Five habits do more for everyday cooking than most gadgets: seasoning in stages, heating the pan properly, finishing with acid, letting food settle, and using the freezer well. Each tip below is drawn from the cooking and food-safety sources linked at the end. We have not cooked with these methods ourselves, so treat the timings as the sources’ guidance and adjust them to your stove and pans.
1. Season in stages and taste as you go
A chef quoted in The Globe and Mail advises adding salt at each step, for example to the onions, then the vegetables, then the liquid, and again at the end, tasting along the way. Waiting until the end, he says, gives you “only salt†on the surface. The same article gives two cautions. Liquids concentrate as they simmer, so season more lightly early in a dish that will reduce. And salty ingredients such as soy sauce, miso or fish sauce add salt of their own, so adjust accordingly.
2. Heat the pan, then the fat, then the food
Food Network’s guidance for stainless steel pans is to warm the pan dry for one to two minutes over medium or medium-low heat, not high, since high heat breaks down the fat barrier. Add oil to the hot pan and let it heat until it shimmers and moves like water, then add the food. If the food does not release when you try to move it, give it another minute. Take meat out of the fridge about 15 minutes before cooking. This advice is for stainless steel pans specifically.
3. Finish with a little acid
The Culinary Institute of America’s blog says acid brightens a dish and can balance something bland or too rich, and notes that lemon juice can act on a dish much as salt does. It suggests a squeeze or drizzle just before serving, or adding vinegar, wine or tomato early after the aromatics so it cooks down and builds the base. Add a little at a time and taste, because too much can overpower the dish. The Globe and Mail chef adds that acidity can reduce how much salt a dish needs.
4. Let stews and curries settle
BBC Science Focus explains why stews and curries are often better the next day. Collagen in meat turns to gelatine between 71 and 96 degrees Celsius and keeps doing so for about half an hour after the pot leaves the heat. Free liquid also soaks into starch and carries flavour with it. The article also reports that the chef J. Kenji Lopez-Alt found little difference in side-by-side tastings, and suggests we may simply get used to cooking smells during a long cook. So a short rest off the heat before serving is reasonable, but do not expect miracles. For safe cooling and storage of leftovers, follow your national food safety authority, such as the USDA or the UK Food Standards Agency.
5. Use the freezer for batches
USDA guidance says food kept at 0 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 18 Celsius) stays safe, with quality declining over time. For best quality, freeze food while it is fresh, seal it to limit air and moisture, and freeze it quickly. Freezer burn is a quality problem from moisture loss and does not make food unsafe by itself. Food thawed in the refrigerator can generally be refrozen without cooking, though quality may suffer; food thawed in cold water or the microwave should be cooked before it is refrozen. Freeze sauces, bases and doughs in portion-sized bags so you can thaw just what you need.
Sources
- The Globe and Mail: 4 ways to season your food like a top chef
- Food Network: How to prevent food from sticking to your stainless steel skillet
- CIA Foodies: Why add acid to food?
- BBC Science Focus: Why does bolognese, stew and curry taste better the next day?
- Foodsafety.org: USDA guide on freezing and food safety
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