Master eggs, beans, pickling and more by practicing these basics.
Most of us are still dining in. But even if you’re not a skilled or well-equipped cook, you can still turn out good meals. However, let me speak a bit of truth to you: Knowing some basic cooking skills will make cooking easier and more enjoyable.
There’s no time better than the present to acquire confidence in the kitchen. Below are a few areas in which you might need a refresher course. Also, don’t feel ashamed if you know none of the steps below. We all start somewhere, so start today.
While some of these techniques may not be James Beard-approved, they work and are what I utilize in my kitchen. Feel free to alter these steps to best fit your kitchen rhythm.
How to properly salt
Knowing how and when to salt food is fundamental to cooking. From the beginning, middle and end of the cooking process, salt plays a critical role in the overall outcome of the final dish.
Stop cooking with table salt and use kosher, sea or Himalayan salts. When cooking, I prefer to salt meats 30 minutes to an hour before cooking. If salt is added at the beginning of the cooking process, it has the time to penetrate the food.
When distributing salt, be sure to sprinkle the salt from a good height. America’s Test Kitchen suggests 12 inches to achieve the most even distribution.
To make chicken with skin more flavorful, be sure to peel back the skin and salt underneath. Salt steak anywhere from 1-8 hours before cooking to achieve great flavor. This time frame is based on how thick of a cut of steak you are working with.
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12:24 PM on May 4, 2020