Luckily enough for me I got that opportunity.
Rory O'Connell is a well published professional chef with experience working with the greats such as Raymond Blanc and Alice Waters from Chez Panisse in California.
His latest book 'Master It' is the kind of cook book I like. Not only does he write with great passion, but he takes the time to go into detail about the ingredients he uses and explains the theory behind the preparation or cooking processes for the recipe.
He writes with the hand of a professional chef, but also that of a teacher.
I told him about my idea for this post and he was very generous with his time and talked enthusiastically about what he believed can help every home cook.
Firstly, use the best ingredients you can. While this may seem obvious it is something which many people overlook. Think about it, shortcrust pastry is made of two key ingredients; flour and butter, if you don't use the best quality flour and butter you can get hold of then it won't taste as good as you deserve for the effort you are putting in to make it. When using vegetables make sure that they are fresh, learn what is in season, it makes a difference. Buy your meat from a local butcher and ask about which farm it has come from. Fish has to be fresh, from a day boat if possible if you live close to the sea.
Secondly, research your ingredients and how to use them. Great chefs become great because they understand their ingredients. Most recipes assume far too much knowledge which can create problems for the aspiring cook. For example, there are many different types of flour which have different properties; plain, self raising, strong or Type 00 which are used for different purposes; shortcrust pastry, sponge, bread and pasta, respectively. They are used for different things because they have different properties. Pasta flour, Type 00, has lots of gluten in it, which when worked or stretched, gives pasta that glorious elasticity and bite. Shortcrust pastry should be light and crumbly and as such the opposite of pasta; therefore, we use a low gluten plain flour and do not 'work it' at all. This illustrates two really important points; know the properties of your ingredients and what process to employ with them.
Next, be ready to experiment and don't be worried if you make mistakes. Professional chefs make the same recipe hundreds of times. Reading Michel Roux's description of his early years training as a pastry chef, he spent years at the same work station learning how to make the same pastry. I'm not saying that as amateurs we need to put in those kind of hours, but we have to be ready to accept that it won't always happen the first time. Be ready to do it again and again until it is right. Some aspects of cooking are difficult and they take practice. That is why they are worth learning.
Finally, know what you are aiming for. Develop an understanding of the texture and taste of what you are creating. My early attempts at making bread were flawed because it took time to understand what the dough should look and feel like at the initial stage. It needs more moisture than you think and then needs to be kneaded in. Working alone in your home from recipes and internet tutorials is difficult. Do not be put off by failures. If you don't have a teacher it can be fantastically frustrating when things go wrong. Keep trying, keep talking to other cooks and above all do it until you get it right.
Rory and I went on to talk about the future of food and its importance in general for the good of society.
I left feeling inspired and excited about my future efforts in the kitchen.
Thank you Rory.
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