Cooking

Make your own stock

Chefs ensure their stock is rich and flavorful and this is the reason why many home-cooked dishes don’t taste as good as restaurant ones. A mix of slow-roasted and raw meat and/or poultry bones make the best stock, along with fresh vegetables or scraps (onions, carrots, celery), seasoning and a couple of bay leaves, and lots of water. Bring to a boil in a large pan then simmer on a low heat for a few hours – four or more isn’t unusual. If you're vegetarian, don't despair: homemade vegetarian stocks can lift your dishes just as well (try this recipe).

Start blanching

Blanching involves cooking vegetables in boiling water for a few minutes (depending on the variety) before plunging them into an ice bath. This method stops the vegetables overcooking, they’ll retain their crispy texture and colour, and it removes bitterness from certain varieties. Blanching also seals in flavour and vitamins. The blanched vegetables can then be cooked more or warmed later, if necessary, and even frozen.

Test cooked vegetables

A quick way to test whether vegetables are cooked through is to use a metal skewer that you’d use to see if a cake is baked. If it goes through with ease the vegetables are done

Take your mash to the next level

Homemade mash doesn’t live up to restaurant mash? Yours probably has half the calories but tastes half as good. Chefs have differing methods but generally agree that potatoes should be brought up to heat for even cooking (don’t add them to boiling water); liberal amounts of butter or cream (or both) are necessary; and mash should be hand-whisked (don’t overdo it). Don’t forget to season as you go.

Get your chopsticks at the ready

Master chopstick skills to look like a pro when making Asian food. Chopsticks are used in many Asian restaurant kitchens to turn or move around stir-fried foods during cooking. (They can also be used to pick out eggshell pieces that have dropped into the mix.

Cut mango with ease

Mangoes can be a pesky fruit to prep but professionals know how to do it without fuss or waste. Cut the mango in half (on each side of the stone), slice grids into each half then invert the fruit. Mango cubes pop up – these can then be sliced off.

Master an omelette

Master one omelette recipe and you can use it as the base for endless variations. Jamie Oliver’s perfect omelette method starts with a 7-inch non-stick pan on a medium heat, with enough olive oil and butter to coat the bottom. Then whisk three eggs, season and add to the pan. For the first 20 seconds or so fold in the mixture from the sides. Move the liquid around so the bottom of the pan is covered then leave to cook on a low heat for no more than a minute. Shake the pan gently to dislodge the omelette, fold each side in with a spatula, and put on a plate.

Don't forget that practice makes perfect

Chefs don’t become professional overnight. They practice and practice, making mistakes along the way. Most of all they’re prepared, use the right ingredients and utensils, and don’t change or add to a recipe until they’ve perfected it first.

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