From the Publisher

100 TECHNIQUES

The absolute best way to do almost anything in the kitchen.

Mastering a Lifetime of Cooking Skills, from Basic to Bucket List

A Lifetime of Culinary Discovery

Divided into three sections, the wide ranging techniques are paired with more than 200 creative recipes putting them into real-world, home-kitchen practice.

Essentials Every Home Cook Should Know
Techniques You Didn't Know You Couldn't Live Without
The Bucket List

Quick Pickled Carrots

Your Ultimate Kitchen Toolkit

In this cookbook, the test cooks of America's Test Kitchen shine their spotlight on the smartest strategies for kitchen success. These 100 innovative techniques will transform your cooking life, teaching you the whys of cooking as well as the hows. From creative everyday solutions to dreamed-about kitchen projects, 100 Techniques is the ultimate kitchen tool kit for cooks of all skill levels.

Every recipe includes an engaging introductory essay and gorgeous styled step-by-step photos, followed by recipes and photos of finished dishes.
First book on technique from ATK and one of the only cookbooks that focuses on modern, practical, techniques that home cooks can use every single day.
Illustrates ATK's distinctive multifaceted approach (learn one technique, make many dishes)

Essentials Every Home Cook Should Know

This chapter covers all the essential core techniques.

Learn how to...

Build a two-level grill fire and know how and when to use it
Sauté perfectly tender vegetables by adding water
Sear any steak perfectly on the stovetop
Bake satisfyingly chewy cookies and bars by melting butter

Pork

Techniques You Didn't Know You Needed

Get insight into techniques our test cooks developed from unexpected discoveries.

Learn how to...

Make foolproof hollandaise, béarnaise, and mayonnaise using a blender
Make "nose-to-tail" vegetable soups using scraps
Boil and grill lobster without angst
Make supremely creamy ice cream without an ice cream maker

Pasta

The Bucket List

Gain the know-how to make dreamed-about projects come true.

Learn how to...

Smoke genuine Texas-style barbecue in a kettle grill
Turn your oven into a commercial pizza oven
Make fresh pasta without a machine
Flambé without fear

Sear Scallops for Tender, Golden Results

How often have you enjoyed a fabulous seared scallop dish in a restaurant -- one that boasts scallops with caramelized, golden crusts and tender, barely translucent centers--and wondered how to replicate it at home?

For golden-brown and juicy scallops that rival those made on the most powerful restaurant range, we seared them in a smoking-hot skillet, then finished them with a butter baste. Purchase large sea scallops rather than smaller bay scallops, which are far too easy to overcook. We recommend buying "dry" scallops, which don't have STP (a solution of water and sodium tripolyphosphate that chemically treats the scallops to have a longer shelf life and more retained moisture) added.

Step 1

Remove crescent-shaped tendon from each scallop.

Step 2

Place scallops on rimmed baking sheet lined with clean dish towel. Place second towel on top and press gently to blot liquid. Let sit for 10 minutes.

Step 3

Cook scallops, in batches if necessary, in single layer without moving them in preheated non-stick skillet until well browned.

Step 4

Add butter and flip scallops; cook, tilting pan and basting with butter, until centers are opaque, removing them as they finish cooking. Tent with aluminum foil on serving plate while finishing with remaining scallops.