10 Cooking Tips that May Stone The Coming Year

<br> <br>This small adjustment can prevent accidents and make your prep work more efficient. So, invest in a good grip liner, and you’ll notice a significant improvement in your cutting and chopping tasks. Having a designated bowl for scraps saves time and keeps your workspace tidy. Instead of constantly running to the trash, you can quickly discard peels, packaging, and trimmings. If your dish is too salty, add a splash of citrus or vinegar to balance it. Rinsing pasta removes the starchy coating, which might intuitively seem like a good thing, but we can assure you it's not. Without this coating, sauces are less likely to cling to your pasta, meaning the flavours won't integrate as well. Sometimes, when you over-salt a dish, it feels like all hope is lost, especially if it's not a recipe that can afford much additional liquid. Cutting herbs on a board can be messy, so instead, chop them with your kitchen scissors. When you’re done, you can order printed versions for the whole family. If you're from a colder climate, this sadly means investing in brilliant imported tomatoes and fresh veg, or using high-quality canned varieties from Italy. This might be a controversial one, as it's widely believed by some people that adding oil to pasta water will help separate the pasta and lubricate the water. But quite simply, save your oil as it won't have any impact. Store them in a butter dish in the fridge, or alternatively, pop them into a ziplock bag in the freezer where they'll last for up to 12 months. Herb stems are often discarded as many recipes instruct you to pluck off the leaves, but we'd urge you to rethink binning them. Double the quantities and freeze the extra one for later use. This won't add much extra time or effort, but you'll appreciate it when the next birthday rolls around. Starchy and rotten veggies won't work for this, nor will things like broccoli, kale, cabbage, or other vegetables in the Brassica family. If you're making a freezer-friendly meal, freeze individual components and portions separately. Meals Give the bowl a half turn, then repeat the motion, making sure to occasionally also scrape the bottom of the bowl too, in order to fold everything evenly. Stop the moment everything seems combined and no streaks of ingredients remain. The skin on these smaller stalks can be more challenging to remove due to their size, but the effort is worthwhile for the improved texture and taste. They’re the little secrets that make a big difference, the subtle nuances that turn a good dish into a great one, and make cooking extraordinarily fun, as it should be. Chef Alton Brown advises deglazing to create rich sauces and gravies. Using seasonal ingredients not only ensures freshness but also supports sustainable cooking. Chef Alice Waters advocates for cooking with ingredients that are in season to maximize flavor. Explore various cooking techniques like roasting, grilling, sautéing, and braising to diversify your culinary repertoire. Clean as you go. Sometimes water is necessary, especially in dishes where the purity and simplicity of the ingredients should shine through, such as in certain soups or when poaching fish. The key is to use water judiciously and consider whether another liquid might better enhance the flavor of your dish. Keeping a garbage bowl on your countertop while you cook is a simple yet effective way to keep your workspace clean and organized. Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6) and note the weight of the chicken - a 1.5kg bird takes about 1hr 20-30min to roast - smaller and bigger birds will need less/more respectively. Make a veg trivet using onions and carrots (this will make great gravy later) in a roasting tin that’s just big enough to hold the chicken and put the chicken on top. Roast for the calculated time until golden brown and completely cooked though. Put the sandwich in a frying pan set over a medium-high heat. Cook for 4-5min per side, moving the sandwich occasionally so it doesn’t stick, until the cheese inside is melted and the bread is golden. Learning to make a fresh tomato sauce is an essential kitchen skill. Whether you eat it with pasta, pizza or as the base of a ragu, a great tomato sauce recipe is always worth adding to your repertoire. Getting it spot on is down to allowing the tomatoes to cook slowly with aromatic flavours. Potatoes in the oven won’t be as crisp on the outside, meat won’t brown as well, etc. Give your food ample room in the pan, especially when browning or baking things that need to be crisp (like french fries in the oven or breaded chicken). Bring the flavours of Greece to your table with our guide to traditional Greek dishes. Take a dive into the Mediterranean and discover our Greek recipes and authentic dishes made easy with our top-quality ingredients and ready-to-eat products. Sautéing involves cooking food quickly in minimal oil over medium-high heat. It’s all about that quick toss to keep the food moving and evenly cooked. <br>