Foodfindsasia.com | 6 Secrets to Perfecting Any Dish | The pandemic has compelled us to try our cooking skills in the kitchen since most of the restaurants are closed. And with the economic decline, there is no way you can afford takeout every night. Even if you can afford to eat out, cooking your meals at home is a sure way to indulge in healthy meals. And just because you aren’t eating from your favorite restaurant doesn’t mean your meals have to be bland. There are many expert secrets to help you become a culinary expert and make your meals more flavorful. And once you learn the art of adding flavors to your dishes, cooking will become an enjoyable activity for you. So tie your apron and sharpen your knife because we are about to share some secrets to make your dishes flavorful.
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- Taste throughout the cooking process
The reason why your dishes lack flavor is that they lack the ingredients that add flavor. Unless you have been cooking for years, you can’t know the spice and ingredient quantities. But if you keep testing the flavors throughout the cooking process, you will automatically know what you need to add. If nothing else, your dishes will stop lacking salt and pepper.
- Make your compound butter
We all know that sautéing your herbs in the butter is a difficult task for beginner level cooks. These herbs can often get over-cooked if you don’t know when to stop. But you can avoid this problem by mixing your herbs in softened butter and freezing it. By doing this, your butter will get infused with herb flavors. This way, you can avoid burning your herbs and add the rich flavor boost you needed for your dishes.
- You can be flexible with recipes
As a beginner cook, food recipes will work as your guide and saviors when you have no idea how to cook. You can find many easy recipes on the internet that will teach you cooking methods and ingredient ratios. But recipes are not a strict codex. You are a better judge of what you like, so feel free to be flexible and make additions or reductions according to your taste. It is all a part of trusting your instincts and taste buds. For example, if you don’t like onions, you can skip them. If a recipe needs cream, you can look for alternatives to give you the same or equally good results. If you have any allergies or intolerance, then alter the recipe to fit your needs.
- Infuse your oils
Every oil has a unique flavor that contributes to the overall flavor of your dish. You don’t have to necessarily use expensive olive oil or infused oils to add the flavor. Instead, you can infuse your own, adding dry herbs in them. To do so, use oils such as extra virgin olive oil, canola oil, or peanut oil and put them in a jar filled with herbs. Preserve it in a jar in a cool, dark area for a couple of weeks. After that, strain your oil and use it in your dishes. It will give your meals the restaurant like flavor your miss.
- Use high-quality broth
The taste of your dishes heavily depends upon the broth you use. So always use a high-quality broth and taste it before you use it. The store-bought stock is a quick fix, but it is still better to make your broth. To do so, save vegetable and meat bones and scrapes and freeze them in different containers. When you have enough quantity, toss them in a pot and fill it with water and leave it to simmer on low heat. You can then store this broth in the fridge or freeze it for long term usage. This homemade broth will add a warm and rich flavor to your dishes, and you will find uses for it for many meals.
- Salt early
If you add salt to your dish when cooked or almost cooked, it will taste salty and not seasoned. So make sure you add salt in the early stages. Add salt when you season the meat before cooking it, and sprinkle a little more when you deglaze it. Add salt before you frying or marinating in the early stages. That way, other flavors will build upon the salty taste and create beautiful layers of seasoning, sure to please your senses.
Conclusion
Cooking is an art, and anyone can become an artist if you use the correct tips. The tips we have compiled will help you retain more flavor, taste, and richness in your dishes. And before you know it, you will start preferring homemade meals over restaurant meals. So follow these tips and enjoy your healthy homemade meals with your friends and family.
