Secrets of the Best Chefs

MANY A CHEF has used fried shallots to spruce up a dish; the
right method for cooking them is similar to that for cooking a
hard-boiled egg. You want the shallots and the oil to come up in
temperature together. So just like you’d add the egg to a pan of
cold water, add sliced shallots to a pan of cold canola oil.
Slowly bring up the heat and cook, on medium-low, until the
shallots are deep golden brown. They will develop a lot more
flavor that way.
WHEN STIR-FRYING and adding an element, use either a “two-
finger pinch” or a “three-finger pinch.” A two-finger pinch is as
much as you can grab with your thumb and forefinger; a three-
finger pinch is however much you can grab with your thumb,
forefinger, and middle finger. Surprisingly, this is actually a
fairly precise amount.
TO WASH RICE properly, place it in a large bowl, fill the bowl
with cold water, and sift through the rice as if you were digging
for gold. Pour the water out, hold the rice back, and refill the
bowl, repeating the process until you’ve done it five times and
the water is no longer milky.