cooking 'tips' you learned and want to pass on

RAS

meritaten wrote: »

my aunt (who was a professional cook and taught me my famous Seafood Sauce), always told me to use Plain flour and baking powder to make scones. and full fat milk. Ive tried them with SR flour and semi skimmed - and she was right. you do get a better result.

Even better use sour milk, at the point when the whey separates from the solids; although I do not know if modern milk does that as I cannot eat it.

The acid reacts with the raising agent to create more gas to lift the dough.

azzabazza

Gosh, I think most of you have covered all the cooking tips passed on to me re mint and boiled potatoes, Yorkshire pudding batter etc etc.

My Dad was an avid soup maker. Quarter of a teaspoon of sugar in his lentil soup. A small pinch of curry powder in his parsnip soup. He always blended his soups!

Raksha

4oz plain flour
2 eggs
10 fl oz water and milk mixed
Pinch salt

Heat oven to highest possible temp
Put 1tsp shredded suet in each cup of a muffin tin (metal not silicon) and put it in oven while heating

Make a cup shape in the flour and salt
Break eggs into cup, add 1/4 of the milk and water mix whisk till combined.
Add 1/2 of the rest of the milk mix, whisk again and repeat with the last of the liquid.

When fat is smoking hot carefully remove tin from oven and use a ladle full of batter in each cup. Do this as quickly as possible.

Replace in oven, turn temp down to around 200 degrees and bake for approx 20 mins.

The key is in the extra egg

melanzana

Roux for thickening is brilliant.

Plain flour and real butter. Same amount of each. In a pan,and let it all come together. When it's a caramel colour it's usually done. You can make as much or as little as you wish.

When I make a lot, I freeze cubes of it. Dead handy for adding to recipes that need thickening up, and much easier than adding cornflour and water IMO.

AnnieO1234

Only two I can think of right now, a little salt to onions as they brown will bring out the juices faster, making them sweeter and softer.

If you're frying meatballs or sealing any sort of meat in the pan but find that the meat is beginning to burn, add a little red or white wine vinegar (malt is a little too strong), it will stop the burning, allowing the inside of the meatball to cook without the outside becoming cremated.

blackandwhitebunny

When making meringue, wipe the bowl out with a cut lemon to remove all grease, dry with paper towel and then place the sugar and the egg white in a pottery or glass bowl together and beat until the ribbon stage. Don't bother beating the whites first and adding the sugat a spoon at a time.
Egg whites won't whip in a soft plastic bowl.

rippedoff3

My grandad taught my mum to use SR flour in shortcrust pastry never plain.
Just roll out thinner than you would have and its crumbly and light.

Tillytrotter1

Thanks for posting the recipe Meritaten, I look forward to trying them :-)

Frogletina

JackieO wrote: »

a few grains of salt in the salt celler keeps it from clogging up as the rice absorbs any dampness and keeps the salt dry.

I figured out this tip in the end...:p

JIL

When using dried herbs add them when browning the meat. Takes away the dry taste.
If using a tomato based sauce a half teaspoon of sugar brings out the flavour. Same when frying onions.

Scones- when rolling out. Fold the dough back on itself. Before a quick further roll and cutting. They come out of the oven with a seam to be pulled apart rather than using a knife.

Save scraps of pastry in the freezer and when there's enough grate it and use to top pies.

And kitchen scissors make the best tool for cutting pizza.