Chef Sanjeev Kapoor shares 14 kitchen tips that make life easier

We often read and hear that cooking is a blend of art and science. Well, it is true, but life in the kitchen is a lot more. It calls for management skills, organizing skills, and more. Addressing the other necessary skills, celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor shares a list of 14 kitchen tips that can make life easier. Scroll down to read the details.

As per chef Sanjeev, this might be the most important tip of all. “Mise en place” is French for “everything in place”. With reference to chefs, he means that before you cook, it is important to have everything measured, peeled, chopped, pans greased, etc. and within reach. This will keep you from running around looking for ingredients, save time, and energy.

He suggests sharpening the knife on a regular basis and hone in between sharpening. As per him, dull knives are dangerous and make cutting much more difficult.

He suggests not to be afraid of salt. He states, since you’re cooking a fresh meal instead of eating a packaged one, you’re starting out with much less sodium to begin with, so take it easy and enjoy the process.

As per chef Sanjeev it is crucial to taste your food before serving it. Sometimes a little more salt or a dash of spice brings perfection. So, be carefree, taste before serving and make the changes, if needed. Also, in case there is excess salt, add dough balls and let it rest in the curry for a while and it will absorb all the excess salt.

It is important to understand that when you walk into any restaurant kitchen, you’ll see a set of tongs in almost every cook’s hand—usually gripped low down on the handle for maximum control. Use it to flip meat, pull a pan out of the oven, stabilize a steak while slicing, the list goes on and on.

This practice is very helpful. As per chef Sanjeev, not only are cutting boards that slide on the counter annoying, they’re extremely dangerous when you’re holding a knife and trying to chop something. Wet a paper towel and lay it under the board and it won’t budge! This is also important from safety perspective, as a slippery board can lead to accidents in the kitchen, and with knives around it can be even more dangerous.

He clears the fact that chefs sear a piece of meat, poultry, or fish in a pan and then place it in the oven. He further explains, not only does this free up burners, it results in a lot of moisture.

As per him, when roasting or browning anything, the tendency is to cram as much in the pan as possible—resist! He suggests doing it in smaller batches instead. Crowding the pan leads to steaming and lowers the temperature of the pan so you won’t get the caramelization you’re looking for—and that’s where the flavor is! Also, crowding the pan leads to uneven cooking, which might destroy the dish, so it is important to avoid overcrowding the pan.

As per chef Sanjeev, following the ratio is very helpful, because oil stops the butter from burning and the butter adds richness to the dish.

When it comes to chopping and cutting, he suggests cutting the ends off onions, tomatoes, cantaloupe, etc. (any food that does not stay stable on the cutting board) to make a flat surface. This allows you to have complete control of the item as you chop.

As per chef Sanjeev, over-mixing ingredients causes toughness by developing gluten in the flour. For light and fluffy cupcakes, only mix until the batter comes together.

While cooking and baking, it is important to be alert and attentive. If something in the oven smells done but the timer’s still ticking, check on it, he suggests. Smelling the food sometimes also gives you a perspective of whether the dish is in the right direction or not. So, keeping a check on aroma is a healthy practice.

He suggests using a small bowl of kosher salt and adding pinches as you cook and taste. It’s easier to control the amount and ensure even coverage.

He suggests wiping down your cutting board in between items. As per his post, not only is it hard to chop something that is swimming in tomato juices, it’s unsafe to chop on a wet surface. This practice also helps avoid mixing flavours, which might destroy some dishes. So, be careful.

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