The precision of the pinch

I had been throwing flour since I was a child. Holding a fistful of all-purpose flour, I threw the stuff down with the imagination that I was wizard casting a spell. By my side, my mother would roll out dough on the spattered surface I had just created. I laid the foundation for her quiches and tarts she made on most weekends when we had off from school. But little did I know that just shy of ten years later, when I enrolled in culinary school, I would learn how to throw flour. Whether it’s on marble, granite, or a metal surface, there lies a technique to throwing flour that most master chefs use till this day.

Creating a large pinch, combine all five fingertips and pick up the flour. Bring your arm back in an awkward 90-degree angle so that your elbow comes into your chest and your hand moves away from your side. Then, fling the flour down on an angle so that it runs across the table. The whole idea is to not create lumps of flour on the table. If you look like your casting a spell then your probably doing it right. At the time I laughed when the chef told us he was going to teach us how to throw flour. But in the culinary arts there is always a reason for everything we do. Looked like I was on the right track to becoming a wizard ten years ago.