cooking 'tips' you learned and want to pass on

amanda47

MrsAtobe wrote: »

Leave your Yorkshire pudding batter to rest for half an hour before pouring it into the preheated tin - it rises far better that way.

Use parmesan in anything cheesy, you can use far less other cheese for the same taste. A teaspoon of parmesan is all you need to make a cheese omelette.

Put dark chocolate and a pinch or so of smoked paprika into your chilli, you won't believe the difference in the taste.

Delia's recipe for carrot cake doesn't need the icing, it's gorgeous just with the syrup spooned over it.

If your non stick baking trays are losing their non-stick coating, buy the Teflon liners.

This sounds lovely, how much dark chocolate please think I'll make this later.

Emm-in-a-pickle

This isn`t my own tip, I read it on OS a few years ago -
SWEDE - don`t peel & chop & risk losing your fingers - cook it in microwave and then just scoop it out.
It tastes much nicer than when steamed or boiled, too, and the woody bits get left behind with the skin.

When I first started doing this, I used to just nuke it till it went soft, but as we use quite a lot of swede I get a couple of smaller ones and alternate them in microwave, and found that wrapping the hot `resting` swede in foil meant less microwave time.

lobbyludd

all quite basic, but

baked potatoes: pr!ck all over with a fork, smooth oil over them and shake a pinch of salt, cover in tin foil cook until soft in a medium oven. this crisps them up nicely - this can also work with ones you've microwaved first (but pat with a tea towel first to remove surface water/dampness).

roast potatoes: par-boil first, drain water and but back on heat moving pan a lot to drive all the water from the surface before putting in to the roasting pan with hot fat. fluffy on inside crispy on outside.

cook roast chicken in a proper lidded enamel roasting tin, remove lid half hour from the end: perfect and moist every single time, plus all the lovely juices to make gravy (as above poster has said with a roux).

mashed potato can thicken a sauce if you are avoiding fat or are coeliac and don't want to make a roux.

vegetables are tastiest lightly boiled (can't abide the idea of sugar in them!).

chilli's, bolognaise etc work best if the meat is browned and then cooked very slowly for a long time. even better the next day that the first. and a spoonful of coffee in a bolognaise gives more depth.

keep a vanilla pod in some caster sugar for making cakes: cheaper than adding vanilla to all - and much nicer flavour than either extract or false vanilla (also works with lavender for lavender shortbread etc)

davenport151

lobbyludd wrote: »

roast potatoes: par-boil first, drain water and but back on heat moving pan a lot to drive all the water from the surface before putting in to the roasting pan with hot fat. fluffy on inside crispy on outside.

Exactly this BUT I also shake the potatoes in the pan with the lid on to fluffy them up some more. I then add about a tablespoon of flour and do the same again. When I put them into the hot fat I turn them so the are covered in oil.
Another tip is to at this point let them cool and refrigerate when cold then cook from the fridge later on.

Thanks for the tip for the yorkies though I have not tried this before. I also make mine ahead and often in the morning as when making a roast it spreads the jobs (as with the above hint for the roasties).

Homeagain

topsyturphy wrote: »

If your using cloves of garlic, you don't need to peel them before you put them into a garlic crush, the skin stays in the garlic crusher and just the fresh garlic goes into your cooking.

Have just tried this - works like a bomb - thank you!

WantToBeSE

When boiling eggs, just bring to the boil, turn off hob and let them stand in the pan for 10mins. They'll be perfectly boiled

MrsE_2

JIL wrote: »

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

I like that one:beer:

Ladyluck1

lobbyludd wrote: »

keep a vanilla pod in some caster sugar for making cakes: cheaper than adding vanilla to all - and much nicer flavour than either extract or false vanilla (also works with lavender for lavender shortbread etc)

I LOVE my vanilla sugar! It flavours it so much. Everyone should do this

maman

maman wrote: »

Thanks for the sauce tip. I do mine in the microwave but put everything in from the start and it's a bit random whether it's lumpy or not.

ostrichnomore wrote: »

It's easy to make white sauce in a microwave - guaranteed no lumps and no continuous stirring. It's the only thing I actually 'cook' in mine. Use a pyrex type jug (see through). Put butter in and nuke for around 10 seconds till it's melted/almost melted. Stir in flour and nuke again for 30 seconds.. Add all the milk, stirring the butter/flour sludge through it well but don't worry too much. Nuke for one minute. Stir again scraping up any butter/flour sludge that's sunk to bottom and at this stage I whisk briefly by putting balloon whisk in jug and twirling between hands (seen people making fire with sticks? Like that) Just for 10 seconds or so. Back in microwave and nuke until you see the sauce start to rise up the sides of the jug. Done. Perfect every time.

I did your recipe for white sauce tonight and it worked a treat. Had to fiddle about bit as I was guessing a small quantity but I'm hooked.


Thank you so much.:A

Eenymeeny

A dollop of bovril (about half a tablespoonful according to taste!) added to stews, casseroles etc adds a lovely deep, meaty flavour.
A tub of pease pudding added to vegetable soup helps to thicken it and adds more protein. ( I keep a couple of tubs in the freezer, very handy for when I've forgotten to add lentils or split peas or am in a hurry) You can also get it in tins if fresh isn't available.