Cooking has become a trending hobby in recent years. It is another level of art that embraces your talents and enhances self-satisfaction. With the improvement of modern technologies, today home-cooking has become much easier compared to the past. Therefore, more people try to make food at home and impress their loved ones. In this article, we will review some amazing cooking techniques that every home chef should master to be a master of cooking. 

The Magic of Heat

While some food items can be eaten at the raw stage, some of them are required to be cooked under heat. The heat helps to transform raw ingredients into an edible state. The heat required for preparation differs from dish to dish. Most of the time, the nutrition of the food depends on the amount of heat used to prepare it. It is important to have a clear idea about the amount of heat required for dishes you prepare. The experiences you have about heat requirements of different food items, decide whether it is burnt, overcooked, undercooked or perfectly cooked. It is important to understand the properties of heat clearly, as different cooking techniques involve the science of heat. 

Now let’s move to look at some amazing cooking techniques that should be mastered by every home chef.

Searing and Browning

This is a technique that is used to create layers of flavours and textures in dishes, mostly when preparing meat. Here, dry heat is used to sear the surface of the meat. Searing and browning techniques are used in making steaks. You will be able to prepare meat with a light brown outer layer and juicy middle by being a pro in this technique.

Sauteing

This is one of the basic day-to-day cooking techniques. It involves lightly frying ingredients of food on a pan, using a bit of butter or oil. Here the oil or butter is used to spread an even browning effect to the ingredients. A number of ingredients can be cooked using this technique, such as meat, vegetables and fish.

Boiling

Boiling is an easy cooking technique that can be used to prepare a number of different food items. It is about dipping ingredients in a water pot or pan and heating that on a stovetop until the water gets boiling. Pasta, eggs and some vegetables can be cooked using this technique. Different ingredients take different times to boil, and you can change the texture and colour of food by changing the boiling time of ingredients. 

Stewing

This is a slow-cooking technique commonly used for cooking meat. Here, the meat is cooked into a tender and juicy stage, compared to fried and roasted meat. Not only meat but also vegetables can be stewed using this technique. 

Steaming

Steaming is a common cooking technique which is used mostly to prepare some vegetable types into an edible state. It involves cooking ingredients for a few minutes under the steam or vapour of boiled water. This technique is not just limited to vegetables; a number of foods can be cooked using this technique. It also helps to keep in both flavour and nutrients of foods. 

Roasting 

It is also a common cooking technique used for cooking meat and types of nuts. Here the, dry heat is used for cooking ingredients, mostly inside an oven. Roasting is considered a traditional cooking technique which has been used since ancient times. 

Braising

Braising is a cooking technique that involves both wet and dry heat. It is similar to a combination of searing and stewing. Here the ingredients are first browned at a high temperature and then simmered in a covered pot to be cooked in a liquid. Commonly, meats are braised. 

Baking

Baking opens doors to another dimension of cooking. Here, various kinds of food items can be prepared with the use of dry heat and the magical properties of yeast. Baking can be considered a basic and important cooking technique that should be mastered by every home chef. 

Simmering

Simmering is a cooking technique similar to boiling. Instead of dipping ingredients in boiling water, in this technique, the ingredients have been cooked under a lower temperature than the boiling point of water or the liquid used to cook ingredients such as broth or soup. Here It is important to control the heat source without letting the cooking liquid reach its boiling temperature. 

Conclusion

Mastering popular and amazing cooking techniques is the key to becoming a successful home chef. The properties of heat are used in various cooking techniques. The foundation of most of the essential and amazing cooking techniques lays in the understanding of heat science. Boiling, stewing, roasting, steaming and sauteing are some of the common and popular cooking techniques that should be known by every home chef. First, pay attention to learning and understanding different cooking techniques, and then later, you will be able to add your creativity and talent to them. Also, never forget that the frequent practice of these techniques makes you perfect as a home chef!