January 6, 2012 by Tristan

How to Bone a Fish (video)

Cooking with fish is generally very simple, and the results are always delicious. Of course, the fresher the fish, the better the dish, and one of the keys to ensuring you’re cooking with the freshest fish available is learning how to clean, bone and/or fillet the fish yourself.
In this exclusive Essential Ingredient video, Maurice Esposito, one of Australia’s premiere seafood chefs and owner of Esposito in Melbourne, demonstrates …

February 17, 2011 by Tristan

How to make Vietnamese Master Stock (video)

Australians love Vietnamese food, and few ingredients are as essential to Vietnamese cooking than the spiced, fragrant master stock.

In this exclusive web video, chef Mark Jensen of Red Lantern Restaurant demystifies the preparation of this stock, and explains how you can use it again and again to add a unique flavour burst to a wide variety of dishes.

Learn the secrets of this centuries-old recipes, and it might become on of …

January 24, 2011 by Tristan

How to bone a fish (video)

All chefs agree that buying a whole fish fresh from the market is the best way to ensure you’re getting the freshest ingredient available.

But how do you identify a high quality fish?And how do you remove the head, the scales and the bones to produce big, juicy fillets without losing any of the flesh?

Maurice Esposito demonstrates how to prepare this Essential Ingredient in our exclusive web video….

December 7, 2010 by Tristan

How to section a chicken (video)

Chicken is one of the world’s most popular ingredients, prominent in many cuisines and appearing in some of the world’s most classic and beloved dishes.

One of the keys to chicken’s appeal is it’s versatility. It can be roasted, fried, poached, steamed, deep fried, barbequed or grilled, and is as popular whole as it is in pieces.

In order to create classic dishes such as coq au vin, cacciatore, chicken curries, Korean …

September 27, 2010 by Tristan

Foaming for flavour

‘…with a wild mushroom foam’.

These words, or similar ones, have become increasingly prevalent on menus around the world. But what is a ‘foam’, and what can a few bubbles possibly bring to a dish?

Foam, in a scientific sense, has been a part of cooking for centuries. Every time cream is whipped, egg whites are thickened, meringue is formed or mousse …

July 3, 2010 by Tristan

Porcini powder: your secret ingredient

George’s mushroom risotto on Friday night’s Masterchef masterclass was simple and effective, but it was the addition of the dried mushroom powder that turned it from a simple side dish into an impressive restaurant-quality meal.

The Essential Ingredient’s Porcini Powder, made from the highest quality dried porcini mushrooms imported from France, will help you recreate George’s dish, adding a sophisticated flavour and richness.

August 4, 2009 by Tristan

Essential Videos

Good cooking starts with quality ingredients and knowing how to use them. Let us share with you our essential cooking techniques, tips and more in video.

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