8 Common Cooking Mistakes

INGREDIENTS

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Mistake # 1: You don’t read the recipe in its entirety

The result: If a recipe is read in bits and pieces, it’s
very easy to miss an ingredient or step. Either will
lead to a culinary disaster.

How to correct it:

Simple – read the recipe from top to bottom to ensure
that you have all the ingredients and are familiar with
each step. It could also be worth your while to check
that all the listed ingredients appear in the recipe.

Mistake # 2: You cook meat straight from the fridge

The result: The meat cooks unevenly, with the inside
still rare or raw by the time the outside is done. By the
time the inside is cooked, the outside will be
overdone.

How to correct it:

Defrost meat by moving it from the freezer to the
fridge. Once it’s defrosted, let it sit at room
temperature for 15 to 30 minutes. This goes for red
meat as well as chicken.

Mistake # 3: You do everything with one type of oil

The result: The oil loses its taste, starts to smoke
when it gets too hot or infuses food with its flavours.

How to correct it: Not all oils are created equally.
While some can handle heat well, others are more
suited to be used uncooked.

Olive oil, despite its popularity, is actually not the best
oil to cook with. It works much better as a salad
dressing.

Coconut oil, on the other hand, is perfect to cook with
as it can withstand high heats. To add Asian flavours
to your food, get sesame oil for your kitchen
cupboard.

Mistake # 4: You don’t let the pan get hot enough
before adding the food

The result: Food that sticks to the pan and pale pieces
of meat.

How to correct it:

Don’t rush the process. Heat your pan or pot for a
good couple of minutes before adding the oil and
food. This will ensure that veggies are sautéed
properly, that chicken and steak get nice and brown
and that nothing sticks to the cookware.

Mistake # 5: You turn the food too often

The result: The food doesn’t sear or brown and it
sticks to the pan. If you’re doing crumbed chicken
breasts, the crumbs don’t stick.

How to correct it:

You just have to be patient; even when you’re in a
hurry. To test whether the meat or chicken is ready to
be turned, try to lift it with a spatula. If the spatula
doesn’t easily slide under the piece of meat, it’s not
ready to be turned.

Mistake # 6: You overcrowd the pot or pan

The result: Soggy meat that refuses to brown.

How to correct it:

If you have quite a bit of meat to cook, split it over two
pots or pans. There has to be spaces between the
pieces of meat so that moisture can escape. If the
steam has no place to go, it ‘sits’ on the meat. It’s this
that causes the meat to be soggy.

Mistake # 7: You boil instead of simmer

The result: Meat that is tough and dry

How to correct it:

Learn the difference between simmering and boiling,
and then stick to what the recipe says. Simmering is
when bubbles comes to the surface every second or
two; boiling is when the water is bubbling rapidly.

Mistake # 8: You don’t taste as you go

The result: A dish that just doesn’t taste right.

How to correct it:

Taste to your heart’s content! You might want to add
more salt or sugar to a meal than what was
prescribed in the recipe. Or perhaps an ingredient is
off. The only way you’ll discover any of this is by
sampling your dish.

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