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Tools and Equipment
Appears in
By Neil Perry
Published 2005
- knives – you can go mad with knives. I have about twenty and each has a specific use, but really, the basics can be covered by three knives - a 26 cm (10½ inch) chef’s knife, a boning knife and a paring knife. If you intend to have a few others, a fish filleting knife would be good if, indeed, you intend to fillet fish; also a long, sharp knife for slicing raw fish; and an oyster knife, if you want to knock the lids off some fresh oysters. I recommend Japanese mandolins for slicing vegetables very thinly, but take care as they are very sharp and it is easy to cut yourself.
- It is important to keep your knives sharp. To do so you really need two implements – a stone and steel. Don’t freak out, as sharpening a knife is easy and very therapeutic. I love that time in the evening at Rockpool, when everyone is ready and we are waiting for the first customers to come in: the chefs in the kitchen will be sharpening their knives on stones, ready for the precision cutting that will take place that night.
- Make sure you feel comfortable with the knife in your hand. Your thumb can move down towards the blade, or your index finger can slide down to the top of the knife and rest there. Do not grip the knife too hard and remember that you don’t need to use brute strength; let the knife glide through and do the work for you. It should feel comfortable. Also, you have two hands; using them properly will stop you from ever cutting yourself. The following is a very important basic cutting technique that you must learn. With the guiding hand, make a bridge and tuck your thumb behind (very important for keeping thumb intact for the length of your life). Use your thumb and little fingers like claws to hold what you’re cutting and make the bridge of your hand come forward. The knife blade is always sliding against your knuckles; this will make sure your fingertips and thumb are safe at all times. That’s it – you can now slice, dice and cut safely.
- sharpening stones – there are a couple of different stones available, some use oil, others water and detergent. I prefer the ones that soak in water and are then ready for use. The three most important things to remember are: always hold the knife at the same angle on both sides; make the movement in one direction; and make the same number of strokes on each side. Press the knife firmly at the tip, just on the stone and at an angle of 20 degrees to the stone, then slide the knife up the length of the stone in one movement. Repeat this about ten times, then turn the knife over, hold at the same angle and repeat the process. Wash the knife and give it a quiet slide down a steel. It’s that easy.
- the steel – this tool is used to help maintain the edge on your knife after sharpening it on the stone. You only need the stone every now and again, depending how often you use your knife, but give the knife a little go on the steel before each use. To use, hold the steel away from your body and put the heel of the knife at the tip of the steel, at a 20-degree angle to the steel. In one fluid motion, take the knife down the steel to the tip of the knife, then repeat the action on the other side of the knife. Make sure the strokes are light and even and make no more than five strokes on each side.
- chopping boards – now that you have a good sharp knife, it is important to have a good chopping board. I like wooden ones with some weight and size so that I can cut and chop all manner of things easily. Mine at home is 40 × 60 cm (16 × 24 inches) and I just love it!
- pots and pans – you need a large saucepan to make stock and soup and boil water for pasta. A pan with an 8 litre (280 fl oz) capacity and a diameter of 28 cm (11 inches) is good. It can also serve as a deep-fat fryer and as a steaming pan for a bamboo steamer. I have two non-stick pans, the smaller one about 22 cm (8½ inches) wide, for cooking single omelettes and pan-frying for two, and the larger one about 28 cm (11 inches), for making large omelettes and cooking four pieces of fish or a couple of crumbed veal chops. I also have a bunch of saucepans that are either straight-sided or sloped, which I use for pan-frying, sautéing and making pasta sauce – smaller ones 22 cm (8½ inches) and larger ones 26 cm (10½ inches) wide. I use high-sided pans for heating things, making small stews and boiling vegetables – larger ones 22 cm (8½ inches) wide, with a 4 litre (140 fl oz) capacity, and the smaller ones about 8 cm (3¼ inches) wide. It is also good to have a couple of heavy cast-iron frying pans for pan-frying steaks and chicken – they should be around the same size as the non-stick pans. Finally, I have some large, heavy roasting tins. If you have all this, you will be able to tackle every recipe in this book.
- thermometers – you will be able to cook with aplomb with the help of two very valuable, inexpensive pieces of equipment. One is an oven thermometer. You definitely need this to make sure your oven is at the right temperature. Most domestic, and for that matter, even commercial ovens, vary quite dramatically, and with an oven thermometer you can be sure that you have the correct temperature. The second piece of equipment is a digital meat thermometer that will instantly read the core temperature of what you are cooking. Using one of these takes all the risk out of cooking large pieces of meat and will really put you in the driver’s seat. It is also a good idea to get a candy thermometer if you decide to deep-fry at home in a pot, as again, this takes all the guesswork out of it. (A good reliable pair of scales is also a worthwhile investment as, particularly with pastry, you need to be very accurate.) On temperature, it is worth reading the meat and poultry and seafood sections well and then trying low-temperature cooking. It does affect the texture greatly, and texture and flavour work hand in hand.