30. Lose your saltshaker. :
Proper seasoning is paramount. First, lose your
saltshaker. Pinch kosher salt straight from a dish. The coarse grains
and the touch of your fingers give you maximum control. Add a pinch,
taste, and repeat if necessary.
29. Counterbalance salt with vinegar. :
Oops—too much salt? Use a splash of vinegar to provide a counterbalancing punch of acid and sweetness.
28. Don't overcrowd the pan. :
For deeply flavored foods, don't overcrowd the pan.
Ingredient overload makes a pan's temperature plummet, and foods end up
steaming rather than caramelizing. This adds cooking time and subtracts
taste. All ingredients should fit comfortably in one layer, so use a pan
that's big enough for the job, and cook in batches if necessary.
27. Salt and refrigerate raw chicken. :
Nothing beats crispy chicken skin. Buy a whole chicken the
day before you'll cook it, sprinkle on a tablespoon of kosher salt, and
leave it uncovered in the fridge. The air and salt will draw out excess
water.
26. Let meat rest. :
If you slice into your meat right after it comes off the
grill, those precious juices, still circulating with residual heat, will
bleed out onto your plate. Let the meat rest: Wait 5 minutes before
biting into burgers or grilled chicken, 7 minutes before cutting into
steaks, and at least 15 minutes before carving a turkey or a larger
roast.
25. Make your own vinaigrette. :
Bottled dressings are a waste of money and calories. Make
your own vinaigrette by whisking together three parts oil (olive,
canola, or sesame) with one part vinegar (balsamic, red-wine, or rice),
plus salt and pepper. Build extra flavor by adding minced shallot, Dijon
mustard, fresh herbs, or honey.
24. Water down your pasta sauce. :
The secret to great pasta sauce? The cooking water. Save a
cup of the pasta's cooking water before you drain it, and add the water
to your sauce as needed. The starch in it helps the sauce adhere to the
pasta, creating a creamier, more flavorful final product.
23. Refrigerate with caution. :
Never store tomatoes in the refrigerator. And keep peaches,
potatoes, onions, bread, garlic, and coffee out of there, too. Cold
temperatures compromise the flavor and texture of these staples.
22. Blend butter and olive oil. :
Try cooking with a 50:50 mixture of butter and olive oil.
Butter brings big, rich flavors, but it burns and blackens at very low
temperatures. Oil prevents the milk solids in butter from charring,
allowing you to ratchet up the heat.
21. Save your Teflon. :
Teflon coatings can deteriorate on high heat, so save your
nonstick pans for gentler tasks like cooking omelets and sauteing fish.
20. Know when to shake and when to stir. :
Great cocktails need serious shaking. Bond was
wrong—martinis (and other drinks) that are made with clear spirits
should be stirred. Shake only cocktails made with fruit juices.
19. Zap citrus fruits in the microwave. :
More pucker for the price! Zap lemons, limes, or oranges
for 15 seconds in the microwave before squeezing them. The fruit will
yield twice as much juice. Another round of G&Ts, anyone?
18. Preheat the pan. :
Pan roasting is a popular restaurant technique rarely
employed by home cooks. Preheat a cast-iron or stainless-steel pan on
the stove with a bit of olive oil until you see wisps of smoke rise. Add
your chicken, steak, or fish, and cook until one side is nicely
browned—about 3 to 4 minutes. Then flip it and place the entire pan in a
400°F oven to finish cooking.
17. Puncture your meat. :
The problem: Dense meats like steak, pork, or chicken legs
can burn on the outside before they're fully cooked on the inside. The
solution: Insert a clean stainless-steel rod or nail into the thickest
part of the meat, and finish cooking. "The nail will act as a conductor,
drawing in heat and cooking the meat from the inside out," says Roland
Henin, CMC, U.S. coach for the 2009 Bocuse d'Or Culinary Olympics.
16. Sample as you cook. :
The best tool in your kitchen is your mouth. Taste a dish
at least three times during the cooking process, adjusting the seasoning
every step of the way.
