How to chop fresh herbs
Wash, dry and cut fresh herbs into clean pieces or ribbons. Separate woody stems and avoid crushing tender leaves with repeated chopping.
Cooking guides
Learn how to prepare ingredients, control the heat and recognise when food is ready. These step-by-step guides cover cooking, baking, measuring and safe food handling, with practical fixes for common problems.
No matching guides. Try a different word.
Preparation skills
How to clean and cut mushrooms
Clean cultivated mushrooms, trim tough stems and cut even pieces. Dry rinsed mushrooms before frying to help the pan brown them.
How to clean and slice leeks
Split leeks to wash between their layers, then slice them evenly. Remove trapped grit without pouring dirty soaking water over clean pieces.
How to coat food in breadcrumbs
Build a breadcrumb coating with flour, beaten egg and crumbs. Keep excess flour off the food and avoid carrying raw-food residue around the kitchen.
How to cut vegetables into matchsticks
Cut carrots and other firm vegetables into even matchsticks. Make a stable flat side, then cut planks and strips without stacking too high.
How to deseed and slice a pepper
Remove a sweet pepper’s stem, seeds and white ribs, then cut stable panels into strips or dice for cooking.
How to dice an onion
Cut an onion into even pieces with a stable cutting position. Learn how to use the root end and adjust the size for your recipe.
How to mince garlic
Peel and finely chop garlic with a stable board and controlled cuts. Keep the pieces even and avoid burning small pieces in a hot pan.
How to peel tomatoes
Loosen tomato skins in boiling water, cool them and peel without cooking the flesh to a pulp. Use the peeled tomatoes promptly.
How to pound cutlets evenly
Flatten boneless cutlets with gentle strokes while containing raw-meat juices. Stop at an even thickness without tearing the edges.
How to prepare and grate ginger
Prepare ginger and grate it into a fine pulp. Handle fibrous pieces, collect the juice and keep your fingers clear of the grater.
How to prepare fresh chillies
Slice fresh chillies while protecting your hands and eyes. Remove membranes when you want less heat and keep chilli residue off other surfaces.
How to rinse quinoa
Rinse quinoa in a fine mesh sieve, check whether the packet is pre-rinsed and drain before adding the cooking liquid.
How to salt and drain watery vegetables
Drain excess moisture from grated vegetables before making fritters or sauces. Squeeze in small batches and allow for the salt already added.
How to slice an onion for cooking
Make even onion strips or half-rings for cooking. Choose a slicing direction, stabilise each half and keep your fingers clear of the blade.
How to slice meat against the grain
Find the direction of meat fibres and slice across them for shorter, easier-to-chew pieces. Check the grain again when its direction changes.
How to soak dried beans
Sort, rinse and soak dried beans in the fridge, then drain and cook them properly. Keep soaking separate from kidney bean food-safety requirements.
How to soak dried mushrooms
Soak dried mushrooms until supple, remove grit and cook promptly. Keep long soaks refrigerated and handle soaking liquid according to the product.
How to zest citrus without the bitter pith
Remove fragrant citrus zest while leaving the bitter white pith behind. Use light grating strokes and zest the fruit before squeezing it.
When and how to rinse rice
Decide whether your rice needs rinsing, then wash and drain it without losing grains. Follow the product’s instructions and the dish’s intended texture.
Cooking techniques
How to blanch vegetables
Blanch vegetables in a manageable batch, then drain or cool them promptly. Keep culinary texture checks separate from validated freezing instructions.
How to blend a soup smoothly and safely
Blend tender soup ingredients with equipment approved for hot liquids. Keep immersion blades submerged and follow the jug blender’s lid and fill limits.
How to boil and cool eggs
Hard-boil eggs with a cold-water start, gentle standing time and prompt cooling. Check the centre and refrigerate eggs you are keeping for later.
How to braise meat until tender
Braise suitable meat with gentle heat and enough liquid. Check tenderness separately from food safety and reduce the sauce after lifting out the meat.
How to brown butter
Brown butter by watching its milk solids, stirring gently and stopping before they blacken. Transfer to a heatproof bowl to stop further browning.
