4 Pre-Made Essentials Chefs Always Keep in Their Home Kitchens
Remember the buzz around Hulu's series The Bear? For those of us who've worked in restaurants, the show hit a little too close to home with its portrayal of the fast-paced, high-pressure chef life. One moment that stood out was Carmy, the lead chef, opting for a simple peanut butter and jelly sandwich after a grueling shift—proof that even professional chefs need comfort food after a long day.
Now, you might be wondering how a chef could settle for something so basic. Shouldn't chefs be whipping up gourmet meals at home too? The reality is, chefs spend long hours on their feet, cooking for others. After spending their days crafting beautiful dishes for diners, they often find themselves too exhausted to cook from scratch when they get home. To save time and energy, many chefs rely on pre-made or frozen ingredients in their own kitchens. While this approach might not fly in their professional kitchens, it's a different story when they're off-duty. We asked chefs to share the things they rely on pre-made in their homes, and here’s what they told us.
1. Stocks and Broths
Chef Maria Lara-Bregatta, the owner and head chef of Vermont's Cafe Mamajuana (a 2022 James Beard Award semifinalist), believes that making stock from scratch is simply "too much work" at home. Instead, she opts for pre-made cartons. Crafting a stock from the ground up takes hours of effort, extensive prep work, and constant monitoring—no wonder the pre-made versions are a go-to choice for many.
2. Sauces and Dressings
No matter how perfectly cooked or seasoned the food is, condiments are always a necessity. I don’t care if the fries are hand-cut and double fried in duck fat—ketchup and/or mayonnaise are essential for dipping (no apologies). Even if chefs prefer to make their own condiments in the restaurant, it's easy to admit that buying pre-made versions is often the best option. Chef Tonii Hicks, who is accustomed to making most condiments from scratch in professional kitchens, prefers to buy them pre-made for home use, particularly mayonnaise and salad dressing.
3. Ice Cream
During her pastry prep days, Hicks often had to prepare ice cream base as part of the weekly kitchen routine. But at home, she’s happy to go with store-bought versions. Making ice cream is another lengthy process, not counting the time it takes to churn it.
4. Pastries and Baked Goods
My grandmother was a traditionalist when it came to baking, always insisting that cakes, cookies, and pies be made entirely from scratch. But as she got older, she softened her stance and started cutting corners in the kitchen. The first casualty? Homemade pie crust—she stopped making it from scratch.
Pastry chef, food writer, and recipe developer Justin Burke also believes you can achieve great results with pre-made baking products. He swears by pre-made puff pastry and prefers to focus his time on perfecting the fillings and garnishes rather than dealing with the hassle of making puff pastry from scratch. Another favorite shortcut of Burke's is boxed muffin mix—after thinning the batter, he turns it into pancake batter. Brilliant, right?
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