Chef Ben Vaughn’s Kitchen Wisdom | Sauces and Pastries

Chef Ben Vaughn gets many questions from avid foodies and kitchen-loving home cookers who want to know how to fine tune their cooking. On everything from sauces to scones, Chef Ben Vaughn wants readers to know that he has heard their cries and has some answers. Here are several highlights of Chef Ben Vaughn’s cooking tips.

Chef Ben Vaughn asks, “Do you want to get the lumps out of your white sauce?” He suggests that the next time you are making béchamel for lasagna, or any sauce that must be slow cooked, use an egg whisk. Thicken the sauce by whisking it, instructs Chef Ben Vaughn. Then you will be able to increase the temperature under the sauce by a tiny bit to speed up the process. These techniques, reports Chef Ben Vaughn, will lead to a smooth and delicious white sauce.

Barbecues have a lot of overlooked potential, says Chef Ben Vaughn. Fire up your barbecue next time you want to roast meat for a kitchen recipe. Chef Ben Vaughn adds a reminder that it’s important not to underestimate your barbecue. You’ve got a gourmet oven in your yard just sitting idle. Use it!

Chef Ben Vaughn gets a lot of questions about the delicate pastry art of making scones. Many cooks just can’t seem to keep scones from turning out like rocks. Chef Ben Vaughn suggests using a powerful Kitchen Aid mixer to handle the pastry dough. A common problem with scone batter is that it is handled for too long. A heavy-duty mixer will solve this problem. Also, says Chef Ben Vaughn, when you are done handling your scone batter it should be quite moist, not dry and crumbly.

Scones bake best, says Chef Ben Vaughn, in what professionals call a “rising oven.” What this means is that the oven must be turned on for preheating shortly before your batter is ready for baking. The scones should be put in the oven before the oven has reached its preheat temperature. This way the scones begin baking while the temperature in the oven is gradually increasing but never getting too high.

Stay tuned for more cooking tips from Chef Ben Vaughn