15. Shop on Wednesday. :
Go to the supermarket on hump day. Research shows that only
11 percent of people shop for groceries on Wednesday, making it the
best day to be in the aisles. And only 4 percent of people shop after 9
p.m. You may have to track down somebody to fetch fresh stuff from the
back room, but what else do they have to do at that hour? Plus, shorter
checkout lines mean less time reading the National Enquirer.
14. Pat meat and fish dry. :
Pat meat and fish dry before cooking. Surface moisture
creates steam when it hits a hot pan or grill, impeding caramelization.
If your fish has skin, use a sharp knife to squeegee off the water
trapped within it.
13. Drain pasta prematurely. :
If you want perfect al dente pasta, adapt the box
directions. Drain the pasta about 1 minute before the package tells you
to. Dump the noodles back into the pot and stir in the heated sauce. The
pasta will finish cooking in the pot.
12. Cook fish skin side down first. :
Always cook fish skin side down first. The skin keeps the
flesh of the fish from drying out and provides a crunchy counterpoint to
the tender meat. Cook your fillet undisturbed for 75 percent of the
time on the skin side (about 5 minutes), and then flip it to the flesh
side to finish.
11. Spice up your TV dinner. :
Instantly improve your next TV dinner. After cooking, add
fresh herbs, a squeeze of citrus, and a drizzle of olive oil to
transform any frozen entree.
10. Prepare plates beforehand. :
Warm food served on a cold plate is a ROOKIE MISTAKE. Heat
your dishes in a 150°F oven for 10 minutes before plating a meal. On the
flip side, lightly chilled plates (use your freezer) boost the
freshness of cold dishes like summer salads.
9. Revive overcooked meat. :
Overcooked meat? Salvage dinner: Slice the meat thinly, put
it on a plate, and top it with chopped tomato, onion, and jalapeño. Add
olive oil and fresh lime juice (or a few spoonfuls of vinaigrette; see
#6). The acid and oil will restore moisture and fat to the mistreated
meat.
8. Protect your fingers. :
Don't dice a digit. Cut awkward-to-slice vegetables—such as
mushrooms, carrots, and peppers—by first cleaving them in half. Then
rest the flat parts on the cutting board.
7. Brighten and balance flavors. :
Keep a spray bottle of sherry or rice vinegar on hand while
you're cooking. "Misting a scallop, a piece of fish, or even a salad
really helps brighten and balance all the flavors," says Wylie Dufresne,
chef at New York City's wd-50.
6. Salvage wilted produce. :
Freshen up limp vegetables: Drop your aging produce into
ice water before cooking. Plants wilt due to water loss; ice water
penetrates their cells to restore crispness.
5. Immerse your meat. :
Put steaks and chops in a zip-top bag and then immerse the
bag in tepid water for 30 to 60 minutes before cooking. Raising meat's
internal temperature makes it easier to cook evenly all the way through.
4. Time your salting. :
Time your salting well. If you add salt to vegetables as
soon as they hit the pan, the sodium will draw out moisture. (They'll
steam, not brown.) For deep, flavorful caramelization, add salt at the
end.
3. Master the broiler. :
Think of a broiler as an inverted grill, ready to bring
serious, concentrated heat to whatever food you place below it. Chicken
breasts, pork chops, and steaks take about 10 minutes to broil; just be
sure to flip them midway through the cooking process, as you would when
grilling.
2. Cushion your cutting board. :
Avoid a visit to the E.R. Place a damp kitchen towel
underneath your cutting board to prevent it from rocking or slipping
while you're chopping or slicing foods.
1. Bake your bacon. :
The secret to perfectly cooked bacon: Skip the pan or the
skillet. Bacon's tendency to scrunch up makes for uneven cooking.
Instead, place no more than a half pound of bacon on a 12 x 18 baking
dish or baking sheet with sides and roast in a 375°F oven for 12 to 15
minutes, for that perfectly crisp (but not too crisp) texture.
