There are a few easy, and effortless things, you can do to bring your dishes to the next level.
1) Use only the freshest ingredients (organic is better).
2) Most of the dish is about the cutting and the cooking. See below.
3) Observe vegetables, and peel and cut them from top to bottom.
Because of their molecular structure, peeling vegetables from top to bottom helps them cook faster, and reduces oxidation.
“Top” being what was closest to the sky when they grew. Not clear ? Okay.
Example : if you cut the top and bottom of your onion, peel it and mince it, your eyes are going to cry.
Onion has been growing ” up”, so cut the top only, then peel it from top to bottom. Don’t cut bottom !
Mince from top to bottom. Surprise ! you don’t cry.
4) Cut even pieces, to ensure even cooking.
The title says it all. You don’t want half of your guests to eat raw carrots, while the other half eats mushy carrots.
5) Large pieces are not pleasant to chew.
Pieces of vegetables and fruits should be around 1 cm² in all prepared dishes. For meat and fish, 4 cm cubes are fine.
But yes, of course you’ll sear your steak whole 😀 .
6) Don’t add salt before things are perfectly cooked.
Salt catches the water contained in your ingredients. Basically, it draws out moisture.
If you want to sauté some onions or sauteed cabbage quickly, it may be interesting : adding salt from the beginning will help them release their water and cook faster.
Otherwise, never add salt before serving.
Example : salting meat before cooking it a HUGE (and common!) mistake. Your meat is drier, whatever you do to tenderize it, and whichever cooking method you use. If you’re marinating or rubbing meat with a blend of spices, don’t add salt. Never. You’ll taste the difference !
Have you tried to cook dried beans with salt ? It will take hours. IF it works out. Most of the time, if you add salt from the beginning, they’ll stay dry outside, even after hours simmering.
If you’re going to cook them with a tomato sauce, you have a double problem : the acidity of the tomato prevents beans from cooking evenly and fast, and the tomato sauce is already seasoned with a lot of salt. Best way to do it, is to cook your beans in water first, let water evaporate (or drain the beans) , then add the sauce and simmer for about 20′, until flavors melt.
If you’re sauteing onions or meat before adding the beans, that also works in one pot ( you know I don’t like to multiply dishes !) : sauté your onions (no salt in this case)/ vegetables / meat in your pot, add beans, add water and a lid. When they’re perfectly cooked, remove the lid : most of the water will have been absorbed by the beans. Add your sauce. Simmer 15-20′, with or without a lid, depending how thick you want the dish.
Adding salt while you’re cooking / stewing / sauteing something, is also very unhealthy, especially for vegetables which take a loog time to cook. Best example is sauteed potatoes : you’re going to add salt every time your flip them. 5-6 times in total. They absorb everything. At the end, you’re going to eat 5 times more salt….
Just cook your dish as usual, and just before serving, add salt. Or better, if you serve a crowd, add a pretty salt grinder on the table, and everyone can add salt to their liking. Some people will enjoy a very salty dish, some won’t. The best way to enjoy a dish, is to add the exact amount of salt that will elevate the dish – for your tasting buds. Which are different from your neighbour’s buds.
7) For meats, fish, and seafood, use low temperature cooking as often as you can.
Please check my post about low temperature cooking, which preserves flavour and tenderness. It’s also time-saving, and guests-friendly.
8) Think of how much time the different elements of your dish need to cook.
Broccoli cook faster than carrots, green beans need to cook longer than mushrooms….. Zucchini and tomatoes are super fast…..Cabbages need a few more minutes….
Example : you’re sautéing vegetables, and want to add broccoli. No problem. But broccoli become mushy and bitter if cooked for too long. (And ugly !)
You’re going to cook carrots first, as they take longer, and add broccoli 8-10′ before serving.
9) Sautéing onions is the start of most dishes.
Don’t skip this step. Sautéed onions always add an amazing flavor. Depending of the country, they’re part of the “Holy Trinity”, “Soffrito”, “Sofrito”, “Mirepoix”…. they’re the base of thousands of dishes all over the world.
10) Slice meats against the grain.
Do you see these little lines in the meat ? Cut perpendicularly. Meat will be more tender. As easy as that.
11) Good food takes time….
That’s when low-temperature cooking will save you. It will take time, yes, but you don’t have to watch the dish. You don’t even have to be at home while it’s cooking 🙂
12) The tastiest food is the simplest – but also the most difficult to make.
Resist the temptation of adding too many ingredients. RESIST.
In this case, the more is not the merrier :-). If you’re using quality ingredients, they’ll need very little to enhance your dish.
You don’t need to add sugar or maple syrup in a savory dish (except maybe Brunswick Stew….. and just because it’s traditional…. but it’s also very good without any sweetness :-)).
You don’t need tons of salt.
You don’t need tons of sauce.
You certainly don’t need 20 different spices and 3 different herbs in the same dish.
Really. Your taste buds will evolve in just a few days without additives, sugar and salt. Then you’ll start to enjoy food like never before.
Choose carefully 1 to 5 spices and / or herbs. Most of the time, it’s more than enough. For example, try to sauté some sauté some shredded cabbage, in olive oil, with only salt and ground coriander. 10′ in total, and it’s purely amazing.
Or try to make chicken breasts with only italian seasoning. Cooked to perfection with a cooking thermometer, they’re a delight (they’re ready when they reach 74°C). You can serve them with any kind of vegetables, lentils or beans. And then, leftovers are very versatile : chicken salad, chicken soup…..
Now use these tips and let the magic happen…… 🙂
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