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“Everybody Thinks You Got A Michelin Star”: 36 Fancy Cooking Techniques That Are Shockingly Easy
Article created by: Mindaugas Balčiauskas
It’s natural to assume that cooking an exquisite dish requires years spent in culinary school or working in fancy restaurants. But in reality, all you need are a few simple hacks to make you come off as a pro in the kitchen and earn massive brownie points from the people around you.
Thankfully, we have valuable resources like Reddit to provide these lesser-known tips. We’re talking about sprucing up regular mashed potatoes, making delectable stock, and game-changing ingredients that have been at your disposal all along.
Enjoy reading and feel free to take some notes while you’re at it.
- Read More: “Everybody Thinks You Got A Michelin Star”: 47 Fancy Cooking Techniques That Are Shockingly Easy
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Learn basic sauces. Béchamel, roux, beurre blanc, hollandaise, Ragouts, marinaras. Learn the mother sauces if you want.
Remember to pat dry all proteins if you’re trying to get a sear or caramelization on the meats (Maillard reaction). Beef steaks, roasts, prime ribs, primal cuts all take far more salt than you think.
If you want those bright green, restaurant style veggies, then blanch them first by doing a quick boil in rolling boiling water, then quench in an ice bath. Shake dry in a strainer then saute them quickly in a little fat (oil or butter) with seasoning of your choice before serving.
Learn to take fish fillets and salmon steaks off the heat before they are completely cooked as they will finish with residual heat on a plate. Overdone fish is not good. Shrimp, crab, and lobster all cook very fast from a thawed state, overcooking results in rubbery seafood.
Store bought puff pastry is your friend for the fanciest and tastiest super quick appetizers and desserts.
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#2
People have been brainwashed to think salt = bad.
In processed foods yes. Because there's something like 400% of your daily sodium requirements in that microwave burrito.
But fresh cooking? YOU NEED SALT.
People will think your cooking is amazing simply because you used some salt.
#5
Every week, buy a whole chicken. You should be able to get them for $10 or less. Throw the chicken and some aromatics in a pot. Make your own chicken stock. Put it in everything. Make rice with it. Make sauces. Use it as a base for soups. Drink it hot out of a mug. Once you become a person who always has homemade stock in the fridge, you'll wonder how you ever did without.
#6
Amateur hobby baker here. I get a lot of compliments on my cookies and I've had people ask how I get flavor, shape, texture, etc.
The secret? Chill your dough before baking. It helps everything.
My mom argued that's not it until she tried it. She's done it always since. 🤣.
#7
One clove of garlic is never enough garlic, unless the recipe is "How to Cook One Clove of Garlic." In that case, best be safe and use two.
#8
Quick pickle julienned red onions. Not only are the onions themselves great for garnish or whatnot, but the pickle liquid is a great combo of sweet/sour/salt that can be added to countless sauces/vinaigrettes/etc; I prefer to use 1:1 rice vinegar:cane sugar, with a splash of water and a large pinch of salt. I’m a private chef these days, and I use it for so many things.
blackmarksonpaper:
I do it for salads. I quick pickle fine diced red onion. Then strain the liquid and use that to make the dressing. Mix the onions into the salad.
#9
Salt, Fat, Heat, Acid
Get a decent knife and learn to sharpen it.
Learn your stove and the heat levels, I personally do things in 4 minute intervals and adjust heat.
Practice if you can
Take a knife skills class if you can or YouTube it.
#10
Buy some ring molds. Everybody thinks you got a Michelin star when your food is perfectly circular. Regular mashed potatoes? Ring mold. Now worth $55. Sauce? Ring mold. James Beard Award.
MaritMonkey:
The fact that I made a good first impression on my now mother in law is almost entirely thanks to this trick (with some hash brown casserole things).
She was mildly impressed with the food, but then found out I had cut the bottom out of (cleaned!) tuna cans to use as molds and decided she liked the cut of my jib lol.
notapoliticalalt:
In General, making food look appeal counts for something. Ugly food can be some of the most delicious food out there, but making the presentation nice can elevate your dish even if it is just so so.
#11
So many main dishes start with this simple process: Brown your meat in a hot pan with oil and butter to create the fond, remove, and cook your aromatics (onions, shallots garlic etc.), add/cook flour for the roux, add the base of your sauce (stock, milk, wine, cream etc.). Simmer and finish off with whatever else is in your recipe or make up your own. There are literally thousands of variations on different meats and cuisines/ flavor profiles that all start with this simple method.
Buy a wand / stick / immersion blender to make smoother sauces and aioli.
#12
If you're making pulled pork and want it to be very tender and flavorful, season it with salt and pepper, then put the side with the fat on it face up in a slow cooker. Put it on low for 12 hours. As it cooks, the fat will dissolve and drip into the meat, giving it a wonderful flavor and great texture.
#13
Whenever a cream sauce starts to separate, I add an ice cube and whisk some more along with turning down the heat. The sauce comes back.
Unlikely-Macaroon-85:
This is a trick I use when I make buttercream and it splits. Works like a charm!
cabbageboy78:
Same with reheating cream sauce based leftovers. no matter how good i have made it, have a perfectly balanced roux etc. there is always someeeeee seperation if youre microwaving leftovers at work. so ill usually toss it in for 30 seconds let it warm up, throw a splash of water in and shake it up, go another 30 seconds (or until its warm enough for ya) and bam, that alfredo is almost as good as the night before.
Unfortunately there is no saving the really separated stuff.
#14
Biggest mistake home cooks make : over crowding their pan.
Stop over crowding your pan to avoid food from steaming instead of roasting. You will taste a whole new set of flavour profiles.
Lpt for indian food : use fresh ground spices instead of pre ground spice powders. This is more expensive and time consuming to do regularly. So this is a optional tip only for people who regularly cook indian food.
