Are you frustrated when your homemade pizza ends up with a soggy crust or your muffins don’t turn out as expected? Don’t worry—many common cooking issues can be resolved with a few simple tips. You don’t need any fancy equipment or expensive gadgets. Here are 14 practical tricks from experienced chefs that can help improve your cooking skills.
1. Achieve a Crispy Pizza Crust
To get a crispy pizza crust, preheat your oven to its highest temperature and let it heat for about 30 minutes before baking your pizza. Bake for 5-10 minutes, depending on your oven’s temperature.
2. Cook Non-Sticky Rice
To avoid sticky rice, fry it briefly in a pan with a bit of oil and butter until it becomes opaque. Then add water and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
3. Cook Chicken Evenly
Chicken breasts cook faster than legs. To ensure even cooking, try one of these methods: either place ice on the breasts 30 minutes before cooking or roast the chicken back-up for 50 minutes, then turn it over and continue cooking. For extra flavor, pat the skin with a wet towel before cooking.
4. Tenderize Tough Meat
If you don’t have a sous-vide machine, you can use plastic wrap and a pot of hot water to tenderize meat. Season the meat, wrap it in plastic, and cook it in hot water at around 160°F for about 2 hours. Afterward, sear it in a pan for added flavor.
5. Peel Carrots Before Boiling
Peeling carrots before boiling helps them retain their color. Though it might seem counterintuitive, it prevents the color from leaching out during cooking.
6. Make Lighter Mayo
To make a lighter version of mayo, use milk instead of eggs. Substitute milk for half the amount of butter in your recipe to reduce the calorie content without compromising flavor.
7. Use Butter Wisely
For a crunchy crust, use cold butter, while warm butter is better for softer, fluffier baked goods.
8. Enhance Broth Flavor
Add salt to your broth only once the water has begun to boil. Start with cold water and cook the meat and vegetables from the beginning for a richer, more flavorful broth.
9. Mix Potatoes for Mashed Potatoes
Combine different types of potatoes to balance starch levels and enhance the flavor of your mashed potatoes.
10. Cook White Meat with the Bone
Keep the bone in white meat while cooking to help retain moisture and ensure even cooking. Remove the bone and skin after cooking if desired.
11. Add Breadcrumbs to Meatballs
Incorporate breadcrumbs into your ground meat for meatballs to help them hold their shape. For added flavor, fry the breadcrumbs with onions in oil and butter before mixing them in.
12. Use Ice for Juicy Meatballs
Add crushed ice to the ground meat when making meatballs to keep them juicy and tender. Simply crush ice cubes and mix them into the meat before shaping and cooking.
13. Create Pancake Designs with a Ketchup Bottle
Repurpose an old ketchup bottle to create fun and creative pancake designs. Simply fill the bottle with pancake batter and squeeze out your desired shapes.
14. Cook Perfect Rice
For fluffy rice with separated grains, use a kitchen towel between the pot and lid while cooking. The towel will absorb excess moisture, preventing it from dripping back onto the rice.
Which of these tips will you try next in your kitchen?