THEY’RE called “trucs,” which is French for “tricks.” These professional culinary tips are the subject of “Chef’s Secrets: Insider Techniques from Today’s Culinary Masters” (Quirk Books, $16.95).

“Telling someone to roll a lemon around on a counter to extract more juice doesn’t really cut it any longer,” notes author Francine Maroukian, “so the chefs in this book were asked to go a step beyond.”

That “step beyond” here leads to tips on filleting an eel, tenderizing octopus with wine corks, spray-painting with chocolate, and peeling a tomato with a blowtorch. And then there’s the more basic advice, like the techniques that follow.

Build a three-zone fire on a charcoal grill

From Steven Raichlen, founder of Barbecue University

STEP 1: Light your charcoal. The “politically correct” way is to use a chimney starter (an upright cylinder). Place the charcoal in the top and a crumpled sheet of newspaper in the bottom and light. The cylindrical shape of the chimney assures that all the coals will light evenly. The “bubba” way is to forgo the chimney and douse the coals with lighter fluid.

STEP 2: Imagine your grill is divided into three equal parts.

STEP 3: Divide the coals. Using a long-handled spatula, rake half the coals into a double layer at one side of the grill; this is your hot zone. Rake the rest of the coals into a single layer in the center; this is your cooking zone. Leave the remaining third of the grill free of coals; this is your cool zone for warming food.

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Make a perfect vinaigrette

From David McMillan, executive chef of Nana Grill in Dallas

STEP 1: Mix the ingredients. Toss ½ cup small tomatoes with 2 sliced shallots, a pinch of coarse salt, a pinch of ground black pepper, several sprigs of fresh herbs, a splash of balsamic or sherry vinegar, and a splash of olive oil.

STEP 2: Spread on a sheet pan and roast in a preheated, 300-degree oven until the tomatoes “melt” and caramelize a bit, 35 to 40 minutes.

STEP 3: Cool in the pan to room temperature. Transfer to a blender or the bowl of a food processor.

STEP 4: Make the dressing. Add a tablespoon of honey and ½ cup of vinegar. Puree, drizzling in about 1 ½ cups of a neutral-tasting oil like grapeseed or canola, until you achieve the thickness you prefer. Transfer to a jar and store in the fridge for up to two weeks.

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Deal with a whole fish

From Gregory Zapantis of Thalassa

STEP 1: Prepare the fish. If you bought your fish from a fishmonger, it’s probably scaled, gutted and cleaned. Lay the fish on its side. Using a small, sharp paring knife, make four incisions of medium depth between the head and the tail, in the filet. Flip the fish and repeat.

STEP 2: Marinate the fish. Combine three parts olive oil to one part lemon juice and add a healthy pinch of coarse salt and coarsely ground black pepper. Rub the entire fish with the marinade and place several springs of thyme and oregano inside the fish.

STEP 3: Cook the fish. Once the fish is well-bathed in the marinade (about four hours), place it in an oven-proof vessel with the remainder of the liquid. Roast at 425 degrees uncovered for 15 minutes per pound.

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Roast a chicken perfectly

From Jimmy Bradley of the Red Cat, the Harrison, the Mermaid Inn and Pace

STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 350 F.

STEP 2: Start with a half boned chicken. It’s easier to eat, and leaving the skin intact helps keep the bird in one piece.

STEP 3:Wrap a clean brick or rock in foil.

STEP 4: Use the wrapped brick to help sear the chicken. Heat a film of olive oil in an oven-proof skillet or shallow roasting pan. A roasting pan is better when you’re making multiple dinners simultaneously because it has a larger cooking surface. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and press it skinside down in the hot pan, using the brick as a weight. Sear until the skin crisps and browns slightly, about four minutes.

The brick ensures that the chicken will be evenly cooked and evenly crisp.

STEP 5: Finish by roasting the chicken in the oven. Remove the brick and transfer the pan to a preheated 350-degree oven. Your chicken will be perfectly roasted in about 10 minutes.

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Boost the flavor of pasta

From Scott Conant of L’Impero and Bar Tonno

STEP 1: Only partially cook dry pasta. In a pot of abundantly salted water, cook dry pasta for only half or three-quarters of the recommended time. The timing depends on the brand, shape, and size – I recommend reading the

package instructions. Tasting pasta is the best indicator of doneness, and in this case, it should be too hard to eat, but soft enough that you can taste the dough.

STEP 2: Add the semi-cooked pasta to a pan of sauce. Using a slotted spoon (for shaped pasta) or tongs (for spaghetti), remove the partially cooked pasta from the water, reserving the water for later use. Add the pasta to the pan of sauce. For example, when I cook spaghetti with clams, I sauté the clams in olive oil, garlic and white wine, and as they open and release their liquid, I transfer the semicooked pasta straight from the pot of boiling water into

the pan with the clams.

STEP 3: Adjust the thickness of the sauce by adding the reserved water. Finish cooking the pasta in the cuisson

(cooking liquid). Add the reserved water to adjust the thickness of the sauce. Reduce by simmering and season as necessary, bearing in mind that the pasta water you are adding to the pan is heavily salted. If you reduce it too much, the dish can get too salty.

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Select a chef’s knife

From Norman Kornbleuth of Broadway Panhandler

* Pick a knife that reflects the amount you want to pay. You can go up or down in cost from there.

* Check the knife for comfort. Pay attention to the shape of the bolster (where the handle meets the blade). Contoured bolsters are usually more comfortable than squarish ones.

* Check the knife’s balance. Grab the knife in a claw-like grip with your fingers sharing both the blade and the handle. This is the balance point – holding it here will give you the most control.

* Note the length of the blade. The length affects the way the knife rocks in your hand. Smaller, thinner blades are more manageable, but the longer your blade, the more you can chop.

* Check out the heft. Test whether the knife too heavy or too light in your hand.

* Observe the knife as a whole; the cutting edge is not always what sets the price. Note the finish and workmanship by looking down at the tang (the extension of the metal through the handle) and check it for smoothness. Also make sure there are no cracks where debris can collect near the rivets.