Cooking is an art form. Sure, most of us can slap together a so-so dinner, but to create something that tastes truly delicious is not an easy thing to do. Luckily, there are people out there who have been cooking for a long time and are willing to share some of the tips that they’ve picked up along the way to make a dish that stands out among the rest. Check out this list of chefs who share 55 tricks they learned in culinary school that we all could use and be sure to share it with a friend!
1. Use sugar as a seasoning.
Sugar isn’t just great for making baked goods. It turns out that it also makes an excellent seasoning, particularly when you are cooking a dish with tomatoes. It counteracts the sour taste to give you a more pleasant and rich flavor.
2. Add salt continuously while you cook to avoid over-salting.
Instead of salting heavily at the start or end of your recipe, consider adding your salt continuously while you cook. And if you need to garnish your dish with salt, try to sprinkle it from up high. That way, it’ll be evenly distributed.
3. A little bit of olive oil can add a flavorful kick to your dishes.
Whether you are cooking pasta dishes or meat dishes, adding a dollop of olive oil can surely enhance their flavor. Just make sure that you are using high-quality extra virgin olive oil.
4. Don’t overcrowd your pan when searing.
Heat is critical to achieving that perfectly seared fish. With that in mind, try not to overcrowd your pan while searing because it can diminish the heat on your pan.
5. Skip the nonstick pans to get some crispy crust.
To get that nice crust on your fish or meat, skip your nonstick pans. They have that nonstick coating that prevents your food from getting that crispy texture. Instead, use those pans to make French toasts, pancakes, and eggs.
6. Cook your pasta in the sauce at the last minute.
This will allow the noodles to absorb the flavor of your sauce. In case the sauce turns out too thick, you can simply add a bit of pasta water to create the texture you prefer.
7. Brining is key to getting that delicious juicy meat.
Brining isn’t just great for turkeys. You can also use the same technique to create that juicy texture and infuse a rich flavor to your chicken and pork chops. Brining can also help minimize the chance of your meat drying out or getting overcooked.
8. Cook your steak when it’s at room temperature.
Don’t grill your meat right after taking it out of the freezer. Let it sit for a couple of minutes until it gets to room temperature before cooking. That way, it’ll cook more evenly.
9. Fry your onions with salt.
Adding salt helps get rid of the onion smell. It also allows them to cook faster.
10. Put a bowl of water inside your oven when baking to get crispy bread crust.
End your problems with your bread crust by putting a bowl of water into your oven when baking. The steam will help you get that nice crispy crust you want in your bread.
11. Cook the perfect egg with just three components.
Cooking the perfect egg can be tricky so make sure to have these three components when cooking. Get a thick-wall frying pan, add 1/2 tablespoon of butter, and cook in minimum heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Don’t forget to add salt!
12. Use sour cream to make the best pancakes.
No matter what kind of pancake you’ll be making, always add 2 tablespoons of sour cream to your mixture. It’ll help you create pancakes that are really tasty and fluffy.
13. Dry boiled potates before turning them into mashed ones.
After boiling, take out your potatoes and keep them in a clean heated pan. Make sure that they don’t cook in the heat. Once they are dry, you can mash them.
14. Cook steak without oil by placing it on its edge when cooking.
This is the secret to cooking steak without additional oil. Cooking steak on its side renders the fat. It also allows you to create that nice crust on the edges.
15. Apply mayo to your fish to get a nice and tasty crust.
With a pastry brush, apply a minimal amount of mayo to your fish and season with salt before grilling. This simple tip will help you get that nice golden crust.
16. Use eggs and butter at room temperature when making your dough.
The rule for making the perfect dough is quite simple. Just take out the eggs and butter the night before you actually use them.
17. Don’t use olive oil in everything you cook.
Although olive oil is great in adding flavor, it can burn easily. This means that it’s not ideal to use for high-temp cooking, like frying.
18. Not all cuts of meat take the same time to cook.
For quick cooking applications, use tenderloins and steaks. For long cooking jobs, stick with cuts labeled roasts, brisket, and shoulder. They are great to cook with your slow cooker.
