I covered mirepoix and its uses in lesson one and I’m sure that everyone spent that last two weeks making stocks, sauces and soups! So, what’s next?
For the next lesson I wanted to cover glazes. What is a glaze? It is a thin glossy coating for both hot and cold foods. The glaze creates a smooth and shiny layer of flavor as it coats the food. Glazes can be either sweet, think melted apricot jam for a tart, or savory, think about a glazed ham. I will be covering savory glazes today.
How do you use a glaze? Many people think of glazes at the finish of the dish, but you can glaze at the beginning before you put the dish into the oven. Glazes can also be applied multiple times during the cooking process. Finally, glazes can be applied and then bruleed (put under the broiler or torched).
A savory glaze should be composed to create a balance of flavors. What does that mean? Well, if you put an acid like vinegar in your glaze, you want to balance that with something sweet, like an orange juice or some sugar. The play between an acid and a sweet makes a gasrtrique, a French cooking term that refers to a syrupy reduction of sugar and vinegar. But, here it is, the properties of a gastrique, sweet and acid, which can be applied to many dishes and in many ways, including glazes. Remember, we are learning techniques here that you can then utilize in many dishes. Also, in a savory glaze I like a fat component. It can be butter, oil or a combination of both. Additionally, you want an herb or spice component in the glaze.
Again, this can be anything you like, but when creating the glaze, remember what dish you will be using it on… For example, if you are going to make glazed chicken, think about the flavors that complement chicken: lemon, rosemary, butter, garlic, thyme, white wine, etc. We glaze food to enhance and bump up the flavor of the dish. So you don’t want a glaze that “fights” the flavor of the dish, nor do you want a glaze that the dish overwhelms.
There are many components you can use when creating a glaze. My favorite ingredients to use in glazes are: wine, butter, olive oil, vinegar, citrus (juice & zest), herbs, spices, spirits and fruit juices. Again, once you get this technique down, use your favorite flavors to create an original glaze!
The technique to create a glaze is fairly simple. You will heat all components (except for fresh herbs) of the glaze in a sauce pan over medium heat. Heat for at least five minutes, but remember that after five minutes, you can turn down the heat to low and let it sit for an hour. The longer the components sit over heat, the stronger the infused flavors will be in the glaze. If you are adding fresh herbs, add them at the very end so they don’t become bitter.
Are you ready to make a glaze? Here is one of my favorites. You can use this glaze on fish, pork, chicken and vegetables. In a sauce pan combine one stick of unsalted butter, the juice of one orange, 2 tablespoons sweet chili, two whole cloves garlic peeled & a splash of white wine. Heat over a medium flame until butter is melted and all ingredients are combined, about eight minutes. Remove garlic cloves and add to sprigs of rosemary. Turn down heat to low and let rosemary steep in glaze for at least three minutes. That’s it! Get a pastry brush and glaze away. Or, if you are feeling particularly adventurous, use the rosemary sprig as your brush.
Now you have the technique you can make glazes for anything! Just remember to keep your flavors balanced and to choose ingredients that complement the foods you are going to glaze. As with any technique or recipe, the most important component is the cook’s heart. The heart is what creates delicious.
Chef Ivan Flowers brings 25 years of fine cuisine experience to Top of The Market, San Diego. Prior to becoming Executive Chef at Top of The Market, Chef Flowers owned Fournos restaurant in Sedona, Arizona, named a top 25 restaurant in Arizona. He was also Executive Chef at L’Auberge de Sedona, the AAA Four-Diamond, Four Star award winning restaurant. Flowers has created extraordinary cuisine for some of the finest restaurants in Arizona, including T. Cooks at Scottsdale's Royal Palms Resort and the Phoenician's Mary Elaine's and Different Pointe of View.