The Culinary School Technique That Changed Bobby Flay's Life

Chef Bobby Flay has always been devoted to the culinary arts. As a child, Flay asked his parents for an Easy-Bake Oven one Christmas (via Britannica). By the time he was 17, he was working at Joe Allen, a New York restaurant that is best known for having posters of tremendous Broadway flops decorating the walls, according to the restaurant's website. It was at Joe Allen that his skills were recognized and he was given the opportunity to attend the prestigious French Culinary Institute in New York.

Flay has used many of the skills and methods he learned there to enhance his cooking and help those who watch him learn the ways of professional chefs. Fans have been able to learn Flay's secret to perfect steak and the fishy ingredient Flay swears by to add an unusual bit of flavor to any savory recipe. But, the culinary star told Business Casual that he's most enamored with a technique he "learned at culinary school week three."

There are many paths to success in the world of cooking. Rachael Ray is famously not trained as a cook, for example (via Culinary Schools.org). Bobby Flay, conversely, feels that education is tremendously important for his career.

"I'm glad I went to culinary school because it gave me the basics of French technique, which for the most part is the basics of most of what we cook every single day," Flay said during an interview with Business Casual. The chef explained that culinary school provides someone with the foundation to know how to cook, rather than memorizing recipes. He says that this allows chefs to change jobs more seamlessly.

For those curious about what is involved in French technique, The Spruce Eats offers a breakdown of the different cooking styles it encompasses. These include poaching, grilling, broiling, braising, sautéing, and the flashy flambéing used by those who like a little danger with their food. By learning to do these things properly, Flay says he can go from "French cuisine to Italian cuisine, to Southwestern cuisine, and the underlying foundation is all French technique," which allows him to use the same skills while whipping up any type of meal.