Kitchen tips You make these 13 mistakes when cooking
Cooking is an art. And not that easy. Especially as a layman, you make a few mistakes that are actually quite easy to avoid. blue News reveals the things that most often go wrong.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- Many people unknowingly make mistakes when cooking, such as heating the wrong oils, overfilling pans or chilling pasta cold.
- Stirring and turning too often can disrupt the cooking process, while garlic burns quickly and makes food bitter.
- Meat should reach room temperature before searing and salt and acid must be used in the right balance to bring out the flavors.
Eating is something you do several times a day. That's why you're in the kitchen several times a day. Unless you're the kind of person who likes to order in or eat out a lot.
Whether it's a big meal or a quick snack - preparing food is part of everyday life. Actually, we're all pros at it and can't do anything wrong, can we? But we can, because there are a few rookie mistakes that may have crept in that are easy to avoid.
First of all, of course: wash your hands. Only then is it possible to prepare food hygienically in the kitchen. Vegetables should also be cleaned thoroughly before cooking. The following 13 points should also be observed:
Heating oil too high
Not all oils are suitable for the pan. But you need to learn this first. Cold-pressed oils such as olive oil should never be heated above 180 degrees - as this could produce carcinogenic substances. When frying, use refined oils or coconut oil, which are suitable for hot cooking and do not pose a health risk.
Not reading the recipe correctly
If you are expecting guests and cook according to a recipe, but only skim through it quickly and don't read it to the end, you may be cutting yourself. Because there may be a point hidden in there that something needs to rest in the fridge overnight or simply for a few hours. Such longer steps in a recipe need to be planned.
Mise en place is also recommended. This means that all ingredients are cut and prepared in advance. This speeds up preparation - and the dish is ready in no time at all.
Cutting with blunt knives
If a knife doesn't cut properly, preparing ingredients is less fun - or even inconvenient. This is because everything takes much longer and you could slip and cut yourself with blunt cutting tools. A professional knife set is not necessary for cooking, but you should definitely sharpen blunt knives.
Put knives in the dishwasher
Knives that you use for preparing food do not belong in the dishwasher. They will only become blunt as the detergents are too aggressive and the wash cycle is too hot for the blade. The salt also dulls them.
Too much salt and too little acid
Seasoning is not that easy, we understand, but it needs to be learned. Because depending on the seasoning, you can bring out the flavors of your ingredients even more.
Salt is needed, but not too much. The right timing is also important, as salt removes the liquid from food. So if you add it to the pan too early, it could dry out the food.
How much salt you add is always a matter of taste. But let me tell you: seasoning is not just salt and pepper, there is a whole range of spices that you can use when cooking.
A little squeeze of lemon or lime juice could give your food that certain something. Just like salt, acidity helps to bring out the flavors of food. But in the end, it's all about balance - so don't overdo it.
Quench eggs cold
Are you convinced that a hard-boiled egg is easier to peel if you quench it cold? We have to disappoint you. It all depends on when the egg was laid. A little tip: If the egg is between two and three weeks old, the shell is best peeled off.
Cold quench pasta
If you also belong to the camp that believes that pasta should be rinsed with cold water after cooking to make it less sticky, then we have to dispel your notions here too. Because when the pasta is rinsed, it loses starch and can no longer absorb the sauce well.
Stir the rice
Rice should simply be left to simmer in peace. Too much stirring activates the starch and makes the rice sticky instead of fluffy. It is therefore better to leave it alone.
However, it is important to use the right ratio of water to rice so that it doesn't burn on the bottom: One cup of rice to one and a half cups of water - then nothing should go wrong.
Generally stirring and turning too much
Are you worried that the food in the pan will burn if you don't stir or turn it often enough? But that's exactly what you should avoid, even if it's fun to poke around in the pan. Stirring too often interrupts the cooking process or prevents the roasted flavors from spreading as well. So it's better to reduce the heat a little than to keep turning.
Fill the pan too full
Food needs space when cooking. Whether you're searing or cooking pasta, it's better not to overcrowd pots and pans. This is because, especially with meat, too much liquid could escape if the pan is overfilled, so that your steaks are cooked rather than fried. Too much food at once also cools the pan down considerably, which is not beneficial.
Do not let the pan get hot
Heat plays an important role in searing. It is worth letting the pan heat up well before you add the food. Intense heat is the solution to creating strong flavors.
Meat straight from the fridge to the pan
The following applies to meat in particular: take your steak out of the fridge a little before frying so that it is not still too cold inside and takes longer to cook through. Set aside about 15 to 20 minutes before cooking to ensure even cooking.
Let the garlic brown
Garlic has a very intense flavor and if it browns too long in the pan, it can develop even stronger roasted aromas. Burnt garlic makes the food bitter and is therefore usually undesirable. It is therefore best not to put the popular bulb in the pan too early, but only at the end of the frying process.
