Food is probably the most necessary resource next to water. While food can be made easily by anyone, many still aren’t familiar with the basics of cooking. In such cases, even the easiest dishes can seem hard to make. One needs to be familiar with all the equipment used in kitchens, from the saucepan to all the different kinds of knives. Knowing how ingredients behave is also essential.
Know The Recipe
This might seem like a dumb tip at first glance. However, people tend to skim recipes in a hurry to start cooking. This is especially true for hyped-up recipes. Rereading it before cooking should reinforce what one already knows—checking the recipe while cooking also helps reduce mistakes. Reading the full recipe is also recommended as some cookbooks tend to split instructions. For example, the direction to marinate overnight might be mentioned at last.
Prepare
While some prefer to do this and set everything up before actually cooking, many try to skip it. For example, one may think it is easier to chop the vegetables while the meat is browning. But it is recommended that this be done beforehand. This is mainly due to the ease of sticking to the finer points of the recipe and safety concerns. While it might be time-saving to multitask, focusing on multiple things can be stressful. Stress in the kitchen can cause mistakes and accidents. On the other hand, sticking to proper preparation can help one cook any dish easily.
Avoid Overcrowding
Moisture is released during cooking. This can increase if the pan is crowded. This added moisture can cause the steaming of food. Crowding should be avoided in all cases, from the saucepan to the baking tray. This is very undesirable when trying to achieve browning. It also prevents the food from getting crisp. This can ruin dishes like french fries and chicken nuggets. If one is limited by the size of their utensils, cooking in batches is recommended.
Use Quality Ingredients
Any food item is only as good as the ingredients used. The luxury brands are not what is recommended as they make very little difference in most cases. One should not hesitate to throw old ingredients out and buy new ones. Old spices are common in kitchens as most amateur chefs don’t use a lot of spices often. Getting new ones can make quite a difference in the output. Fresh vegetables are also key to good dishes. These are widely available at most farmers markets. Refrain from buying cheap meats and cheese. Try to get organic ingredients as they’re the best in most cases. One can splurge a little and get unique ingredients for occasions. One can move away from generic brands in such cases.
Managing Frozen Meats
Before cooking, the meat should be brought to room temperature. Because the insides of cold meat take longer to warm up, the outside of the flesh becomes overcooked. Wet cooking of meat should also be avoided. Using a paper towel to blot the meat and absorb the moisture will suffice. Browning will be improved as a result of this.
Also Read: Why Should You Rotate Food When Thawing it?
