The 4 Secret Ingredients Your Kitchen Must HavePosted by amrina alshaikh on June 15th, 2021 Managing your time efficiently in the kitchen is one of the most significant parts of your job profile as a chef. Not only are you in charge of kitchen inventory and task allocation, you are also responsible for the kitchen running smoothly with each zone working like clockwork. You must always be ahead of the game to be in tandem with the serving staff, making sure there is minimum lag between an order placed and an order delivered to the table. This takes up a lot of organisation and time management skills. You are adept at both, but you’re always looking for ways to improve and cut down cook and prep times. One of the best ways to do this is to keep food products like ready sauces, jams, gravies, seasoning powders and purees at hand. Not only do they replace a lot of the ingredients on your recipe without compromising on the taste, they also save a lot of time. Plus, they need minimal organising – just use as directed or prepare and set aside for the next cook in the refrigerator. You might be a purist that believes in using only the freshest ingredients without recourse to shortcuts like ready seasoning powders and the like. But why not take the shortcut being offered if it will save up enough time to focus on other tasks – like crafting a new dish that your customers will love? These are our picks for the top 4 secret ingredients your kitchen must definitely have: 1) Lime seasoning powder. This is one of the most potent seasoning powders to have in your kitchen. Use it in desserts, juices and especially at the bar where large batches of lime juice are in constant demand. Use one pack to make 30 litres of lime water ready to use in soups and juices. Meanwhile, the dry powder can be used for flavouring noodles, too. 2) Aromat powder. From a plate of piping hot Chinese noodles to soups, and from Indian gravies to mushroom risotto, this wonder ingredients seasons and flavours a whole range of recipes with equal aplomb. Always add it to your Chinese preparations for the special Umami taste your customers seek. It enhances the flavour of the dish without overtly dominating the main ingredients or making the food taste and smell like it came from a ready-to-eat food packet. 3) Onion tomato base gravy: Why slave over cutting and slicing tomatoes and onions, then running them into a blender before using them as a base for your Indian gravy dish? Keep a bag of onion tomato base gravy handy and use it liberally for your Indian gravy dishes, whether non-vegetarian or vegetarian. You will be amazed at how easy cooking becomes when you have a base gravy at hand – just put in the other ingredients and you are on your way to another great main course. 4) Custard powder: Every person likes to have a soul-satisfying dessert to round off their meal, and cold desserts like custards, filling inside donuts and cakes, and fruit trifles are perennial favourites. The best custard powders make it much easier to get the consistency and texture of the dessert just right, while you only need to balance out the sugar and milk/cream proportions wherever required. Keep a lot of custard powder and baking powder handy if you’re revamping your dessert menu. Which are your secret ingredients and tricks that nobody knows about? Tell us, we would love to know! Like it? Share it!More by this author |