Mistakes are quite normal because we learn from them. But it’s a shame when they become the cause of a failed dish. From this article, you will learn what you need to be more attentive to so that culinary experiments always end in success.
1. We don’t read the recipe completely
Recipes from the Internet do not always contain all the ingredients or the cooking method at once. We can look for a quick way to cook a dish, and in the middle of the description, we find information that it needs to be left to cool for at least three hours. Or marinate overnight. To get the latest stories, install our app here
And we may also encounter unexpected ingredients that were not given in the description. For example, you need to add spices that we don’t have. Therefore, it is worth reading in full before cooking, even if it seems the simplest.
2. We don’t know the features of the oven
In an ideal world, every oven exposed to 200 degrees heats up to this temperature. In reality, the figure may vary: it depends on the manufacturer and the error allowed by him, the features of connecting the plate, and the age of our equipment. As a result: the food is cooked too fast, slow, or unevenly baked.
To check how well the oven works, you must determine its “hot spots.” To do this, place the same slices of bread on a baking sheet, set the temperature, and observe. If some of them are burnt or not baked when others are ready— this place is the “hot spot” of the oven. Use the acquired knowledge when placing dishes in the oven: for example, do not put something that can burn under the “hot spot,” or turn the baking tray so that the dishes are baked evenly. To get the latest stories, install our app here
3. Do not heat the pan enough before adding the food
When we are in a hurry, we may not pay enough attention to heating the pan before adding food to it. Especially at the same time, dishes where breading is used or requires frying to get a golden crust to suffer.
Be sure to check how hot the pan is. To do this, sacrifice a small piece of onion or another ingredient from the recipe. Throw it into the pan — if the oil instantly sizzled, then it’s time to start cooking the food.
4. We stir and turn the food too often
If we stir and turn the food too often, we can prevent it from roasting and lose some of the breading. One of the signs that it’s too early to turn the dish over is that you can’t freely pick it up with a spatula from the pan’s surface. To get the latest stories, install our app here
We do this because we are afraid to overcook the dish or that it will stick to the dishes. In the first case, it is necessary to check it with a spatula, withstand the time specified in the recipe, or use non-stick cookware and a sufficient amount of oil.
5. Do not let the meat rest after cooking
Plan the meal time so that the cooked meat can lie down for a while. It would help if you allowed it to rest so that the juice does not flow out of it and not become too dry after slicing. This advice is especially relevant for steaks and poultry dishes.
Five minutes of rest is enough for small cuts and large ones — about half an hour. And if you cooked the whole bird, wrap it with foil during the rest to keep it warm.
6. Do not defrost the meat before cooking
If we put meat from the freezer in the oven or grill, it is cooked unevenly. Outside, the dish may come out overcooked, but inside it remains raw.
Therefore, it is worth planning the preparation and letting it unfreeze. The same rule applies to foods from the refrigerator: let them stand at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes. Or at least use a microwave oven to speed up this process. To get the latest stories, install our app here
7. Do not wash the cereals
Most cereals, such as rice or bulgur, require thorough washing before cooking. They can be coated with starch powder, which appears from friction during transportation. Because of this powder, cooked cereals can lose their friability. To avoid this, wash them several times with cold water before cooking.
8. Overflow the dishes
Of course, there are situations when you want to cook more and in less time. Because of this, we overflow the dishes. But, for example, when cooking vegetables in the oven, an abundance of foods in one container can create additional humidity, which is why the dish will not brown. And when cooking in a frying pan, the dish can fry unevenly. Therefore, you need to give the ingredients enough space.
9. We season the dish only at the beginning or end of cooking
If we put salt only at the beginning or end of cooking, it may not be salted enough. This often happens when frying mushrooms or vegetables. The moisture they secrete evaporates with the salt, leading to a bland taste. Therefore, it is necessary to salt them a little throughout the cooking.
10. We put hot food in the refrigerator
If you leave ready-made food at room temperature for a long time, bacteria can begin to develop in it. But it would help if you did not immediately put the dish in the refrigerator that has not cooled down yet. This can lead to an increase in the temperature in the refrigerator and spoil other products.
It is necessary to wait until the dishes cool down and then place them on the shelf.