#15
Smoked cream cheese.
Take a block or two of cream cheese, score it on top, season it on all sides, then put it on folded foil and into a pellet smoker at 200 degrees for 2 hours. Maybe add some hot honey in the last 15 minutes. Eat with pita chips or crackers, etc.
Basically no restaurants make it and everyone raved about it. Very unique flavor.
#16
Add toppings when plating. Some chopped herbs, a sprinkle of nuts, a drizzle of olive oil, etc. whatever fits the dish. Bonus points if it’s colorful.
#17
I use sour cream instead of milk for mashed potatoes/purees and everyone always asks for the recipe because it's so good.
#18
I've made tomato sauce a million times, but pureeing it smooth makes it feel so much more luxurious and restaurant-y. It only takes like 2 minutes with an immersion blender, but it makes the texture smooth and creamy and it sticks to the pasta way better too. Small thing that makes a huge difference.
#19
Use just enough seasoning to where people can taste it your but not know it's there unless you tell them it's there. Learn to use these the following ingredients well and make sure you always have some on hand.
* Butter: It's the tastiest oil, but don't cook too high of a temperature with it.
* Limes: You'd be amazed how well sour pairs with salty. It also infuses a little bit of freshness into a dish. Cuts greasiness taste.
* Vinegar: Same as limes but it's stronger and cleaner.
* 3 Crab fish sauce: Infuses umami. You'd be amazed how good you can make dishes if you learn how to use this right. If you're dish tastes like it's a little hollow and could use salt, go for this!
Blanching green vegetables until their bright green cooks them and keeps them crisp. Season after.
#20
I used to make cheese souffles. They're supposed to be difficult, but they've turned out every time for me. I use a recipe from a 1973-75 version of Joy of Cooking.
#21
Corn starch will thicken a sauce. Gives stuff like Chinese food that nice glaze. I mix it with a little bit of cold water or broth to dissolve first.
#22
Put some effort into plating. Presentation is a massive part of how people perceive a dish. Don't just throw food on the plate and call it a day. Think throw how you want it to look like and wipe of any drips. Does wonders.
#23
Let your base or stock cook for HOURS. Recipe says 3, cook it for 5 or 6 hours at least. Just gently simmer it. It WILL make a big big difference.
#25
Lattice crust on a pie.
Show up with a lattice top crust, and people assume you're a heckin' wizard. It takes less the 10min and very little thought.
#26
Cook with a hand towel on shoulder. Look fancy making Mac n cheese!
Remunos_Redbeard:
100% this.
Optional: wear a Betty Crocker branded (or similar) apron.
whinny_whaley:
I do that because I obsessively wash hands between touching anything and also can't handle much heat on the handles so it's easier to find. Didn't know I was showing off.
#27
Garlic mashed potatoes? Boil your peeled or unpeeled halved potatoes for 20 min along with a handful of whole peeled garlic cloves. They’ll get perfectly mashed along with potatoes when done. Add butter, cream/milk and salt when mashing. Thanks, Betty Crocker!
#28
Texture and acid can elevate almost any dish.
If you look down at your dish and everything is just a soft texture, it can easily fall flat. Toasted panko breadcrumbs are like this universal hack that elevates anything. You can add butter, garlic, parsley and lemon zest/ juice to toasted breadcrumbs and sprinkle on top to help cut through the richness of pasta dishes or anything creamy/fatty. I guess it’s a gremolata with breadcrumbs. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve done this and it’s so easy to just make ahead and store in the fridge, the breadcrumbs should stay nice and crisp as long as you don’t overdo the lemon juice/parsley. Fresh is always better.
I like to add this to pasta, or top a piece of grilled/baked fish. Also good topping stews or soups if they are able to sit above the liquid.
If it’s an Asian dish try crushed toasted peanuts and sesame seeds.
If you’re making something a little more delicate/healthy, tossing a small handful of arugula or other crunchy green with a simple dressing of lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and a little bit of sugar or honey, it can brighten up anything that’s a bit bland or monotone. Just a small amount added like a garnish, not necessarily a side salad, but I like this so much that it’s often a side salad portion.
#30
I grind up some pepperoni and put it into my spaghetti sauce.. Along with a serrano. It adds some extra tang and kick.
#31
If you’re having trouble with excess oil in a cheese sauce, adding sodium citrate will keep the oil from separating from the cheese. It has zero impact on flavor and will give you a smoother, creamier sauce.
#32
Pickled veggies and fruit. All you need is a jar, a veggie/fruit, vinegar, water, and some sugar. It’s a perfect healthy garnish or addition to elevate the flavor of any dish. It’s sweet and tart and crunchy, many times what is missing from a dish.
Here’s some examples:
- pickled red onions
- pickled cucumbers
- pickled jalapeños
- pickled mango.
#33
Deglaze your pan with a little alcohol. If you are on a gas stove you have a little fire for a couple seconds. My son loves it, granted he is 8.
ThatMerri:
A bit of water or stock works just fine, if you're of the sort that can't have alcohol in their diet for whatever reason. Can't flambé it, but it'll still do the job of deglazing your pan just fine.
#34
When you make a ham and cheese sandwich, call it a croque monsieur.
Related, watch Jacques Pepin "cooking at home" on YouTube. Tons of simple and cheap recipes and techniques that often have a fancy-looking result.
#35
Dried Beans. Saute some onion in olive oil, add in 1 lb of dried beans,2 Tbsp Salt, cover with water, deliberately hard boil the beans for 15 min, then set to low simmer for 3 hours. Makes the most delicous bean soup you've ever had. Beans are amazing.
#36
Making macarons. They are sooooooo easy but, everyone acts like they are ridiculously hard. So, any time you make them, you look like some sort of professional baker.
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