You're Kidding, Right?: A Gas Siphon Hose
Known in some parts as an Oklahoma credit card
The Chef: Mark M. DeNittis, Chef Instructor at Johnson & Wales University in Denver. He’s also the author of the sadly out-of-print My Jeep Grille Adventures: Camp Kitchen & Cookbook. He also runs Mondo Vecchio, which produces a line of artisanal crafted salumi products.
The You’re Kidding, Right? Tool: A gas siphon hose.
What He Does With It: Chef DeNittis has used it to strain consommé when he did not have a petite marmite — a small, covered earthenware pot with a spout — at hand.
How He Stumbled Upon It: Back in 1993, DeNittis was working at a luxury hotel and private club in South Florida. His mentor’s resume included a three-year stint in France and more than 15 years at New York hotels. One day, they had to make 20 gallons of consommé for an event, and DeNittis asked how to strain it without a petite marmite.
“Chef pulled out a tube and proceeded to make a clean hole in the raft — the accumulation of meat and vegetable matter that floats to the top,” he recalled. “He then placed said tube carefully down to the bottom and started the siphon function into a sieve lined with cheesecloth set into a clear plastic container. The consommé came out crystal clear.
“WOW, I thought. The things they don’t teach in culinary school!”
Interesting Factoid: Says DeNittis: “A siphon hose is a great tool and an awesome way to properly strain a consommé with minimal effort and maximum clarity. Often, industry kitchens may not have all the bell-and-whistle pots and pans, and the siphon is a perfect example of how to handle a situation and not let a situation handle you.”
