The 4 Purees Every Chef Needs to Learn

Want to master the 4 essential vegetable purées every chef should know? This tutorial covers how to make carrot purée, celeriac purée, courgette purée, and cauliflower purée — the foundational elements of fine dining plating. Whether you're a professional chef or a home cook looking to elevate your presentation, these purées will transform your dishes. Learn texture, technique, and flavour pairing — all in one video. Carrot Purée – Sweet, vibrant, perfect for pairing with game and poultry Courgette Purée – Light, fresh, ideal with fish or summer vegetables Cauliflower Purée – Silky, rich, the go-to base for modern plating Celeriac Purée – Earthy, deep, perfect with beef or root vegetables CHAPTERS 00:00 - All About Purees 00:12 - Celeriac Puree 06:44 - Carrot Puree 11:49 - Courgette Puree 16:42 - Cauliflower Puree RECIPES CELERIAC PUREE Ingredients: 1.8kg celeriac, julienned sliced 1.6L whole milk 400g butter 400ml double cream 60g thyme 30g toasted coriander seeds 8g black peppercorns Salt to taste Instructions: Trim rough outer skin of celeriac, julienne using Robot Coupe. Brown the butter in a large pan over high heat. Add celeriac, cook on medium heat for at least 2 hours, stirring often, until soft and moisture has evaporated. Toast coriander and peppercorns, then crush. Heat milk and cream to 80°C, add thyme, spices, and optional smoked water. Infuse for 1 hour, strain and set aside. Check celeriac with sous chef. Add half the infused milk, reheat gently. Blend in Thermomix on speed 8 for 3–5 mins. Gradually add remaining milk to achieve silky, pipeable texture. Season to taste. CARROT PUREE Ingredients: Carrots, sliced ¼-inch thick Water to cover Butter Salt Lemon juice (fresh preferred) Instructions: Combine carrots, water, butter, and salt in saucepan. Boil, then reduce to low and cover. Cook for 20 mins until tender. Transfer carrots to blender with slotted spoon. Add ½ cup cooking liquid and 1 tbsp lemon juice. Blend until smooth, adding more liquid as needed. Season with salt and adjust lemon juice to taste. COURGETTE SKIN AND HERB PUREE Ingredients: 60g extra virgin rapeseed oil 600g courgette skin only 2 x 50g bunches basil 50g chives 10g salt 20g confit garlic Instructions: Trim courgettes, keeping only green skin. Heat oil in pan, add chopped skin, cook on high for 5–10 mins. Strip thick basil stems, chop rest. Add basil, chives, salt, garlic. Sweat 5 more mins. Blend in Thermomix on speed 8 for 3 mins. Add up to 50ml water if needed. Season to taste, check with senior chef. Chill quickly over ice. To serve: mix 1kg puree with 500g ricotta. Reserve some plain puree for vegan use. CAULIFLOWER PUREE Ingredients: 250g butter 10g vegetable oil 4kg cauliflower, thinly sliced 500g cream 50g cabernet sauvignon vinegar 500g grated parmesan Milk to blend Instructions: Heat butter and oil in a large pan over high heat. Add cauliflower, cover with cartouche. Sweat for 20 mins. Remove cartouche and continue cooking until deeply golden and very soft. Add cream, parmesan, and vinegar. Simmer, then remove from heat. Divide between Thermomix jugs and blend on speed 8 for 5 mins. Add milk as needed to achieve silky, spoonable texture (should hold a clam). Season to taste.