Anyone who’s feeling adventurous enough when delving into the world of gastronomy, needs to make sure to arm themselves with great cooking hacks. To complement our previous blog, we thought it would be a great idea to share some more pearls of wisdom. So, without further ado, here’s a run-down of some of the most practical cooking tricks that can benefit you – regardless of your skill level or lack thereof.
1. Use a spoon to peel fresh eggs more quickly
In the off-chance you just have to eat some boiled eggs right now and you only have fresh ones, add a pinch of salt in the boiling water, then use a spoon to crack one end slightly and start peeling the shell from the inside. It’s extremely quick and easy.
2. When making poached eggs…
Soak eggs in white vinegar for several minutes to guarantee creating the perfect poached eggs. Be sure to keep the eggs in a consistent shape when boiling them in water. A simple, trick to ensure that the egg whites keep a consistent shape is to soak them in white vinegar for some minutes before cracking them open.
3. Baking bacon
Weave bacon strips into a square shape and bake them in the oven. Interestingly, and contrary to popular belief, bacon is cooked much more evenly in the oven than in a frying pan, and to go a step further, you can weave them into a square shape first. It’s a great shape for making sandwiches, and you won’t have chunks falling out.
4. Grill your fish on top of lemon slices
Fish will tend to stick and even break up when placed on the grill, but if you put it on top of lemon slices and grill it like that, it’ll be much easier to prepare, and will get that palatable, zesty flavour.
5. Cool soda or beer to cool fast
So, you’ve got guests arriving any minute, and your beverages are all lukewarm, what on earth should you do? Cool them down, of course! How, you ask? Well, all you have to do is take a few wet paper towels and wrap them around the bottles before throwing them in the freezer. And voilà, your drinks will be cooled in a jiffy!
6. Enjoy opening oysters easily
Microwave oysters for 10-20 seconds to make them much easier to open. Oysters can require quite a bit of brute force to crack open, and you don’t want to be pressing hard on something with a knife and risk having it cut you open instead! The simple solution is to pop them into the microwave, which loosens them up and allows you to open them using much less vigour.
7. Make stale bread fresh …again!
If all you’ve got is a baguette or a loaf of bread that’s getting a bit stale, but you don’t have time to run to the grocery shop and get some more, just run it through some water and put it in the oven for 5-10 minutes. And before you know it, you have fresh and crunchy bread! Alternatively, wrap it in a damp towel and pop it in the oven. Both techniques will render a crunchy, “freshly baked” result.
8. Create edible chocolate dessert cups
Who doesn’t love chocolate? How about edible chocolate cups? We’re pretty sure we’ve caught your attention with that one, right? Drip chocolate over a balloon to melt some chocolate into a bowl and then dip an inflated balloon in it so that the chocolate sticks all around it in a semi-circular shape. Once it’s cooled down, just pop the balloon and take it out. And just like that, you have a chocolate bowl to serve your dessert in.
9. Use two plates to slice cherry tomatoes
If you’re making a salad and need to chop a whole bunch of cherry tomatoes in half, just trap them between two plates and slice through them with a knife. You can slice a dozen or more of them in one smooth motion.
With a hint of patience and a dash of know-how, you can really improve your cooking game, and perhaps even get you interested in further developing your new-found talent. Who knows? Before you can say Bon Appétit, you’ll become the master of your kitchen, cooking up decent meals and flaunting your brand-new skills in front of family and friends. And perhaps, dare we say, you might even start wowing your guests at luncheons and dinner parties…
We really hope we’ve helped you with the above culinary tips. But hey! If you still feel you need some more time to become more well-versed within this realm, fret not! Book your table at Sciacca Grill. Our skilled chefs will definitely create a dish that will inspire you, before trying your hand at your rusty kitchen abilities.
For more information or to book your table, click here.