Learning to cook is a scary idea for a lot of people, but like anything, if you try to go from zero to expert, it can be daunting. Instead, think of it as being a lot of little lessons learned one at a time.
To get started, here's a list of five key skills that every kitchen beginner should know in order to gain confidence:
1. How To Chop An Onion
The foundation of so many dishes - learning to chop an onion proficiently can speed up dinner preparations no end.
2. How To Boil An Egg
Sounds simple but a perfect, runny yolk can be lost in a moment so timing is key. The period of a boil depends on how solid you want the eggs to be, but it’s always best to start with them at room temperature to avoid undercooking them. For a soft-boiled egg, bring a pan of water to the boil, gently lower the egg into it with a spoon and cook for three to five minutes. For hard-boiled eggs, start in a pan of cold water and bring up to the boil, then cook for seven-10 minutes – the longer you cook, the firmer the egg will be.
3. How To Poach
Not to be confused with boiling, poaching is the art of cooking in a flavored liquid kept at a low simmer. A poached egg is a well-seasoned, supremely moist dish that’s almost impossible to mess up. Poaching allows for more wiggle room to cook a recipe just right, making it a go-to technique for a plump chicken breast or fillets of fish that can easily overcook (or cook unevenly) at high heat.
4. How To Crush Garlic
Garlic is necessary to many recipes, and learning how to crush it with a knife will not only save the hassle of buying and cleaning a garlic crusher, but will give you a smooth paste, which will simply vanish into your dish with no lumps.
5. How To Separate An Egg
Lots of recipes call for only egg whites or yolks, so how do you separate them out? One of the easiest methods is to crack the egg with the blunt side of a knife, open the shell into two halves, and pass the yolk several times between the halves, Letting the white drop down into the bowl beneath before popping the yolk into a separate vessel.
Whether you’re just learning to cook, or have your go-to dinner rotation set in stone, these five tips build the basic foundation that every great cook needs.
To get started, here's a list of five key skills that every kitchen beginner should know in order to gain confidence:
1. How To Chop An Onion
The foundation of so many dishes - learning to chop an onion proficiently can speed up dinner preparations no end.
2. How To Boil An Egg
Sounds simple but a perfect, runny yolk can be lost in a moment so timing is key. The period of a boil depends on how solid you want the eggs to be, but it’s always best to start with them at room temperature to avoid undercooking them. For a soft-boiled egg, bring a pan of water to the boil, gently lower the egg into it with a spoon and cook for three to five minutes. For hard-boiled eggs, start in a pan of cold water and bring up to the boil, then cook for seven-10 minutes – the longer you cook, the firmer the egg will be.
3. How To Poach
Not to be confused with boiling, poaching is the art of cooking in a flavored liquid kept at a low simmer. A poached egg is a well-seasoned, supremely moist dish that’s almost impossible to mess up. Poaching allows for more wiggle room to cook a recipe just right, making it a go-to technique for a plump chicken breast or fillets of fish that can easily overcook (or cook unevenly) at high heat.
4. How To Crush Garlic
Garlic is necessary to many recipes, and learning how to crush it with a knife will not only save the hassle of buying and cleaning a garlic crusher, but will give you a smooth paste, which will simply vanish into your dish with no lumps.
5. How To Separate An Egg
Lots of recipes call for only egg whites or yolks, so how do you separate them out? One of the easiest methods is to crack the egg with the blunt side of a knife, open the shell into two halves, and pass the yolk several times between the halves, Letting the white drop down into the bowl beneath before popping the yolk into a separate vessel.
Whether you’re just learning to cook, or have your go-to dinner rotation set in stone, these five tips build the basic foundation that every great cook needs.