Top 5 Cooking Techniques of 2011

The National Restaurant Association’s annual “What’s Hot” survey of American Culinary Federation member chefs is one of the industry's leading culinary forecasts. More than 1,500 professional chefs shared their opinions on whether 226 culinary items will be a "hot trend," "yesterday's news" or a "perennial favorite" on restaurant menus in 2011.

These five cooking techniques topped the “Preparation Methods” category.  

                              Hot Trend    Yesterday’s News    Perennial Favorite
1. Sous vide               55%                32%                         12%
2. Braising                  53%                10%                         38%
3. Liquid nitrogen       49%                 46%                         6%
    chilling/freezing
4. Pickling                   47%                25%                         28%
5. Smoking                 46%                12%                         42%

The numbers indicate the percentage of chefs who chose each technique as a Hot Trend, Yesterday’s News and a Perennial Favorite.

Source: National Restaurant Association’s 2011 What’s Hot Survey; January, 2011