Most of us love watching tutorials and videos featuring professional chefs. While these videos are meant to instruct us how to replicate what they’re doing, we tend to assume that we’d never be able to create the same mouthwatering dishes in our own home kitchens.
While mastering the techniques of professional chefs can be challenging, it’s not impossible. It simply takes the right knowledge and the right techniques. Here are the restaurant hacks that you need in your home kitchen.
A Place For Everything and Everything In Its Place
You probably heard your mother saying this a lot when you were growing up, perhaps during her attempts to get you to clean your messy room. While it might sound like boring old “Mom advice,” it’s actually essential in a restaurant kitchen. Professional chefs understand the importance of knowing where everything goes, especially when they’re working on a dish where two minutes spent trying to find a lost utensil could result in something being charred or burned. If you have an island in your kitchen, consider adding professional strength bakery casters. These are basically wheels that will allow you to move it where you need it, which makes preparing meals a whole lot easier.
Invest In Knives
You don’t need that thousand dollar food processor or a specially imported toaster. Even pricey pots and pans can be a dubious investment, as many of the world’s greatest chefs use fairly simple cookware. However, the one tool that no chef is willing to compromise is a fantastic set of sharp knives. A sharp knife can be the difference between a cut of meat that’s seared to perfection or mangled and burnt to a crisp. You’ll be amazed at what a serious improvement a professional set of knives will make to your dishes.
Practice Makes Perfect
Great chefs don’t learn everything they need to know at culinary school. Instead, much of their knowledge comes from actual experience on the job. If you only cook on special occasions, you’re not likely to become a very good chef. Ditch your aversion to regular cooking and instead become the person who’s always volunteering to bring a dish to pass. Even if a few of your first dishes aren’t quite masterpieces, you’ll improve your culinary skills the more you practice.
Don’t Be Afraid To Taste As You Work
Chefs are constantly tasting their dishes as they make them. It’s a myth that this is somehow a technique of amateurs. The only way to know if a sauce has enough salt or if a stir-fry has enough seasoning is by giving it a little taste. Emulate professional chefs and always use a clean spoon to ensure that your food remains hygienic and ready to serve to others.
You don’t have to be a professional chef to cook like one. Ultimately, it’s not about having the right tools, but rather having the right techniques and an organization system that lends itself well to making great meals.