Image source - ChrisPots-n-pans - //flic.kr/p/2VCDRb
My two favourite cooking pots at my house are my wok & my cast iron casserole pot.
I like my wok because it's just so versatile. I use it for stir fries, curries and I've even been known to knock up a pasta dish in it.
If I'm cooking lamb shanks or beef casserole, then I use my cast iron pot. It's a pity it's so heavy!
They're not so flash for cooking a rump or Porterhouse steak.That's when I grab the frying pan.
I used to live next to an old chef. He was always going on about using the right tool for the job.
I used to go over to his place to watch him cook.
He had been retired for a long time, but still loved working in the kitchen and giving a master class. He spent many years training overseas in France & Belgium.
He always seemed to cooked with such flare. I was impressed by his knife skills. His blades were just a blur.
His kitchen was huge. There were pots & pans and something that looked like a cauldron. I'm not sure what he brewed up in it, but it looked cool.
I remember asking him why he had so many different pots & pans.
He replied,"what do you expect? I used to own a restaurant & these are what l have left,""
He was a bit of hoarder, so his kitchen put Peter's of Kensingston to shame.
It looked like a smorgasbord of copper, aluminum, stainless steel & cast iron pots.
They were hanging on hooks attached to a beautiful black wrought iron frame suspended from the ceiling.
Image source - Gina Jones - //flic.kr/p/EiJx4
So over a couple of months, he would pick a pot or saucepan and a knife and explain what he used them for.
It was a fascinating experience; an old master passing on the secrets of the kitchen.
I was like a sponge, soaking up his years of knowledge.
He was well into his 70's and not a well man, but when he talked & shared his love of cooking his eyes twinkled & the years just seemed to melt away.
So I thought I might share some of the lessons he shared with me. I will always cherish those moments.
I miss our chats & the passionate cooking lessons he shared with me.
A Wise Old Chef, Pots, Pans & Even a Cauldron
The wise old chef's pearls of wisdom on buying Cookware:
Stockpot
Your stockpot is ideal for handling stock, soups, stews, blanching, boiling, steaming and some sauces.
My chef friend once grabbed a high-sided stainless steel sauté pan with a lid and explained that you use this for deglazing sauces, frying, braising small items like vegetables, cooking rice pilafs and risottos, whipping up sautés and fricassées & more.
Another time he beat a stockpot with a wooden spoon like a drum. “So you know what these are used for?”
He lifted the lid and the stockpot had a simmering batch of his homemade basil & tomato pasta sauce. Oh, the smell was divine and the taste glorious. Other times he would have a seafood bisque on the stove.
So he would go on & on about making sure you got good quality pots & pans made of the right material, as this would make you a better cook.
Heavy gauge cookware delivers more even heat. If you go for the thinner gauge stuff, you’ll be disappointed because the spread and hold of heat is uneven. And there is a good chance the bottoms are more likely to dent and warp. So you’re probably going to scorch your food.
He once offered a good tip. He would sit a pot or pan flat on an electric stove. He would then rap his knuckles on the base & sides of the pots & pans. When he got a dull thud, he would smile and use that pot. If he heard a light ping, he would toss it and grab another pot.
He was like the encyclopaedia of cooking. His book shelf was crammed with thick, old fabric covered books. I opened a musty looking book and dusted it off. It was well over 100 years old. The Epicurean by Charles Ranhofer, published 1893 if I remember correctly. It had over 1000 pages. I asked him about it.
He replied, “I was given the cookbook when I was in France in the 60’s”. I didn't know much about cookbooks, but it certainly looked impressive.
After this detour, he went back to explaining the difference between the cookware materials.
Which just made me want to listen and learn more from him.
“When you cook, your pots & pans have to be good heat conductors.”
Aluminium & copper are great conductors. Stainless steel a lousy conductor.
Aluminum Cookware
Image source - chrisjtse - //flic.kr/p/q9mazw
Copper Cookware
Image source - Ben Salter pots n pans - //flic.kr/p/dTGaVz
Enameled Cast Iron Cookware
Image source - Franklin Heijnen - //flic.kr/p/rw7CdT
Stainless Steel Cookware
Image source - Didriks - //flic.kr/p/gjHp3M
To get the best of both worlds you’ll find the that most stainless steel cookware comes with an aluminium base. So you get a durable cooking surface with a base that conducts heat evenly.
If you're looking for the perfect stainless steel cookware you can't go past Förje.
