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Cooking:6 tips to considerably improve your dishes

In the kitchen, there are good and bad students. Some do not need to make any effort to create delicious dishes, while others, despite hours of practice, remain at an average level. It is rather to this second category of people that the advice given by the head of The Guardian , Adam Liaw, apply:here are 6 things to avoid to (finally) become a cordon bleu!

1. Season your dishes

This is what will transform a “dull” dish into an “exquisite” dish. Seasoning is understood to mean salty, sweet, sour, bitter and umami, in other words “tasty”. Salting your steak or adding a pinch of sugar to a slightly sour tomato sauce can be key gestures that will completely change the dish.

2. Use spices and herbs wisely

Thinking that herbs and spices make food taste better can be a big mistake. They can be useful for “sharping up” a dish, but will never make an average dish good – rather, they will tend to make it even worse. So no, we don't tell ourselves that the more spices there are, the better it will be, and we keep a light hand on the ten small multicolored jars placed in the corner of the worktop.

3. Not staying in your comfort zone

The average family only cooks 5 different dishes, and repeats them over and over. Having new ideas is beneficial because it avoids making the same mistakes. The motto:go elsewhere. The expert says he was inspired by Spanish dishes to improve his way of cooking Chinese food, and techniques specific to starred restaurants for the preparation of a simple family barbecue. To learn is to change the way you cook, and therefore, to improve it considerably.

4. Use a sharp blade

In other words, you have to know how to handle and above all sharpen a knife. Cooking is about creating texture, and a good sharp knife will produce nice, thin, even pieces to retain the delicate texture of food. A point not to be underestimated according to the expert!

5. Use enough oil

Fat, as we know, is to be avoided as much as possible. But we must not forget that it is essential for good cooking:it is good, it brings flavor, and it is practical. A well-oiled pan brings even heat to the food and allows you to create slightly more browned and crispy spots here and there. And of course, thanks to the oil, nothing sticks to the bowls! Cooking without fat is like driving without a tire according to Adam Liaw… and you don't want to end up without a tire, do you?!

6. Be patient

Waiting a little before tasting your dish can have many advantages. Thus, it is not recommended to serve a stew before the meat has had time to tenderize or a sauce before letting it rest so that it concentrates its flavor. Who comes at the right time to who knows how to wait, they say... Patience!