Induction cooking master class with Quay’s Peter Gilmore

March 13th, 2012

Cooktops Ovens & Cooking

Last week our CEO John Winning and General Manager Peter Harris were lucky enough to attend an induction and steam cooking master class taught by Peter Gilmore (Executive Chef at Quay Restaurant).

Quay is one of Australia’s best restaurants, winner of ten consecutive Three Chefs Hat awards. Peter Gilmore has been Executive Chef at Quay since 2001, and is also famous for making a guest appearance in the finale of the second series of Masterchef, malevolently challenging the final two contestants to recreate his elaborate guava and custard apple snow egg dessert.

Using an Electrolux induction cooktop, Peter shared with us his insights:

•    Induction cooking keeps the kitchen a lot cooler than gas cooktops
•    Induction provides a more even heat for simmering
•    The boost function on induction cooktops is fantastic for melting butter
•    Induction cooktops are much easier to clean

He also explained the benefits of steam cookers. Steam is a very healthy way to cook because it helps to retain more nutrients in food, and it does not require the addition of cooking fats or oils. However steam cookers are generally underutilised which is a shame because they can create amazing results – especially for fish (as it keeps the fish deliciously moist).

Tuesday night’s menu included:

Mud crab congee, hand shelled mud crab, fresh palm heart, Chinese inspired split rice porridge

Salad of rhubard, endive, beetroot, purple carrot, rosa radish, kohlrabi, goat's curd, pomegranate molasses, violet

Poached wagyu beef, oxtail, morel, black pudding, farro, buckwheat, hazelnut, ezekiel

Organic raspberries, gooseberries, almonds, rose, coconut, vanilla

And the verdict? Utterly delicious!

For more info on induction cooktops, check out our Top Recipes for Induction Cooking, or our basic guide: What is an induction cooktop?

Plus you can watch Peter Gilmore talk about his incredible snow egg dessert here: