Simple techniques to make every meal you cook even better
How to perfect your go-to dishes, save that sauce and more must-know secrets.
Even if you've been making the same recipe over and over and it's become a dear ol' standby, there are probably ways you can make it even better. And if it's a new-to-you recipe, let's face it, things don't always turn out as expected. Maybe the sauce for is too thin, or something tastes not quite "right", or something comes out dry… every...single….time.
The way out of these simple, but sad!, messes might be merely a matter of having one or two tricks in your pocket. Familiarizing yourself with the simple techniques below will not only make you a better cook, but they might just make every meal you cook even better. If you don't believe us, try a few things out below and see what your friends say. (Dinner party at your house this Friyay?)
Here are some secrets you need to know to help make your everyday meals better.
Season and dress the components of your salad, separately. So rather than adding everything in a bowl at once, begin with things like tomatoes and cucumbers -- anything that can take more dressing. Dress and season them with salt and pepper, then add your lettuce. Give everything a light toss and taste. Lettuce is so delicate, you may not even need more dressing.
Lay a wooden spoon over a pot of liquid so it doesn't over-boil. Or at least it'll give you more time to get back to it and turn down the heat. This works because the spoon pops the bubbles when the liquid reaches it. Remember to only use a wooden spoon because it won't retain heat. If all you have is a metal one, use an oven mitt to remove it.
Put down the salt and add a handful of fresh herbs instead. This work wonders especially if a dish seems dull. Soft herbs work best for this, things like parsley, cilantro or mint. Like salt, they'll help to heighten the flavours of the dish — while adding a splash of colour too. Just be sure to throw them in at the end of cooking so heat doesn't destroy their lively flavour.
Soak raw onions in water first to tame their flavour. This is especially helpful when you don't want that biting, lingering aftertaste, like on a burger or raw in salads. A quick ten minute soak in cold water will do the trick. Just pat them dry with a clean tea towel or paper towel after.
Save excess oil leftover from cooking things like red pepper, onions or ginger, and mix it into rice or eggs. The oil will have been infused with whatever was cooked in it, and that's free flavour you don't want to lose. Besides being thrifty, your rice will be next level.
Deglaze the pan after browning meat and use that flavour too. To do this, pour wine or stock into the pan over medium-high heat. After the sizzling stops, gently scrape up the bits stuck to the pan. Let the liquid reduce and you'll be left with a flavourful sauce to pour right onto your meat.
Make a gravy from the pan drippings - always. Even if you don't want to use it on the roast you just cooked — make that gravy anyway and so those drippings don't go to waste. Pour the gravy over potatoes or a meat sandwich.
Brown your veggies as you would meat. This gets you a whole new level of caramelized flavour. Sear them in a hot pan with a little oil, until their skin begins to blister. This works especially well with green beans and snap peas. You can also roast things like butternut squash or sweet potato at high heat, flipping them only once one side has browned.
Soak meat in a brine to add moisture and flavour too. The best candidates for this are low-fat cuts like chicken breast or pork spare ribs which, without much fat, tend to dry out during cooking, especially over longer periods. For smaller cuts of meat, just a couple hours of brining will make a difference.
Salt things like cucumber, cabbage and zucchini to remove moisture. Use this technique when you want to preserve their raw crunch in coleslaws and other salads. Just cut them up as the recipe instructs, sprinkle them with salt, and leave them to drain in a colander set over a bowl. The salt draws out moisture and helps them retain their crispness even after they are dressed.
Inject your dishes with umami flavour with secret-weapon ingredients. Ever tried fish sauce in chicken soup? Try a splash or two next time. It's often made with anchovies and delivers that umami flavour. Or reach for anchovy paste and try a squeeze in everything from tomato sauce to Caesar salad dressing.
Save your Parmesan rinds in the freezer and toss them into your next leek and potato soup. Let it all simmer for the entire cooking time and remove it before pureeing— if that's what you'll be doing. It'll give the soup a rounder, deeper flavour many will have trouble pinpointing. It's just good!
Liven up a chili or a tomato sauce with a burst of sweet and sour. Boil equal parts white vinegar and sugar until the mixture thickens and bubbles like lava. Remove from the heat and immediately add the concentrated flavour to your sauce or stew beginning with a tablespoon or two, and tasting as you go. You'll find the vinegar syrup boosts the flavour and gives it a complexity it didn't have before.
Don't be afraid to simmer things longer. Flavour takes time to develop, so if you have your tomato sauce is too acidic, just let it be, regardless of what the recipe says. Remember, cooking time is only a guideline.
Keep cooking a sauce to reduce it too. If something is too liquidy, try letting it simmer longer before adding any thickeners, which will only dull the taste. If you want to reduce quickly, put the sauce in a wide skillet with a large surface area, making sure to keep the vessel uncovered so the extra liquid evaporates.
Add a pinch of cayenne pepper to, well, everything! This is not about adding heat so remember that a little goes a long way. Try a pinch in eggs or creamy salad dressings to boost flavour without anybody even knowing it's there!
Roast your beets in oil and vinegar. Acid complements beets' natural sweetness, and this way, they'll come out of the oven already seasoned. To do this, simply drizzle a couple tablespoons each of oil and white vinegar on washed but unpeeled beets, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cover with a lid. (Alternatively, you can roast them beets inside a foil package.) Roast at 400F degrees until a fork slides easily into the beets, and let them cool before peeling.
Cook grains in low-sodium stock or apple cider vinegar so they develop big flavour during cooking. Just be sure to mix the vinegar with an equal part of water so the the sugars in the apple cider vinegar don't burn. This works great for grain salads or side dishes where the grain is really the star.
