Zester like a pro


Zester like a pro
Have you heard of the microplane? It's an extraordinary tool that allows you to grate very, very finely, and therefore zest with disconcerting ease.

Here's some information about it.
5,380 4.9/5 (15 reviews)
Grade this page:
Keywords for this post:ZestToolGraterPeelCitrusFine
Last modified on: December 25th 2020
For this post: Comment Follow Send to a friend
Zester like a pro
I'm not telling you anything new, but a lot of recipes use the zest of a fruit, citrus fruits in particular, and removing it is not as easy as you might think.
In fact, you may have already seen this tool here:

zesteur



It's a zester or a zester knife, which has the advantage of making nice long zests, but which are almost totally exuded, i.e. a little crushed, squeezed, and so the essence of the fruit you're trying to get is more on your fingers or the zester than in the recipe, too bad.

It's more a tool of the past, now there's something much better, and that's the zester grater, it looks like a big file, and as the main brand, the one that launched the tool is Microplane, all the professionals now say one or the microplane.

microplane


It doesn't sound like a revolutionary tool, and yet it is. It looks like a large file, as I said, and it's more or less the same principle: tiny teeth in highly resistant stainless steel, and it allows you to zest any fruit you want with extreme finesse, producing a kind of fine powder that blends easily into any recipe, and contains all the essences and flavors of the fruit worked on.

How do you use it? Well, that's the trick: intuitively, you'd use it just like a file: you hold the fruit in one hand, the microplane in the other, and grate the surface, passing it all around the fruit.

Not a good idea, though, as you're going to get zest everywhere but where it needs to be - I'm exaggerating.

No, in fact it's the other way round: your hand holding the microplane doesn't move, it's the one holding the fruit that moves, from the handle to the tip.

And you do this without going back and forth, just one way and then you rotate the fruit a little on itself to zest a new part, and so on.

usage de la microplane



Well, when you put it like that, it sounds very complicated, and at first it's a bit confusing, this tool that doesn't move while the fruit does, but once you get the hang of it, you'll see. What's more, the amazing quality of the zest harvested is well worth this little change of habit.

The microplane can also be used to grate a whole host of other things, including Parmesan cheese.

Pastry chefs also use it, like a file for that matter, to smooth out their tart, tartelette or cookie bases after baking, for a near-perfect final appearance.


To sum up: to zest a fruit, nothing beats a grater (microplane or other), in which case the tool remains fixed, it's the fruit that moves.


Lasts posts
Travel cakes
Travel cakes
You may have come across the term "travel cakes" ("gateaux de voyage" in french) for certain pastries, so let's take a look at what they're all about.
January 27th 20252,218
The aromatic power of sugar
The aromatic power of sugar
In the kitchen, sugar doesn't just sweeten, it also has an exceptional ability to capture flavors. Combined with aromatic ingredients, such as citrus zest, it acts as a veritable sponge for aromas. By taking the time to let the sugar soak up the flavors, you can transform your desserts, making...
December 25th 20242,5545
The little trap of thick cream
The little trap of thick cream
When you need to add cream to a recipe, you might be wondering: thick (heavy) cream or liquid cream? In most cases, there's no big difference: you can use either. But there is one exception, and that's when the cream needs to be cooked, for a sauce for example, and here the difference between...
December 13th 20243,1195
Sauce and salad: When and how to mix them?
Sauce and salad: When and how to mix them?
When dressing a salad, there's a kind of golden rule: add the dressing very shortly before serving, especially if your salad contains crunchy elements such as croutons or fresh vegetables, which will retain their crunchiness or crispiness. But, as is often the case in the kitchen, there are...
November 29th 20243,2825
No need to boil gelatin
No need to boil gelatin
Gelatin is a magical ingredient for making light, creamy, structured desserts, yet it's often misused in the kitchen. A common mistake in some recipes is the idea that it needs to be boiled for it to work properly, but this is a mistake indeed: gelatin melts at a much lower temperature, around...
November 21th 20243,1835
Other pages you may also like
What is the difference between bakery and patisserie?
What is the difference between bakery and patisserie?
This is a question that you may well have asked yourself and which I will attempt to answer. In France the two trades of "boulangerie" (bakery) and "pâtisserie" (patisserie and confectionery) have always been quite distinct, but where exactly do the boundaries lie? .
February 7th 2017126 K 14.1
Remove bones from fish
Remove bones from fish
Let's talk about fish: It's not a scoop, it's much more pleasant to eat fish from which all the bones have been carefully removed, even if it's a rather painful and time-consuming job, the result is worthy of your efforts. Here are some important points to keep in mind.
October 16th 202110 K5
The art of the charlotte
The art of the charlotte
In cooking, a charlotte is a delicious moulded dessert, with biscuits around the outside that have been soaked in a flavoured syrup, filled with a light cream or mousse. The charlotte is left to set in the fridge before being turned out and served in slices. It is very light and a lovely sweet...
February 27th 201340 K4.3
Circles vs. moulds tins
Circles vs. moulds tins
If you like to bake or make quiches, pies etc. you must surely have one or more pie pans at home, in different diameters and perhaps materials. They are indispensable, without them there is no way to make beautiful pies, and they work very well, but you have another option, instead of moulds,...
October 2nd 202013 K5
How easy is it to chop herbs?
How easy is it to chop herbs?
Whenever you have fresh herbs - parsley, chervil, coriander, mint, etc. - to incorporate into a recipe, we tell you to chop them up. In this case, "chopping" means separating the leaves from the stems, keeping only the leaves, and chopping them more or less finely. It's not very complicated,...
September 12th 20239,3915
Post a comment or question
Posted by:
I am not a leaving thing
Follow this page
If you are interested in this page, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the page is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
I am not a leaving thing
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.

Back to top of page