Kitchen Basics

15 Easy Cooking Techniques Everyone Should Learn to Master

Posted by Bonnie Mo. Last updated on May 20, 2020 by Melissa Girimonte

Spending more time at home — and in the kitchen — these days? Want to step up your cooking game? Get busy mastering these 15 simple cooking techniques, so you can make your way around the kitchen with the confidence of a seasoned chef.

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Fill Half Your Plate With Produce

<p>When serving meals, add the produce to your plate first — and fill half of your plate with it. This way you know you’re getting a hefty amount of vegetables and fruit. This trick also works in pasta dishes where half of the noodles are replaced with vegetables, as in this <a href="https://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipe/asparagus-snap-peas-and-chive-blossom-pasta/22448/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Asparagus, Snap Peas & Chive Blossom Pasta</a> recipe.</p>
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Make Stock or Broth

<p>Set aside time over the weekend to make a giant pot of stock or broth, then keep it in jars or freezer-friendly containers and use it to enhance almost any dish. Not sure where to begin? Try making a batch of <a href="https://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipe/overnight-chicken-broth/22365/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Pioneer Woman’s Overnight Chicken Broth</a>.</p>
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Chiffonade Herbs

<p>If you can stack and roll a bunch of basil, you’re already halfway there. This knife technique creates little ribbons of herbs that will give your dishes a pop of flavour and colour. Check out these <a href="https://www.foodnetwork.ca/in-season/photos/genius-recipes-fresh-herbs/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">genius ways to use up fresh herbs</a>.</p>
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Whip up a Vinaigrette

<p>Never tempt fate again with iffy expiry dates on long-forgotten salad dressing lurking at the back of the fridge. Learn to make your own <a href="https://www.foodnetwork.ca/everyday-cooking/photos/40-homemade-salad-dressings-and-vinaigrettes/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">homemade salad dressings and vinaigrettes</a> with just a few pantry ingredients.</p>
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Pan Sear a Steak

<p>No <a href="https://www.foodnetwork.ca/shows/fire-masters/photos/best-bbq-recipes-2020/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">barbecue</a>? No problem! Pan-searing a steak in a cast iron skillet lets you baste with herbs and butter for a bistro-style meal any time of year, like <a href="https://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipe/steak-frites-with-lemon-and-pepper-seasoning-and-easy-hollandaise/22789/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Pioneer Woman’s Steak Frites</a>. We’ll wait here while you run to the butcher.</p>
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Make a Roux

<p>Master the technique of combining butter and flour to create a roux, so you can thicken sauces of all kinds. Your new skill can bring visions of homemade <a href="https://www.foodnetwork.ca/everyday-cooking/photos/best-macaroni-recipes/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">mac and cheese</a> to life or you can take your tastebuds on a trip to New Orleans with <a href="https://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipe/alton-browns-shrimp-gumbo/15957/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Alton Brown’s Shrimp Gumbo</a>.</p>
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Master Crispy-Skinned Fish

<p>At the heart of any restaurant-quality fish dish is crispy skin. Learn this technique and expect your family to ask that you make it again and again. Want to give it a try? <a href="https://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipe/blackened-salmon/18106/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Alex Guarnaschelli’s Blackened Salmon</a> is a good place to start.</p>
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Make an Aioli

<p>Keep an aioli recipe in your back pocket and break it out for sandwiches, barbecued burgers, grilled veggies or even <a href="https://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipe/crispy-patatas-bravas/17920/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Crispy Patatas Bravas</a>. It’s easy to make and has much more flavour than simple mayo.</p>
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Roast a Chicken

<p>The ultimate Sunday night supper just wouldn't be the same without a perfect roasted chicken at the centre. Master this recipe and reap the benefits of leftovers, from shredded chicken nachos to delicious chicken stock. Want some direction? Look no further than <a href="https://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipe/perfect-roast-chicken/15388/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Barefoot Contessa’s Perfect Roast Chicken</a>.</p>
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Make the Perfect Omelette

<p>They say you can tell a great chef by their ability to whip up the perfect <a href="https://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipe/french-omelette-with-cheese-and-chives/22985/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">French omelette</a>. While it may seem like a dish for a novice cook, getting an eggy concoction that’s soft, creamy and void of any hint of brown is actually a chef-worthy skill worth mastering.</p>
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Whip up Whipped Cream

<p>There's nothing quite like a dollop of freshly whipped cream atop a bowl of sweet summer berries or a slice of <a href="https://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipe/key-lime-cheesecake/12532/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Key Lime Cheesecake</a>. Get creative and add mint or vanilla to really make it pop. Don’t have a mixer or electric beater? Achieve the same results with a simple mason jar.</p>
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Perfect Your Pan Jus

<p>Knowing <a href="https://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipe/roasted-beef-striploin-brown-butter-hollandaise-baby-vegetables-and-beef-jus/12487/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">how to make a good pan jus</a> is life changing. Mix together the cooked bits left in the pan after searing a steak or piece of chicken, along with a knob of butter and dash of wine. Once you learn this trick, you'll toss bottled sauce forever.</p>
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Fry the Perfect Egg

<p>Are you in favour of butter or olive oil when it comes to the perfect fried egg? Do you like them soft or with a slightly charred edge? No matter how you like them, making fried eggs exactly how you want to eat them is a beautiful thing. Test out your technique with <a href="https://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipe/roast-beef-hash-and-eggs-/22425/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Barefoot Contessa’s Roast Beef Hash and Eggs</a>.</p>
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Caramelize Onions

<p>Onions really do transform into something beautiful when cooked low and slow in a bath of butter. The smell is so intoxicating, you’ll be finding new ways to incorporate them into your menu, like this <a href="https://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipe/caramelized-onion-and-bacon-pull-apart-bread/20950/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Caramelized Onion and Bacon Pull-Apart Bread</a>.</p>
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Roast Your Tomatoes

<p>Oven roasting tomatoes may seem like a chore — but once they hit the oven, there’s nothing to do but wait. Roasting makes them incredibly sweet and a tasty addition to pasta dishes, pizza, salads and even eggs. Also, it’s a great way to use up any tomatoes that are about to overripen. Running short on time? <a href="https://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipe/roasted-vine-tomatoes/20012/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Barefoot Contessa’s Roasted Vine Tomatoes</a> are ready in just 20 minutes.</p>
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