Although I’m still reluctant to call myself a “chef”, I feel that I have learned some very valuable cooking lessons from my time in the kitchen. Whether it be in a cooking role, or back when I worked as waiter, there are a few crucial things that every home cook should know.
Here are my top 10 chef tips:
- Always taste your food. This is something that I tell my wife and kids all time: “never serve a plate unless you’ve tasted it first“. Over time you’ll be able to quickly identify missing elements in your flavour profile and correct them before disaster strikes.
- Use fresh, local ingredients as much as possible. Even with rising food costs it’s important to buy the best ingredients available. This means sourcing local wares that are both fresh and in season. For most, local farmers markets are a great place to start.
- Invest in the right kitchen tools. Having the right equipment – even some of the more “specialized” stuff – will allow a home chef to evolve and expand their repertoire. Check out these previous blogs for inspiration: Essential Kitchen Tools and Next Level Specialty Tools.
- Be prepared – invest time. I’ve written another blog about the importance of mise en place, but I can’t stress this one enough. Advanced preparation and planning will save valuable time and avoid potential catastrophe in the kitchen.
- Follow the recipe. With some exceptions, gone are the days where you throw a bunch of ingredients together in a pot and boil the hell out of them. Now, more than ever, dishes are layered and require multiple, precise steps in order to bring them together.
- Experiment always. Some of the most memorable dishes I’ve tasted have been the ones where I’ve scratched my head and said “who thinks of that?”. Although this seems to conflict with #5, never be afraid to try something new – you’ll be surprised at what you might come up with.
- Always pre-salt food. In contrast to early chef teachings, most people now generally agree that foods should be pre-salted. This includes all types of meat – beef, chicken, pork, and fish/seafood – as well as vegetables. Salt acts as a tenderizer for your meat and will result in a finished product that is both juicier and more flavourful. A simple guide to salting can be found here.
- Rest your meat. In similarity to pre-salting, resting any type of meat is also key to creating a great dish. Resting allows the juices to relax and redistribute throughout the meat. Some say that the general rule is to rest your meat for half the time it took to cook it. For me, a general rule for steak is to rest for a least 10 minutes before serving, while larger cuts or whole portions (like turkey) should rest much longer.
- Invest in salt. Gone are the days where our bodies need regular iodine in order to avoid iodine deficiency. As a result, avoid using regular table salt and instead go with a good quality Maldon, sea, or Kosher salt. You’ll see marked improvements in your recipes and will avoid all that unnecessary iodine.
- Make from scratch. As much you as you can, try making common food items like tomato sauce, soups, and condiments from scratch. I guarantee that this is easier than you think, and the results will take your recipes to the next level.
These tips have served me well over the years and I hope that they will help you too.
