You Might Not Know This Piece of Kitchen Equipment, But You Could Sure Use It
The fine-mesh strainer called a tamis is a genius multitasker
Of ringed frame and steel mesh I sing . . . about the tamis, my versatile kitchen assistant. It strains, steams, separates, sifts, aerates and grates! Smart home cooks in America have embraced the silicone mat and scales that tare to zero, yet this simple piece of chef equipment is rarely at hand.
The tamis (TAM-ee) deserves high praise, but highfalutin it is not. Billed as a “strainer ring” or a “sift ’n sieve,” it is available in the housewares department at Asian supermarkets and online for as little as $10 plus change. Home cooks in India have long relied upon the similar chalni for sifting chickpea and rice flours; Washington, D.C., chef-restaurateur K.N. Vinod uses his while making masala chai, and lines it with muslin to strain yogurt for desserts.
Smart home cooks in America have embraced the silicone mat and scales that tare to zero, yet this simple piece of chef equipment is rarely at hand.
Food writer Amy Scattergood describes the genius of its inverted snare-drum design when using a flexible scraper to push solids through…