19. Know when to add your herbs.
Dried herbs should be added while you are cooking to enable their flavors to infuse into your dish. Fresh herbs, meanwhile, should be added after your are done cooking. They can get bitter if you overcook them.
20. Onions are one of the things you add to a pan when cooking.
Generally speaking, onions need time to develop that sweetness so they are one of the first ingredients you put in your pan. Garlic, meanwhile, can get burnt easily so you shouldn’t add them early.
21. Use an onion ring to make that perfectly circular egg.
You don’t need any fancy tool to make that perfect egg for breakfast. Just cut an onion ring, place it in you pan, and break the egg inside it.
22. Marinate fish or meat in bags.
This technique ensures that you get to coat your meat or fish evenly. To make it more effective, you can use a vacuum sealing machine. If you don’t have one at home, just use a straw to suck out the air.
23. Prevent cutting board from slipping by placing a wet towel underneath it.
Then, take a few layers of plastic wrap and create a ring out of them using your hand. Make 4 rings and place them under each corner.
24. Make peeling eggs faster and easier by adding baking soda to the water.
Before you boil your eggs, put some baking soda to the water. You can also use vinegar. These two substances can get inside the shell of the eggs, causing them to peel off faster.
25. Soften butter within 30 seconds.
For this, you’ll need to put your butter and a glass of cold water in the microwaves. Heat it for 30 seconds and your butter will be easier to spread on your bread
26. Make creamy scrambled eggs by adding mayonnaise.
To create that moist and creamy scrambled eggs, just add a dollop of mayonnaise. Don’t worry if you hate mayo. It won’t change the flavor of your eggs.
27. Caramelize white chocolate in your microwave oven.
You can roast your white chocolate in the oven, but you’ll need to stir it every now and then to make sure that it doesn’t get burnt. If you want a faster way to do that, use your microwave.
28. Roast your garlic in the microwave.
Roasted garlic taste delicious but they take a long time to make. A faster way to make it is to put a bulb of garlic in a small bowl with some oil and water. Wrap the whole bowl in plastic wrap before you put it in the microwave. Cook until the garlic is soft.
29. Make juicy burger patties by placing ice cubes in the middle of the patties.
Right before grilling, press a small piece of ice cube into the center of your patty. This will prevent it from drying out.
30. Use a frying pan instead of a giant pot when cooking your pasta.
The wider area of your pan will allow the water to get hot faster. Consider picking the right size of pan according to the amount of pasta you’ll be cooking.
31. Add a bit of white vinegar to a pot of boiling water when making poached eggs.
This will prevent the eggs from getting stuck to the pot’s side. It will make it easier to handle the eggs, too.
32. Don’t serve your meat right after cooking.
Let it sit for awhile before serving. This ensures that you get the best possible flavor and texture.
33. Add cheese about 5 minutes before you remove your dish from the pan.
When baking a recipe in the oven, try to add your cheese a couple of minutes before taking the dish out. This way, your cheese won’t get burnt and turn into a really hard crust.
34. Only use warm milk when making mashed potatoes.
As much as possible, stick with warm milk when mashing potatoes. If you use cold milk, you’ll end up with gray potato.
35. Make juicy whole roasted chicken by adding water inside it.
Before you start roasting your chicken, add some water to its cavity. It will steam the chicken from the inside, causing the meat to turn super juicy.
36. Put liquids in your blender first.
Add the water, broths or juice first before you put your solid ingedients in your blender. It will make it easier for your appliance to create a smooth, consistent, and creamy mixture.
37. Slice meat against the grain.
When slicing meat, always go against the grain. This helps ensure that your meat won’t feel chewy.
38. Choose high-quality coarse salt to add depth to your dishes.
Use high-quality coarse salt when finishing dishes. It’s one way to upgrade the taste of your home-cooked meal to restaurant quality. You can play with flavored salts, too.
39. Rotate pans to get an evenly cooked dish.
Remember that ovens have hot spots. Halfway through your dish’s cooking time, spin the trays and rotate the pans.