How to caramelise onions
Cook onions until deeply soft and brown. Manage sticking with gentle heat and small splashes of water instead of scorching the edges.
How to cook ground spices in oil
Warm ground spices briefly in cooking fat without scorching them. Follow the recipe’s order and add the next ingredients as soon as the spices are aromatic.
How to cook pasta and save the cooking water
Cook pasta to the texture your dish needs, save starchy water and drain safely. Plan for any extra cooking in the sauce.
How to cook rice by absorption
Cook rice by absorption using the right liquid amount for the product. Keep heat gentle, rest as directed and correct a hard centre without scorching.
How to deep-fry safely at home
Deep-fry small batches with controlled oil temperature, safe oil levels and dry equipment. Check the food’s centre and let oil cool before moving it.
How to deglaze a pan
Turn browned pan deposits into a sauce base. Learn when to add liquid, how to loosen the fond and when burnt residue should be discarded.
How to finish pasta in its sauce
Transfer nearly cooked pasta into its sauce, add small amounts of cooking water and stir or toss until the sauce clings.
How to make a pan sauce
Turn good browned pan deposits into a sauce with liquid, controlled reduction and finishing ingredients. Avoid burnt residue and excess salt.
How to make a roux
Cook flour in fat for smooth sauces and gravies. Recognise pale and darker roux and add liquid gradually without creating lumps.
How to make mayonnaise without splitting
Make mayonnaise with pasteurised egg and slow oil additions. Recognise a split mixture, rebuild it carefully and refrigerate promptly.
How to make tender scrambled eggs
Make tender scrambled eggs with gentle heat and controlled folding. Cook until no liquid egg remains, then transfer from the pan promptly.
How to poach an egg
Lower an egg into gently simmering water and keep the white together. Distinguish a set white from a fully cooked yolk and drain before serving.
How to reduce a sauce
Simmer sauce uncovered to reduce its volume, check the serving texture and avoid concentrating salt or sugar too far.
How to roast vegetables with browned edges
Roast vegetables with space between pieces, a light oil coating and checks for both browned edges and tender centres.
How to sauté vegetables
Learn to sauté vegetables with enough space to brown. Adjust heat, batch size and cooking order when a pan becomes watery.
How to sear meat
Build a browned surface by drying meat, heating the pan appropriately and leaving space between pieces. Finish cooking to the correct internal temperature.
How to shallow-fry food
Shallow-fry cutlets or fritters with controlled heat and enough space. Turn a set crust gently and check the centre rather than relying on golden crumbs.
How to simmer lentils without turning them mushy
Choose whole or split lentils for the dish, simmer gently and check tenderness early. Add acidic ingredients at the right stage.
How to soften onions without browning
Cook onions gently until tender and translucent. Control the heat and moisture so their edges do not brown before the centres soften.
How to steam vegetables evenly
Steam vegetables above the water, keep the pot from boiling dry and check the thickest pieces for the texture your dish needs.
How to stir-fry without a watery pan
Prepare a stir-fry before heating the pan, cook in small batches and add sauce near the end to avoid a watery result.
How to strain a sauce
Strain a sauce through a stable sieve in small batches. Choose whether to press or let it drain according to the texture you want.
How to temper eggs into a hot liquid
Warm an egg mixture gradually with hot liquid, then finish cooking as the recipe requires. Keep plain custards separate from starch-thickened fillings.
How to thicken a sauce with a starch slurry
Mix starch with cold liquid before adding it to a hot sauce. Stir again before pouring, add gradually and heat according to the starch you are using.
How to toast nuts and seeds
Toast a small batch of nuts or seeds in a dry pan, watch for gentle colour and cool them outside the pan to prevent scorching.
How to toast whole spices
Warm whole spices in a dry pan until aromatic, then cool before grinding. Keep them moving and stop before they smoke or blacken.
How to whisk a vinaigrette
Whisk oil gradually into vinegar or citrus juice for an even vinaigrette. Adjust its balance and rewhisk a naturally separated dressing.
Simmering and boiling: how to tell the difference
Recognise a gentle simmer and a rolling boil by the movement of the liquid. Learn how to adjust the heat when a recipe changes between them.
