Cooking tips.

[domtyler]

caramelise ginger by frying it with honey, whack some salmon in there and have it with boiled potatoes and salad.
Best meal ever, i eat it several times a week. Pukka!

You are Jamie Oliver and I claim my £5.

 

[domtyler]

How much ginger do you use? When I'm doing a stir fry, I usually grate about half a 99p Somerfield pack of root ginger and that's about right for four of us.

Surely you don't shop in Somerfield? Isn't it full of those filthy commoners?

 

[Chuffy]

Surely you don't shop in Somerfield? Isn't it full of those filthy commoners?

It's ok if you send the boot boy to do the shopping for you.

 

[Pete]

1) A bit of salt on the chopping board helps stop it sticking to the knife when chopping garlic.

I'd take it further than this. We never use a garlic grusher, we just slice up the garlic on a wooden board, sprinkle it with a little salt to provide friction, and crush it with the blade of a not-too-sharp knife pressed down flat. Works well and extracts the flavour nicely. If the dish is going to have salt in it anyway, this is where you add it.

don't try to cook low fat food, for example using half fat cheese or yoghurt and such like. when the factories do this, they use clever emulsifiers and flavour enhancers to replicate the fat. if you do it, it'll end up with poor results.

We haven't found this to be the case: half-fat cheddar-type cheese seems to perform quite well as a cooking ingredient. Ah well, I suppose it's a matter of taste and preferences...

 

[Saddle bum]

Stainless steel chef's knives are rubbish, if you have ambitions, buy carbon steel knives, they hone to a sharper edge and stay sharp. They need looking after and are expensive.

 

[bonj2]

How much ginger do you use?

A whole one. Usually try and get one of the bigger ones in the tub, if there aren't any big ones I'll get two smalls. (I get the ones that are loose in a tub - never seen any in packs? )
I used to use less, but have started cranking it up. It's not unhealthy (I did research this), so I don't see why not.

 

[bonj2]

Stainless steel chef's knives are rubbish, if you have ambitions, buy carbon steel knives, they hone to a sharper edge and stay sharp. They need looking after and are expensive.

Isn't the term 'carbon steel' tautological?

 

[Twenty Inch]

Do scrambled eggs in a pyrex dish. It'll work on the gas, and is much easier to clean than a pan or saucepan.

 

[Noodley]

I always do scambled eggs in the microwave.

Still cannae do poached eggs..any tips? And I have tried spinning the water and vinegar

 

[Keith Oates]

Get a wok, it makes cooking a whole new experience. Also use the Chinese Chopper instead of knives, it is one of the best tools I've ever come across!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Noodley]

Get a wok, it makes cooking a whole new experience. Also use the Chinese Chopper instead of knives, it is one of the best tools I've ever come across!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Very good advice Keith...

 

[Twenty Inch]

I always do scambled eggs in the microwave.

Still cannae do poached eggs..any tips? And I have tried spinning the water and vinegar

As fresh as possible?

I've also heard of people cracking them into clingfilm and cooking them in that.

 

[Gerry Attrick]

Stainless steel chef's knives are rubbish, if you have ambitions, buy carbon steel knives, they hone to a sharper edge and stay sharp. They need looking after and are expensive.

You get what you pay for. Cheap stainless knives are so much scrap, but the top makers such as Henckels, Global, Wusthof or Gustav Emil Ern are superb and will keep an edge for an age.

 

[Chuffy]

Still cannae do poached eggs..any tips? And I have tried spinning the water and vinegar

You should listen to your Aunty Delia! Ok, boil your water in a frying pan (or even a wok). Turn the heat down to very, very low. You just want water that is hot enough to shimmer slightly, but not with any vigour. This is why you do it in a frying pan, because the larger surface area will dissipate heat better. Then crack your (very fresh) egg into a cup and tip as gently as possible into the water. DO NOT STIR! Leave until set and eat on toast with lots of tomato sauce.

 

[Cycling Naturalist]

use the Chinese Chopper

I'll stick with the one I've got.