5 really useful cooking tips


5 really useful cooking tips
Cooking is about recipes, of course, but it is also an impressive collection of small gestures, ways of doing things, knowing what to do and what not to do.

All these little tips and tricks can be very important: they can affect the way a recipe turns out, simply because you did just the right thing at the right time.

I'm starting here with a series of 5 very effective tips. I hope they will help make life – and cooking – easier for you…
21 K 4.9/5 (15 reviews)
Grade this page:
Last modified on: March 29th 2016
For this post: Comment Follow Send to a friend
5 really useful cooking tips

1) When melting butter, cut it into small pieces first

Don't:
When you put butter to melt in a hot pan, it is easy just to put in the required weight as a whole lump, without thinking.
This is not the way to do it, as a large lump of butter will start to melt around the outside. It will then start to burn before the middle has even melted.

Melted butter

Do:
It is better to cut the butter into small pieces before putting it in the pan. Then it will melt more evenly without burning.

Melted butter in small pieces


2) Don't try to pick out a bit of eggshell with your fingers

When breaking eggs for an omelette, sometimes a bit of eggshell falls into the bowl.
Don't:
It is no use trying to catch it with your fingers – the viscosity of the egg white makes this almost impossible.

Broken eggshell

Do:
Take a broken half shell and use this like a spoon to pick out the small piece of eggshell – you'll find it works very well.

Eggshell as spoon


3) Pastry in a flat cake, rather than a ball

Don't:
Although many recipes tell you to do it, you should NOT gather sweetcrust or shortcrust into a ball. When cooled, it becomes brittle in a ball and tends to crack.

Pastry in ball

Do:

Gather the pastry into a large flattish cake. This will be much easier to roll out after it has been refrigerated.

Pastry in flattish cake


4) Grill your bacon

Don't:
When cooking bacon, avoid frying the rashers in a pan as they will shrink and become tough.

Bacon in frying pan

Do:
Cook them under the grill on a wire grid to allow the excess fat to drain off.

Bacon in the oven


5) Squeeze a lemon over your hand

Don't
When adding lemon juice to a recipe, it is easiest just to squeeze half a lemon over the pan or bowl.
But this is how we end up with pips in the recipe, which is not what we want.
Squeezed lemon

Do:
Squeeze the lemon with one hand, holding the other hand underneath to strain out any pips that fall. Hold your fingers just far enough apart to let the juice flow through, but not the pips.
Squeezed lemon with hand


Lasts posts
Travel cakes
Travel cakes
You may have come across the term "travel cakes" ("gateaux de voyage" in french) for certain pastries, so let's take a look at what they're all about.
January 27th 20252,346
The aromatic power of sugar
The aromatic power of sugar
In the kitchen, sugar doesn't just sweeten, it also has an exceptional ability to capture flavors. Combined with aromatic ingredients, such as citrus zest, it acts as a veritable sponge for aromas. By taking the time to let the sugar soak up the flavors, you can transform your desserts, making...
December 25th 20242,7115
The little trap of thick cream
The little trap of thick cream
When you need to add cream to a recipe, you might be wondering: thick (heavy) cream or liquid cream? In most cases, there's no big difference: you can use either. But there is one exception, and that's when the cream needs to be cooked, for a sauce for example, and here the difference between...
December 13th 20243,1945
Sauce and salad: When and how to mix them?
Sauce and salad: When and how to mix them?
When dressing a salad, there's a kind of golden rule: add the dressing very shortly before serving, especially if your salad contains crunchy elements such as croutons or fresh vegetables, which will retain their crunchiness or crispiness. But, as is often the case in the kitchen, there are...
November 29th 20243,3305
No need to boil gelatin
No need to boil gelatin
Gelatin is a magical ingredient for making light, creamy, structured desserts, yet it's often misused in the kitchen. A common mistake in some recipes is the idea that it needs to be boiled for it to work properly, but this is a mistake indeed: gelatin melts at a much lower temperature, around...
November 21th 20243,2855
Other pages you may also like
What is the difference between bakery and patisserie?
What is the difference between bakery and patisserie?
This is a question that you may well have asked yourself and which I will attempt to answer. In France the two trades of "boulangerie" (bakery) and "pâtisserie" (patisserie and confectionery) have always been quite distinct, but where exactly do the boundaries lie? .
February 7th 2017127 K 14.1
The beautiful story of the croissants
The beautiful story of the croissants
As you may have already noticed, cooking, baking and pastry-making are full of stories or legends, usually very romantic, about this or that product or recipe. This is often the case for named recipes, for example tarte tatin, peach melba, paris-brest and many others, but it also applies to very...
October 10th 201815 K5
Cream and sauces
Cream and sauces
Have you ever wondered why making beautiful tasty sauces is so easy when you use cream? .
October 15th 201219 K4.4
Candied fruits: don't get ripped off
Candied fruits: don't get ripped off
Do you like candied fruit? You might like to nibble a handful or add it to a recipe, like a classic fruit cake or delicious Italian specialities like panettone or sicilian epiphany pie.
June 21th 201761 K 24.2
The bitterness of endives
The bitterness of endives
As I write these lines, we are entering the endive season, and if you like it, it's time to enjoy it, if possible with your local producers. Endive is good, but the reproach that is often made of it, and children in particular, is: "It's bitter! And it is (somewhat) true of course, endives...
February 9th 201911 K4.9
Post a comment or question
Posted by:
I am not a leaving thing
Follow this page (as 2 people already do)
If you are interested in this page, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the page is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
I am not a leaving thing
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.

Back to top of page