Unlock 69 Surprisingly Simple Kitchen Hacks That Will Transform Your Cooking Forever
Take mac and cheese for example. If you want to make your own cheese sauce you start with a basic roux. Equal parts some type of oil(usually butter) and flour. You whisk that together over medium heat ‘until the raw flour smell goes away’. This usually means for a few minutes. Now you turn that roux in to a bechamel. To do this you slowly pour in milk. If you pour it all at once it will break and be completely ruined. You start with a bit. It’s going to turn in to this weird gloopy dough looking thing, that’s what it’s supposed to do, keep stirring. After mixing that together you pour in some more milk. As you pour it’s going to thin out, just keep adding a bit at a time until you’re poured it all in. Once it’s to desired consistency, which is unfortunately something you only learn by making it over and over again, you can then add your cheese to it. Congratulations, you’ve now learned some incredibly useful fundamentals that cover a variety of dishes. The next time you see a recipe with ‘roux’ or ‘bechamel’ in it, you’ll immediately know how to do that.
If you’re baking chicken breasts, stab them with a fork on both sides about 20 times per side.
It cuts the muscle fibres, reduces the amount of shrinkage during baking which means they retain more juiciness.
When I take cookies out of the oven, I use a small water glass or half pint jelly jar and while they’re still hot, use that to make them round. Sometimes you end up cutting off a little bit of the edges and sometimes just shaking it a little bit or sliding back and forth causes the cookie to settle into that shape. A dozen cookies all perfectly formed yet homemade–people will think your next level.
Soft scrambled eggs, whip in butter while mixing eggs, Don’t stop moving them in the pan, on and off the heat until you get the softest consistency. Blows minds, happens quick and will make knees weak.
Flambe
Everyone oohs and aahs and if your doing it correctly not only do you get the added flavor but you don’t burn down your house!
Cherries Jubilee anyone?
I’ve made tomato sauce a million times, but pureeing it smooth makes it feel so much more luxurious and restaurant-y. It only takes like 2 minutes with an immersion blender, but it makes the texture smooth and creamy and it sticks to the pasta way better too. Small thing that makes a huge difference.
I’m vegan now, but I used to work at an artisan ramen shop and it’s definitely chicken bone broth (tori paitan)
You basically boil the f**k out of the chicken bones no one thinks to use (feet) and it makes the most lip smacky delicious broth. Then you can use it as an ingredient in everything. From cooking your rice to adding to currys it goes so far. People will beg for your secret ingredient.
Pan sauces. I spent two years as a saucier and can make a finishing sauce out of nearly anything. Drizzled on top of meats or vegetables really sells the dish.
Lattice crust on a pie.
Show up with a lattice top crust, and people assume you’re a heckin’ wizard. It takes less the 10min and very little thought.
If you like meatloaf, add in a teaspoon or so of baking soda to the mix. This will help keep the moisture in the meat.
The marinade recipe on the back of Montreal Steak Seasoning is easy and actually legit delicious. 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tsp MSS. I use it on flank steak and everyone always raves about how good it is.
Use just enough seasoning to where people can taste it your but not know it’s there unless you tell them it’s there. Learn to use these the following ingredients well and make sure you always have some on hand.
* Butter: It’s the tastiest oil, but don’t cook too high of a temperature with it.
* Limes: You’d be amazed how well sour pairs with salty. It also infuses a little bit of freshness into a dish. Cuts greasiness taste.
* Vinegar: Same as limes but it’s stronger and cleaner.
* 3 Crab fish sauce: Infuses umami. You’d be amazed how good you can make dishes if you learn how to use this right. If you’re dish tastes like it’s a little hollow and could use salt, go for this!
Blanching green vegetables until their bright green cooks them and keeps them crisp. Season after.
Brown your butter when baking!! Browning butter boils off all the water that’s in the butter and then the milk fats toast to a nice golden brown. Adds a super butterscotchy flavor to the background of your dessert. Absolute game changer when I started making chocolate chip cookies with brown butter 😋😋.
I used to make cheese souffles. They’re supposed to be difficult, but they’ve turned out every time for me. I use a recipe from a 1973-75 version of Joy of Cooking.
Add a little dry sherry or white wine into your creamy casserole sauce. Also throw extra cheese on top. People will wonder how you “kicked up” your casserole from bland.
Omelette. Possibly the simplest thing you could ever make, but with a little practice, they look as perfect as the graphics you find on Google.
And they’re always delicious. So flexible.
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