Baking skills
How to beat egg whites to peaks
Beat egg whites in clean equipment, add sugar at the right stage and distinguish soft peaks from firm, glossy peaks without overbeating.
How to blind-bake a pastry case
Support a pastry case with baking weights, bake until the sides set and finish the base to the stage needed for its filling.
How to check active dry yeast
Check active dry yeast before mixing a dough. Follow the packet’s liquid temperature and understand what a foamy surface tells you about yeast activity.
How to check whether a cake is baked
Check a cake with a skewer and a gentle press on the top. Learn what to look for, and why brownies and cheesecakes need different tests.
How to cream butter and sugar
Beat softened butter and sugar until lighter and aerated. Scrape the bowl, watch for greasy butter and follow the recipe’s mixing method.
How to fold ingredients into a batter
Fold a light mixture into a heavier batter with broad scooping movements. Reach the base, turn the bowl and stop when the streaks disappear.
How to judge when dough has risen enough
Judge bread dough by its expansion and response rather than time alone. Keep the first rise and the shaped dough’s final prove distinct.
How to knead bread dough
Knead a manageable wheat bread dough by folding, pressing and turning. Check elasticity without working in unnecessary flour.
How to line a baking tin
Fit baking paper to a round or rectangular tin, keep corners neat and follow the recipe’s greasing instructions.
How to make caramel and judge its colour
Make wet caramel by dissolving sugar, limiting agitation and watching its amber colour. Handle hot syrup carefully and add liquids only as directed.
How to melt chocolate gently
Melt chocolate gently over warm water or in short microwave bursts. Keep stray water out and stir before adding more heat.
How to roll pastry evenly
Roll pastry from the centre, turn it to prevent sticking and transfer it without stretching. Adjust temperature when it cracks or becomes greasy.
How to rub butter into flour
Rub cold butter into flour with your fingertips and stop at the crumb size the recipe needs. Chill the mixture if the fat starts to smear.
How to whip cream to soft or firm peaks
Whip cold cream to the peak stage your recipe needs. Check frequently near the end and stop before the texture turns grainy.
Ingredients & measurement
Baking powder and bicarbonate of soda: choosing the right one
Choose the raising agent named in your recipe, measure it accurately and understand why bicarbonate of soda and baking powder cannot simply replace one another.
How to measure butter
Weigh butter, check wrapper markings and distinguish solid, melted and browned measurements. Avoid air gaps in cup measures.
How to measure flour with scales or cups
Weigh flour accurately or fill a measuring cup without packing it. Understand why a cup-to-gram conversion depends on the flour and filling method.
How to measure honey and syrup
Measure honey or syrup directly by weight when possible, or fill and scrape the correct volume measure without leaving much behind.
How to measure liquids in the kitchen
Read liquid measurements at eye level on a flat surface. Use the right cup convention and measuring spoons for small amounts.
Weight and volume in baking
Understand grams, millilitres and cups, choose the right measurement method and check ingredient form before converting between weight and volume.
Food safety
How to check chicken with a food thermometer
Use a food thermometer to check chicken in the right places. Learn the safe temperature endpoint and why colour or clear juices cannot replace a reading.
How to check cooked fish with a thermometer
Check fish at 63°C (145°F) with a clean food thermometer. Position the probe in the centre and check more than one thick area.
How to cook dried kidney beans safely
Soak dried kidney beans, discard the soaking water and boil in fresh water for at least 30 minutes before continuing to cook until tender.
How to cool leftovers for the fridge
Divide leftovers into shallow portions and refrigerate promptly. Keep the fridge cold and avoid leaving a deep pot to cool on the worktop.
How to marinate raw meat safely
Marinate raw meat in the fridge, reserve clean sauce before raw contact and prevent used marinade or utensils from contaminating cooked food.
How to prevent cross-contamination when preparing chicken
Keep raw poultry separate from ready-to-eat food, avoid washing it and clean hands, tools and surfaces before serving cooked chicken.
How to reheat leftovers evenly
Reheat safely stored leftovers to 74°C (165°F), stir to remove cold spots and check several places before serving.
How to thaw ingredients safely
Thaw in the refrigerator, cold water or a microwave using the right handling steps. Cook promptly after faster methods and keep raw juices contained.
