Whether you are a newbie in the kitchen, or a well-seasoned cook (no pun intended), there are always ways in which one can improve their cooking practices. It takes years and years of practice to even scratch the surface of the culinary arts.
Cooking is not just for the tastebuds; how well you cook also determines how well all the nutrients and flavours are preserved, and ultimately how well your body absorbs them. It is, thus, incredibly important for one to cook food in the best way possible as it directly translates to your well-being.
Here, we bring to you seven amazing tips and ways in which you can hone your skills as a cook, and see great results.
1. Do Not Blindly Follow Recipes
Though recipes can provide much-required guidance for you to get started, following them blindly is also not ideal. You must focus on the basics carefully. Once you are familiar with the recipe, make certain tweaks here and there to suit your preferences.
Recipes are made by chefs mostly according to their tastes. There is always enough wiggle room in them for you to add and subtract ingredients, and alter seasonings. Find out what is best for you, and do not be afraid of a little experimentation!
2. Mise En Place
The French term Mise en Place translates to putting everything in place. If you are cooking, and especially if you are quite new to the kitchen, you must put all your ingredients in place before you get started with the cooking.
Portion out your spices and herbs, wash, drain and chop your vegetables, measure your oils and other ingredients well before you get started. This will ensure that everything is at hand and that you won’t forget any vital ingredients. It also ensures that unnecessary delays, such as finding something, cutting vegetables, etc are taken care of.
3. Keep Your Knives Sharp
You must own the three most basic knives which chefs universally possess. These are the small paring knife, the all-purpose chef’s knife, and a carving knife. All of these have their roles to play in the kitchen, so compartmentalize them accordingly, and keep them sharp.
The chopping boards must not be made of materials like glass or stone, as these will dull the blades, and even bend them, rendering them useless. The best options are wooden or plastic composite chopping boards.
4. Keep Texture In Mind
It is essential that the dishes you cook consist of a variety of different textures, like crunchy, chewy, creamy, fatty, or soft. This adds to the “cosmetic” requirements of food, and makes it multi-dimensional!
Cook all the ingredients in such a way that they retain some of their natural texture, because after all, who likes to eat a plate of plain mush. Also ensure that while chopping up your veggies, they all are cut evenly, to avoid unnecessary delays in cooking.
5. Do Not Overcrowd The Pan
As discussed before, the texture is a huge part of how well your food turns out. Thus, while making food, do not break the basic rules of cooking.
Whether you are trying to saute, steam, or stir-fry your ingredients, how much food you put in the pan matters a lot. If you overcrowd the pan, it will end up in the temperature of your utensils reducing below ideal. So, make sure that all ingredients fit in one breathable layer and choose the right size pan to cook, depending on the quantity.
6. Keep Your Kitchen Clean
This is not directly related to how your food turns out, but keeping a clean kitchen is of penultimate importance. This will ensure that there is no bacteria buildup in your kitchen, and the food is made safely.
It is also important to note that a clean kitchen also translates to more peace of mind for the cook, as a clutter of dishes or a pile of peels can be quite distracting.
7. Use The Best Ingredients
This is the difference that can make or break any dish. You should ensure that you use the best ingredients you can find so that they retain the taste they are supposed to. For fruits and vegetables, you can go for farm-fresh options over their supermarket counterparts.
When it comes to spices and seasonings, it is really important to go for the most trustworthy brand, which beliefs in providing the best quality, unadulterated products with a refined taste.
This also applies to other culinary-related products like baking essentials, acids like vinegar, and herbs.
Conclusion
As we have mentioned before, practice makes perfect. But at the same time, there are several little changes which you can make to improve your existing technique and see immediate results in the betterment of your culinary skills.
Adopt the above techniques to achieve the best results after cooking. These methods are widely used by the top chefs of the world, and it shows! Try them out today, and see the difference yourselves.