40. Turn your meats using tongs or a spatula.
As much as possible, don’t stab your meat with a knife or fork when flipping it over. The puncture holes they create cause juices to escape, leaving the meat dry and less flavorful.
41. Add olive oil and salt to your pasta once it’s boiling.
The salt will help season the pasta. The oil, on the other hand, will prevent the pasta from sticking together. It adds flavor, too.
42. Heat the sautee pan to a high temperature before searing.
Once your pan is hot, place the fish with the skin side first. The high temperature will sear the skin in an instant and prevent it from sticking.
43. Use vegetable stock when sauteing.
This is a good alternative if you find yourself needing more oil in your pan. It will give your dish the moisture it needs without adding tons of calories.
44. Put your cheese in the freezer to make it easier to grate.
Cheese at room temperature can get too soft to grate. Instead of feeling frustrated, place it first in the freezer and leave it there for about 20 to 30 minutes.
45. Make tomatoes easier to peel by dropping them into boiling and ice cold water.
Tomatoes are harder to peel than apples. To make the process easier, drop your tomatoes first into boiling water for about 10 seconds. Take them out and drop them into really cold water and leave them there for about 5 minutes. It should make their skin loose, making peeling a lot easier and faster.
46. Use caramelized sugar when baking.
Slightly frying your sugar can add that note of caramel to your baked goods. You can heat up your sugar for an hour for a hint of caramel flavor or do it for 5 hours to create that unique aroma.
47. Wrap your lemon with a cheesecloth before squeezing.
This is one way to avoid getting seeds into your drinks. Of course, before wrapping your lemon, make sure that your cheesecloth is clean.
48. Add a piece of marshmallow into your sugar container to prevent clumping.
Brown sugar can get hard and clumpy quite easily. To avoid that, place a piece of marshmallow into your jar.
49. Melt chocolate chips in your slow cooker.
If you need to melt different types of chocolate chips at the same time, you can use your slow cooker. Simply put the chocolates in heat-resistant jars and put them inside your slow cooker. Pour hot water and make sure you don’t close its lid.
50. Wait for your macarons to get crusts before putting them in the oven.
In theory, leaving your macarons for about 20 minutes before putting them in the oven will allow them to raise better. It helps them get a really nice shape, too.
51. Drain your pasta using a colander.
While using a special spoon to take out your pasta sounds practical, it’s not the best way to do it. The method will just allow unnecessary water to stay in the pasta, leaving it soggy. Use a colander instead.
52. Lots of chicken- and patience- are essential to making clear broth.
Get your chicken meat and place them in a bowl with water. It should be enough to cover the chicken. Cook for about 3 hours, skimming off suds that float at the top. Wait for one to two hours before adding your vegetables.
53. Cook your aromatics first.
Most recipes start with blooming the aromatics, like garlic and onions. This allows the ingredients to build their flavor and infuse better into the dish.
54. Use both salt and acid when seasoning.
This is a great hack if you have dishes that have a bland taste. Adding a touch of acid helps elevate the taste of most flat dishes.
55. Buy a good thermometer for your kitchen.
Instead of waiting for something to cook, use a thermometer to check its temperature. This way, you won’t have to guess if your dish is cooked through.
56. Use the right wine for your recipe.
You don’t necessarily have to buy the most expensive wine for your dish. You can buy a cheap one as long as it has enough flavor for your recipe.
57. Use a food processor to shred chicken in seconds.
Shredded chicken is quite versatile, but it takes time to prepare. You can lessen the mess and preparation time by putting your chicken into the food processor. Just remember to remove the bones first.
58. Make squash easier to slice through by popping it inside the microwave for 3 minutes.
While squash is a versatile vegetable, it can be hard to peel and clean, particularly the seeds. A quick fix is to microwave it for 3 minutes before peeling and slicing it.
59. Use an egg slicer to dice fruits.
Cutting fruits by hand can take a lot of time. If you don’t have a lot of free time, just use an egg slicer.
60. Freeze your herbs.
If you have a lot of fresh herbs at home and you’re not planning on using them right away, you can freeze them with olive oil in an ice cube tray. You can keep them in the tray or you can pop them out and store them in a plastic bag in the freezer.
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