You really need to stop these bad kitchen habits
Do you browse cookbooks all day and buy the best ingredients, but still always burn your fish and can’t get your mushrooms nicely browned? Then it’s time to stop these kitchen habits.
Quit these kitchen habits
Cooking seems so simple, yet a lot can go wrong with the basics. Those essential steps that many people forget. That won’t happen to you anymore after this.
You don’t read the recipe
You’re too impatient, you’re in a hurry, you’ve made cake/meatballs/turkey so many times before. Still, read the recipe carefully at least once beforehand, and keep checking throughout to make sure everything is going well. This prevents you from realizing halfway through the recipe that the meat actually needed to marinate for 24 hours, or that you forgot the cumin when the meat is already in the oven.
You don’t let the pan get hot enough
Are you going to fry something? Always let the pan get properly hot first. Yes, it takes a while, especially if you’re using a pan with a thick base, but don’t skip this step. Meat, potatoes, rice—put them in a cold pan and the end result will be soggy. Your ingredients will absorb the fat instead of becoming crispy. So turn the heat up high and let the pan sit for a full minute before you actually start cooking.
You don’t let your meat rest
You’ve cooked a beautiful piece of meat, you’re hungry, I get it. Ideally, you want to cut into it as quickly as possible. But if you do, you’ll end up with a puddle of meat juices on your plate, and of course you want those juices in the meat. Always let meat rest for a while for the most tender, juicy result. Let a steak or chicken breast rest for about 5–10 minutes; a large roast or whole chicken can use 10–20 minutes. Cover the meat with aluminum foil while it rests.
You don’t dry your ingredients
How do you get meat, fish, potatoes or vegetables really crispy? Make sure they’re as dry as possible before they go into the pan. Moisture creates steam, which makes your ingredients soggy instead of crispy. What a waste.
You don’t taste as you go
Does your dish need more salt? Acid? A spoonful of sugar? Only one way to find out. Taste, taste, taste. Does your dish have multiple components? Taste them together too, to see whether they work well in one bite or whether something is still missing. Do this several times while cooking, so you can still make adjustments before the food ends up on the plate.
You’re impatient
Fish falls apart when you turn it over, meat is burnt on the outside but still raw inside, cookies are too pale. All signs that you’re an impatient person. Time equals flavor, and making food sometimes takes a while. Follow the recipe carefully and try not to take any short cuts; your food will always taste better. Also, don’t keep stirring the pan when something needs to brown or become crispy: it needs contact with the pan, and that sometimes takes a little while too.
You put too many ingredients in the pan
Speaking of browning, that also completely fails if you put too many ingredients in the pan. Whether you’re browning stewing beef for your rendang or mushrooms for toast, make sure everything fits in a single layer in the pan with some space between the pieces. Too much? Work in several batches until everything is beautifully browned.
Also read:
- No more crying when cutting onions
- Your fish will never stick again and will always be crispy
- Dry chicken? Never again with this tip
