While food trends might change from time to time, the building blocks generally remain the same. Kitchen skills depend on your ability to follow the fundamentals of kitchen rules and build something amazing as a result. The more you hone simple skills, the easier it is to build a body of knowledge that helps you to succeed as a cook.
Here, you’ll find a list of some of the most helpful food tips to help you make the most of your kitchen and your cooking skills in the months to come.
Cooking Eggs
If your scrambled eggs never turn out how you plan, make sure you always get soft and creamy curds. The key is being gentle. Proteins start to harden at 63°C, and fully solidify at 85°C. Too much heat squeezes out water.
For boiled eggs, simmer rather than boil to prevent cracking. Place eggs in a pan with a layer of cold water and cook on high for five minutes for soft yolks.
For scrambled eggs, whisk 15 minutes before cooking, add a pinch of salt per egg, and a few teaspoons of milk for creaminess. For poaching, create a gentle whirlpool in salted water and break the egg into the center. Fry eggs at ~130°C to prevent sticking while keeping butter sizzling.
Getting Pork Skin to Crackle
Preheat oven to 240°C. Score the pork skin and fat without cutting into the meat. Rub with salt and olive oil, roast 30–45 minutes until blistered, then reduce heat to 170°C until cooked.
How to Peel Garlic
Remove individual cloves from the bulb, cut a small piece off the end, and peel with knife or fingernails. For chopping, place the clove flat, press with the knife, and hit with your palm.
Roasting and Baking Potatoes
Choose Dutch cream or Sebago potatoes. Clean, poke holes with a skewer, and bake up to 60 minutes. For roast potatoes: boil mid-sized unpeeled potatoes for 15 minutes, cut into quarters, drizzle with oil, season, and bake ~25 minutes until golden.
Cooking Rice without a Rice Cooker
Rinse long-grain rice under cold water. Soak 30 minutes. Use 1â…“ times water to rice. Bring to boil over medium heat, then cover and reduce heat to low until water is absorbed.
How to Cook Legumes from Scratch
Soak beans like kidney beans and chickpeas for ~4 hours. Add a pinch of baking powder to soften skins. Cover with water while cooking. Avoid adding acidic ingredients until the end.
Poaching and Jointing Chicken
For poaching: wash chicken, place in a large pot with herbs, onion, celery, simmer 10 minutes, remove from heat, cool 45 minutes, refrigerate.
For jointing: place bird on back, cut legs and wings at the joints, remove drumsticks, and slide knife along rib cage to remove breasts.
Making Vinaigrette
Use 3 parts oil to 1 part acid. Combine 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, a little French mustard, 1 tbsp white wine vinegar, twist of black pepper. Shake well and dress salad just before serving.
Preventing Food Poisoning
Keep food above 60°C or below 5°C. Food in the danger zone (5–60°C) less than 2 hours can be refrigerated. Between 2–4 hours, consume immediately. Over 4 hours, discard. Undercooked pork is safe in Australia if farm-handled properly.
