Demi-glace. There are a lot of ways to make demi-glace, but I
recommend you simply take your already reduced meat stock, add some
red wine, toss in some shallots and fresh thyme and a bay leaf and
peppercorns, and slowly, slowly simmer it and reduce it again until it
coats a spoon. Strain. Freeze this stuff in an ice-cube tray, pop out a cube
or two as needed, and you are in business—you can rule the world. And
remember, when making a sauce with demi-glace, don't forget to monter
au beurre.
Chervil, basil tops, chive sticks, mint tops, etc. What does it take, for
chrissakes?! A nice sprig of chervil on top of your chicken breast? A
healthy-looking basil top decorating your pasta? A few artfully scattered
chive sticks over your fish? A mint top nestled in a dollop of whipped
cream, maybe rubbing up against a single raspberry? Come on! Get in
the game here! It takes so little to elevate an otherwise ordinary-looking
plate. You need zero talent to garnish food. So why not do it? And how
about a sprig of fresh herb—thyme or rosemary? You can use the part
not needed for garnish to maybe actually flavor your food. That dried
sawdust they sell in the cute little cans at the super market? You can
throw that, along with the spice rack, right in the garbage. It all tastes
like a stable floor. Use fresh! Good food is very often, even most often,
simple food. Some of the best cuisine in the world—whole roasted fish,
Tuscan-style, for instance—is a matter of three or four ingredients. Just
make sure they're good ingredients, fresh ingredients, and then garnish
them. How hard is that?
Example: here's a very popular dish I used to serve at a highly regarded
two-star joint in New York. I got thirty-two bucks an order for it and
could barely keep enough in stock, people liked it so much. Take one
fish—a red snapper, striped bass, or dorade—have your fish guy remove
gills, guts and scales and wash in cold water. Rub inside and out with
kosher salt and crushed black pepper. Jam a clove of garlic, a slice of
lemon and a few sprigs of fresh herb—say, rosemary and thyme—into
the cavity where the guts used to be. Place on a lightly oiled pan or foil