The simple secret to every MasterChef level dish (and two recipes to prove it!)
The one thing in your kitchen that can help take you from half-baked to full five-star chef. Plus, two winter recipes you will want to make every night!
MasterChef is everyone’s favourite show thanks to its endless parade of impressive dishes cooked up by whiz chefs. But you don’t need to go all out buying oversized, single-purpose utensils like a hibachi, your own industrial ice cream machine or start throwing out clouds of Persian fairy floss for the kids to be considered a gourmet chef. A single change to your kitchen can elevate your food to five-star flavour, and suddenly find that invitations to a dinner at your place are the hottest ticket in town.
That single change? Cooking with Natural Gas! When was the last time you saw MasterChef contestants (or any pro chef, for that matter) cooking steak, lamb cutlets or a stir fry on anything other than a gas flame?
A gas flame means you can cook like a professional, improving your food's texture, aroma and of course... the flavour (no matter what your skill level really is).
Here’s how gas makes for quick and easy, creative cooking:
· Precision: Gas cooking allows for instant temperature adjustments (unlike some electric cooktops with slower reaction times), giving you way more control as you cook. Think about making sauces like hollandaise, for example. The inconsistent heat that comes from using some electric cooktops is virtually impossible to work with, and result in scorching or sluggish sauces. By contrast, gas can be kept low and slow, at a consistent temperature, for the right result (instead of turning your sauce into scrambled eggs!).You can manage perfect pancakes, boil water for your pasta in a far shorter time, and enjoy a stir fry of veggies that stay nice and crispy.
· Versatility: A gas cooktop expands your humble repertoire of go-to meals, adding new and adventurous options like charring eggplant over a flame or tilting a pan for a theatrical flambé. Not only does Natural Gas add flavour (and drama) to your dishes, it gives you the chance to tackle recipes you’ve been dying to try, but never had the right setup to attempt. That means trying out café-quality breakfasts like smoky beans with chorizo, chipolatas, and eggs, or flash-frying halloumi over the flame for an oozy, cheesy side dish with steak.
· Colour and Flavour: Heard the expression, ‘the first bite is with the eye’? Food’s appeal starts with how it looks, and then you fall in love with the flavour, too. From biting into the deep golden skin of fresh-charred corn to making delicate discs of pale flatbreads, using gas to cook can give your dish that perfect texture, colour and taste.
You can’t beat the charred, smoky flavour that only an open flame can bring. It elevates everything from fresh seafood to humble vegetables, infusing everything with flavour that’s out of this world! Try out these two recipes, and see for yourself the fantastic taste you get when you create dishes with Natural Gas, whether you’re searing, poaching, grilling, steaming, charring or infusing!
Flame-grilled Eggplant for Baba Ganoush
Wrap an eggplant in foil, or leave uncovered, and place it on the grill above the gas flame with the heat set to medium. Allow the eggplant to roast over the flame for 20-30 minutes, turning it to smooth, smoked pulp. Use the flat side of a knife to test the eggplant, removing it from the flame when it is soft enough for the knife to indent it gently when pressed.
Transfer the pulp to a bowl (being careful to include the juices!) and salt lightly. The smoked eggplant is delicious as a rich vegetable side dish on its own, can make a delicious base for pasta sauce, or you can turn it into the world’s best baba ganoush with ½ a cup each of tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, and 1 crushed garlic clove. Serve with grilled sourdough.
Smoked Red Capsicum Dip
Use tongs to hold a capsicum over an open gas flame, rotating it until the skin is charred. Transfer it to a plastic bag and seal, letting the capsicum steam inside. After 10 mins, remove the capsicum and discard the skin, then process the flesh with a crushed garlic clove, tablespoon of olive oil, a teaspoon of chilli powder, ½ cup cream cheese, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Serve with toasted bread, grilled halloumi and fresh green beans.
Transform your home with Natural Gas now. Visit www.gonaturalgas.com.au
