Your cooking Nemesis

[fossyant]

What's that one thing you struggle to cook ?

I had two, poached eggs and rising Yorkshire Puddings.

Mastered poached eggs during lockdown, as I had time.

I've finally cracked getting Yorkshire Puds to rise properly ! Whisk eggs, add plain flour, then add milk to consistency. Then oven on max, pudding tray in with lard (I know but it has a high melting point) - oven hot, fling door open, mix into tray, shut and leave. I usually get flat yorkies, but have finally mastered it. Not cooked at the same time as the meat due to the oven heat, so meat first, then yorkies and roasties in

 

[oldwheels]

Currently I am having trouble with bread which does not rise properly. The only thing I have not checked or changed is the flour so that will be my next try. The bread is edible but not quite right.

 

[Gwylan]

Pork crackling. Another fail this lunch time.

The orange soy marinade was excellent though.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

What's that one thing you struggle to cook ?

I had two, poached eggs and rising Yorkshire Puddings.

Mastered poached eggs during lockdown, as I had time.

I've finally cracked getting Yorkshire Puds to rise properly ! Whisk eggs, add plain flour, then add milk to consistency. Then oven on max, pudding tray in with lard (I know but it has a high melting point) - oven hot, fling door open, mix into tray, shut and leave. I usually get flat yorkies, but have finally mastered it. Not cooked at the same time as the meat due to the oven heat, so meat first, then yorkies and roasties in

Yorkshire puddings, whisk them to death and then put it in a jug and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Make sure the lard is smoking before opening the oven door, quick whisk of the mixture with a fork (the mixture will have a huge froth on it that you need to whisk away), pour it in the tray and close the door, do not open it until they are cooked.

 

[numbnuts]

Yorkshire puddings quick whisk olive oil and a rise every time
I don't think I have any nemesis where cooking is involved.....love life is a differant matter

 

[wiggydiggy]

Rice. Always ends up sticky and lumpy, gonna be buying a rice cooker I think.

 

[Electric_Andy]

Used to be pork crackling until I learnt to dry it properly, and salt it. Then don't cover it whilst resting the meat else it'll go soggy

 

[grldtnr]

Currently I am having trouble with bread which does not rise properly. The only thing I have not checked or changed is the flour so that will be my next try. The bread is edible but not quite right.

Bread needs Bread flour, a strong flour, a high gluten content,it's important to double prove it, then really stretch and knead it hard the 2nd time round.
You also need to be accurate with the salt/ sugar and heat off the water, you use, too much salt will kill the yeast,too much sugar over feeds the yeast.
The trick is in the kneading, you have to be quite 'hard' on it,
I used to be a baker, but gave it up a I couldn't see any dough in it.......actually I hardly saw daylight during winter....so went and joined the post.
Best job going.

 

[oldwheels]

Bread needs Bread flour, a strong flour, a high gluten content,it's important to double prove it, then really stretch and knead it hard the 2nd time round.
You also need to be accurate with the salt/ sugar and heat off the water, you use, too much salt will kill the yeast,too much sugar over feeds the yeast.
The trick is in the kneading, you have to be quite 'hard' on it,
I used to be a baker, but gave it up a I couldn't see any dough in it.......actually I hardly saw daylight during winter....so went and joined the post.
Best job going.

I do have bread flour but since it is bit lumpy and needs sieved I suspect that is the problem. I do know the theory and have made bread in the past with no problems.
I sympathise about the hours you had to work as I had ambitions of being a chef but abandoned that idea when I realised the antisocial hours I would need to work. Strangely I also was a postman for a while.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Bread needs Bread flour, a strong flour, a high gluten content,it's important to double prove it, then really stretch and knead it hard the 2nd time round.
You also need to be accurate with the salt/ sugar and heat off the water, you use, too much salt will kill the yeast,too much sugar over feeds the yeast.
The trick is in the kneading, you have to be quite 'hard' on it,
I used to be a baker, but gave it up a I couldn't see any dough in it.......actually I hardly saw daylight during winter....so went and joined the post.
Best job going.

Or use a bread maker. I chuck the ingredients in, turn it on and come back to perfect bread a few hours later.

 

[alicat]

Yorkshire puds. And I'm a Leodensian! Oh the shame!

 

[Regular.Cyclist]

I always find the final stage of making mozzarella cheese a problem . I can never get it to have the shine it should have. It always tastes ok, and I’ve gone home made pizza with it without any issues but it’s just never good enough to use in some recipe.

 

[fossyant]

Today's didn't rise as much. I left mine to stand at room temp for an hour, so is fridge best ?

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Today's didn't rise as much. I left mine to stand at room temp for an hour, so is fridge best ?

I've always put them in the fridge, they always rise. The key though is getting the oven hot enough, the fat needs to be smoking, if it isn't, it isn't hot enough.

 

[numbnuts]

Today's didn't rise as much. I left mine to stand at room temp for an hour, so is fridge best ?

I don't put mine in the fridge