ChefSteps

Food Series / 4 Seasons

ChefSteps is here to make you a better cook. Drawing on our years of combined culinary experience, we create hands-on online classes and original recipes that are both informative and entertaining. We don't tell you how to sharpen your knife or make macarons from scratch, we show you. Whether you're a home cook, a professional chef, or just love watching cooks work, we can help you cook smarter.

Watch: S2014 E48

3m 2s

Dry Cure Fish for Better Texture

S2015 E23 / 1m 22s

Ever wondered why sushi fish is always so delightfully firm, vibrant, and flavorful? Grab some sugar, salt, and a filet of your favorite fish, and we'll show you. (PSST: The best part? It's not just for sushi. This technique works with any fish, for any preparation—grilling, baking, sous vide, or straight-up sashimi.)

Deep Fried Glassy Nuts

S2015 E22 / 1m 30s

Subtly sweet, with an incredible glass-like coating, these crack-nuts come thanks to a two-step technique that creates remarkably consistent snacks—no weird globs of sugar, no burnt bits, no overly chewy centers. One taste, and there's no going back.

Light & Fluffy Pancakes

S2015 E21 / 2m 5s

These pancakes are soft and pillowy, with a mouth-watering malty flavor. And good news, pancake-lovers: Making best-ever breakfast cakes is super simple—with a little chef know-how, you'll be on your way to flapjack heaven in no time flat. Enter our badass development chef Nick Gavin, who's got tons of tips and tricks for pancakes with a nice, even tan, a rich, malty flavor, and a fluffy texture.

Crispy Yeasted Waffles

S2015 E20 / 2m 16s

Who can resist the yeasted waffle's crispy-outside, pillowy-inside, tan-and-toasty sex appeal? The way it cradles your butter and syrup in its sweet little squares? The way it refuses to fill you up, with its light and airy interior? The yeasted waffle has earned its special place in our hearts, and it's not going anywhere soon.

Slider Buns

S2015 E19 / 3m 21s

Ironically enough, this kind of bread—normally found in your favorite fast-food sandwiches—is far more technically challenging than an artisanal, rustic bun, and you probably haven't ever seen a recipe for one in a baking book. So let's break it down: What is it about the squishy slider bun that makes it so delicious? And how can you recreate it? We'll show you.

30-Minute Mole

S2015 E18 / 1m 21s

Mole—a notoriously time-consuming sauce—can in fact refer to any number of sauces in Mexican cuisine, and recipes vary from household to household. We love using pressure cookers to develop deep flavors quickly, so we figured why not come up with our own variation, and try it to cut down on the total time it takes to make this amazing sauce?

The Science of Microwaves

S2015 E16 / 1m 49s

That rectangular contraption gathering dust on your countertop? It's your one-way ticket to bright, flavorful vegetables, warm salads, quick-and-delicious soups, three-step vegetable confit, crispy dehydrated meat, and so much more. What are you waiting for? Take the old girl for a spin.

Corned Beef

S2015 E15 / 1m 8s

Brine a brisket in a mixture of spices, salt, sugar, and water, then bathe it in flavor for 7-10 days. Dry it off, give it a quick rub, and then it's straight into a water bath where it evolves into a deeply flavored treat that you can take tailgaiting, pile onto a plate with some cabbage, or mix into a hash for weekend breakfast. Try it once, and you'll never go back to the supermarket stuff.

Swap Cream with Onion Purée for Better, Brighter Flavor

S2015 E14 / 58s

Maybe you come seeking dairy-free recipes, or want to make vegan risotto. Maybe you live a crazy-healthy lifestyle, or just go crazy for onions. Or maybe, just maybe, you simply love the idea of serving soups, pastas, and sauces that taste fresher than tradition dictates. Enter this remarkable—and remarkably easy—technique, ideal for people with lactose intolerance but everyone else, too.

How to Mince a Shallot

S2015 E13 / 45s

How many shallots have you minced in your life? Hundreds? Thousands? Have you ever thought to yourself, gee, this is super-duper fun? If yes, you're probably a chef (and a happy one at that). If no, you're missing out. We'll show you how to conquer this kitchen task in less than 45 seconds, so you can move on to bigger things. Like onions.

Homemade Honey Glazed Ham

S2015 E12 / 2m 52s

To make this jaw-dropping, flavor-loaded centerpiece dish, we brine a pork shank for three days, then cook it, glaze it, roast it, and serve. Golden-brown and gorgeous, this homemade ham will secure your place in the meat master hall of fame.

Crab Benedict

S2015 E11 / 1m 1s

Any cook who prepares Eggs Benedict from scratch will tell you that it's no easy task. Because we like a challenge, we set out to create the perfect Benedict recipe—and because we're from the Pacific Northwest, we added Dungeness crabmeat instead of ham. Yum.

Green Eggs and Ham

S2015 E9 / 2m 55s

Threads of ham are double-crisped in the microwave and the fryer, acting as a salty, crunchy foil to the custardy duck egg below. A green pea puree brings brightness and whimsy to a dish that's delightfully simple to prepare.

Black Pepper Soufflé

S2015 E7 / 51s

Moist and fluffy, sweet yet savory, and altogether unlike anything you’ve baked before, this pepper-flecked soufflé is one slam-dunk date-night dessert. Just pop by the grocery store for a few easy-to-find ingredients and head over to your loved one’s place.

Better Control, Better Coffee

S2015 E6 / 2m 20s

Extraction. It's the concept at the heart of any truly wonderful cup of coffee. And yet, only in the past few years have coffee professionals started to explore extraction in a widespread and meaningful way. James Hoffmann—a champion barista, award-winning roaster, and well-respected author—is one of the the world's foremost ambassadors of extraction.

Decoding Tough & Tender Cuts

S2015 E4 / 1m 1s

Ever stood at the butcher counter, bamboozled by the smorgasbord of meat with confusing names like short rib, short loin, sirloin, shank, and flank? We have too. The good news is that there's a method to the madness. Watch our one-minute video on meat cuts, then march on over to the butcher and order some, with confidence.

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