Random Cooking tips
People always ask me if there are any secret tips in cooking. There are a few things I’ve learnt over the years
- unless you’re baking, always put more butter in than less
- fresh herbs are usually better than dried/ mixing herbs an work really well
- Salt in everything, especially desserts
- BUT only use sea salt flakes, the stuff you get on diner tables is disgusting
- Vanilla should be used in all baking and even in some savoury (potatoes?)
- Truffle oil lifts any dish
- Sometimes your instincts are better than the recipe (people always tend to overcook chicken, fish and brownies)
- Your nose is a useful sensor – follow it
- Some things tend to continue cooking as you take them out (meat, brownies etc)
- BUT it is easy to undercook cakes – always check the centre of the cake
- Water is the enemy of chocolate BUT it can be saved with a little oil if the damage isn’t to heavy
- Always add twice as much garlic, so tasty, so good for you
- When roasting meat and veg, acidity+oil+salt = yummy, like dressing your veg before cooking them
- When cooking potatoes, add flavours to the water, the potatoes will soak up the flavour from the water (sciency bit=osmosis sort of)
- When cooking spinach, use a knob of butter, salt, pepper and a splash of water for a shiny finish
- Make sure your knives are sharp, it will make such a difference…
- And when chopping let the knife do the work, not your arm, move the knife forward as you chop
- Planning is the key for successful dinner parties, you can sometimes make more than you think in advance (e.g I often make potatoes/sauces earlier in the day and reheat)
- Add salt when you sweat onions, it will encourage the onions to release water faster
- If you do over salt, a potato will soak up the excess if you chuck it in
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