Cooking is a pleasure although, for many, it may not seem like it. But it is true that the worst enemy of a dish is rushing. And we know a lot about that today. To almost everything we do we add a little haste and lack of time. We have thought that if we locate the mistakes we make when cooking when we are in a hurry, it will be easier to avoid them and thus we will ensure that our dishes will turn out well even when the clock is ticking.
And who better than a professional cook, accustomed not only to cooking at home but also to the pressure of a restaurant when everything has to be done on time, to guide us. Mari Nieves Gómez Otegui, from @cucharhadas, has put aside the clock to detail those mistakes, the things we do wrong when preparing dishes in a hurry. And she knows a lot about that because she is also a gastronomic consultant…
Not Washing Your Hands
Mistake. “One of the most common and important mistakes when cooking in a hurry is not washing your hands,” says Mari Nieves Gómez in the first place, heading the list. Bacteria are in our hands and we have to avoid contaminating food as the result could take its toll on health. So go into the kitchen and wash your hands before you start.
Fry The Meat Without Letting It Warm
Surely this situation sounds familiar to you: you buy meat and keep it in the fridge. When it’s time to cook it, you take the package out of the fridge, open the tray or package, and it goes straight into the pan. ” This sudden change in temperature does not allow the meat to be tender. In fact, it is drier,” explains the cook, who also points out the solution: “Avoid it by leaving the meat out of the fridge – at room temperature – for at least 15 minutes before cooking. The dish will be more tender and juicy.”
Cook Frozen Foods
“We think that if we put frozen food on the heat it will thaw and cook at the same time,” she says. But it is another mistake we make when cooking in a hurry. “Chicken, fish, or meat may have the appearance of being cooked, but once you cut them you will see that they are raw and cold in the center; as well as dry and with a chewy texture,” concludes Mari Nieves.
If we organize ourselves well, we can take the products out of the freezer in time to have an optimal result, and thus we will ensure that they cook evenly. You may have little time and be in a hurry at the time of cooking something, but it is no excuse to organize yourself to get what you are going to prepare on time.
Not Measuring The Quantities Of Ingredients
“Cooking by eye and not measuring the ingredients before starting a recipe can lead to disastrous results. Many recipes are exact formulas to obtain specific results, such as a bechamel where the amount of flour and butter are the same and if we don’t do it that way, may not suit us”, explains the gastronomic consultant.
Fry Food When The Oil Is Not Very Hot
Here the rush also plays against the good result. Have you ever wondered why fried foods are too greasy and not very crispy? Here is the answer and a mistake we make when we don’t know or are in a hurry: “We don’t wait long enough for the oil to be hot. The result is croquettes or potatoes with excess fat. To avoid this and to know that the oil is ready, add a little breadcrumb to the oil and, “if it bubbles, it’s ready to have a perfect fry,” warns the cook.
Mix The Egg With The Very Hot Potato When Making An Omelette
Another mistake that Mari Nieves highlights is about a typical dish of Spanish gastronomy: “Due to lack of time, we don’t wait for the potato to cool down a bit when adding it to the egg, and the egg is a very delicate food. You could spoil its texture by subjecting it to a sudden change in temperature. In addition, when mixing, we could cause the egg to curdle and the tortilla to dry out since the egg has a low cooking point and can easily stick and pass.”
Not Drying Meat Before Cooking
The meat is usually moist or wet from storage in the fridge. So many times directly, without thinking about it, we cook it fried or grilled, just as it is. It is a mistake that we make due to lack of time or because we do not know. ” If we want a golden fillet with a tender interior, we must dry it well on both sides so that the water does not block the caramelization”, indicates Mari Nieves. So now you know, have some kitchen paper handy to dry the food, also the fish and even the vegetables if they go directly to the grill. It won’t take you more than a few seconds.
Fry All The Ingredients Of A Sofrito At The Same Time
Yes, as you read it, it is a mistake. But maybe you didn’t know either. “A good sofrito is one of the key ingredients in many preparations, so we must cook it patiently and without much haste. We cannot add all the ingredients at the same time because they would cook unevenly. Some would burn and others would remain raw. We must add them in the following order so that the sauce is perfect: first the onion, then the garlic and peppers and, lastly, the tomato, which is the ingredient that releases the most water and always over low heat”, explains the kitchen expert in detail.
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