dice any kind of bread, place on pan, and toast until a light
crust forms.
These are fine without any seasoning. If you wish
seasoning, add thyme, butter, etc., before or after toasting.
To
roast cumin or coriander seeds
These are easily roasted in the Indian manner.
Crush coriander seeds in a mortar and pestle,
or cut them in a mini-food processor.
Some recipes call for similar treatment of cumin seeds, although
it not clear that they need be crushed or cut.
To roast, place seeds in a small steel or cast iron
pan. Turn on heat to medium and roast about 30 seconds, until the spice
smells roasted and pops.
When is fish done?
Detection of the end-point is important for fish. The
difference between moist, succulent fish and rather dry meat is only a
few minutes.
For baked or braised fish, the instant reading
thermometer (very small dial on a probe) is an excellent guide. Begin
inserting in the thickest part of the fish well in advance of finish.
Most people are content with 130 or even 135 degrees F. Above this point
the fish is too dry. Those of us who prefer moister fish like 125
degrees F.
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