Become a better cook in 12 easy steps
It may feel childish with these constant lists of what to do in the kitchen, but if you ask good chefs you almost always get the same tips on what amateurs should take from the professional kitchen to raise the level in the home kitchen. Here are the tips, with no mutual ranking:
1. LEARN ONE DISH PROPERLY
Make sure you have a few dishes that you exercise until you know them by heart and that you can successfully make every time.
Beginners make the mistake of constantly trying new things before they have even mastered one dish – instead of practicing a few dishes that they can make flawlessly every time.
2. SHARPEN THE KNIVES
You are not alone if you neglect this point, but if you really want to be serious in the kitchen, then you should let a professional grind your knives about once a year. Sharp knives reduce the risk of accidents and make cooking even more fun.¨
3. EXERCISE YOUR KNIFE SKILLS
There is a joke with precision on the cutting board: Evenly sized and evenly cut pieces are not only nicer on the plate, but they also behave the same and become done just as fast as you prepare them.
4.SQUEEZE OUT THE GARLIC
If you can’t do this trick already, it’s time to learn it now: Cut off the thick end of the garlic clove, place the knife with the wide side over, press with your free hand so that the gap breaks. The shell comes off and you can start chopping it right away.
5. MAKE A “MISE EN PLACE”
Do as the pros, organize a mise en place before you start cooking. That is, produce, measure, scale, chop and organize all the ingredients in bowls at your workplace. During cooking itself you should not have to move from the cooker except when you wash your hands or drain the water from a saucepan.
6. KEEP BELOW
Chaos in the kitchen will sooner or later lead to chaos in the head of the chef. Keep your workplace clean during cooking. Start with a careful mise en place and clean up what you don’t need. Then continue in the same spirit so that you can constantly focus your attention on the next dish instead of the mess in the kitchen.
7. AN INGREDIENT IN THE ROOF
A real chef takes the time to develop layers of flavors. Use your knowledge and techniques to manipulate each ingredient to maximize flavor and texture before adding the next. Roast the spices. Bake the vegetables. Fry the tomato puree. Sweat the onion. Brown the meat. Burn off the alcohol. And so on…
8. Make salt and acid your best friend
Learn to balance the flavors in the food with the help of salt and acid (lemon juice, vinegar, etc.). To get in the mood, try some salt barley on sliced tomato or a few drops of lemon on a carrot bar…
9. DON’T BE AFRAID OF SALT
You do not have to be afraid of the scare propaganda, because the food you cook yourself from scratch with fine ingredients will never be as salty as the one you buy pre-made. No dish should taste “salty”, but the salt will really lift the flavors.
10. DON’T FORGET TEXTURE AND MENTAL FEELS
The mouth is not only equipped to enjoy flavors but also to appreciate textures, textures, and temperatures: Crispy salad against creamy cheese, crispy potatoes against soft bearnaise, cold ice cream against hot chocolate. Learn to experiment not only with tastes but with textures as well.
11. USE A THERMOMETER
It’s awesome if you practice so much that you can stick to it with vegetables, bread, sauces, fish, meats and desserts. But everything that happens in the kitchen is about chemistry and physics and with a second thermometer, you will get the ingredients exactly where you want them.
12. USE CORRECT SALT AND PREPARED PEPPER
Invest in fine sea salt without added iodine. (Feel free to invest in flake salt too – where the point is to add it late so that the diners can enjoy the sensation of the salt crystals in their mouths.) And always use freshly ground pepper – which offers completely different flavor dimensions than pre-ground pepper.
