Whether you are an accomplished or novice chef, there is one thing that every single one of them have in common; we all end up making mistakes in the kitchen at some point. It is a human thing to do and there is no need to be disappointed. But, you don’t want to have a disaster on your hands because of some mistake. If you want to avoid any cringe-worthy moments, Ido Fishman has outlined some of the common cooking mistakes to avoid:
- You don’t let the meat sit once its cooked
In the culinary world, every expert chef like Ido Fishman, will tell you that this is regarded as a cardinal sin. No matter how tempting it may be, you shouldn’t cut into the beautifully-marbled meat that you have just taken off the grill. You need to wait at least 5 minutes so the juices distribute. Your taste buds will definitely be thanking you later.
- You don’t taste as you cook
Sure, there is no harm in being confident in your cooking, but not tasting your food while you cook is a definite no-no. Even if you are following the exact recipe, you still need to taste from the get go and throughout the process.
- You overcrowd the pan
This is another golden rule and Ido Fishman suggests that you don’t break it if you don’t want the outcome to be ruined. If your pan is overcrowded, it leads to uneven heat distribution. Rather than stuffing a single pan, it is better to make the food in two batches.
- You keep on flipping on the grill constantly
Do you know how many times you should flip a piece of meat on the grill? Only once. This is all you need for getting a beautiful and nice sear.
- You add more stuff to save a bad dish
It is natural for kitchen experiments to go wrong. It can happen to the top chefs as well, but Ido Fishman suggests that you learn to scrap a bad dish every now and then. This is all part and parcel of the creative process that is cooking and you shouldn’t waste more food in order to try and save a bad dish.
- You over or under-season
Getting aggressive with salt, or other seasonings, is very easy. You can dilute it by using acid like vinegar or lemon juice, or water. Under-seasoning is just as bad as over seasoning. Therefore, it is always recommended that you taste your dishes before serving.
- You cook fish, chicken or beef directly after taking it out of the fridge
Ido Fishman recommends that you let the meat sit for about half an hour before you start cooking it. Allow it to reach room temperature first, as this will give you more even cooking. This is the best way to ensure that you don’t end up with a medium-well steak when you need a medium-rare one.
- You take the easy way out
It is extremely easy to buy highly processed, ‘ready-made’ junk. But, Chef Ido Fishman says that nothing comes close to the real thing. You should buy all natural and real ingredients from the local farmers where possible.
- You add excessive heat
Who doesn’t like spicy foods? But, it is extremely easy to overdo the spice. You can neutralize the heat by adding a little lemon juice, water, or salt.
- You don’t know the cooking time of your kitchen appliances
Everyone has faced this dilemma at some point. It takes some time for people to get used to their appliances, particularly when they are new. It takes practice for you to get used to them. Take some time out to figure out all necessary details and you can avoid any disasters.
Ido Fishman advises that you stay away from these mistakes if you want to have a great cooking experience.