Easy hacks to become your own chef!

Building confidence in the kitchen comes down to mastering a few fundamental habits, trusting yourself with timings and prepping ahead of time. It really does just take practice, and by repeating recipes, you can transform your cooking from a stressful chore into a fun, creative process.

Here's some tips and fun cookalongs to get you started.

1. Prep before you start

This is the ultimate secret to staying calm in the kitchen.

👀 Read the recipe from start to finish before you heat your pans. This stops you from getting blindsided by a step that requires an overnight marinade! 

🔪 Chop, measure and lay out your ingredients in small bowls before you turn on the hob. It removes the panic of rushing while something is burning. 

2. Taste as you go

Great flavour comes in layers. If a dish tastes bland, it usually means it was seasoned only at the very beginning.

🧅 Season throughout: Add a pinch of salt to your vegetables when they hit the pan so they release their water and flavour properly.

🍋 Balance: If your dish tastes heavy but you've already added plenty of salt, a squeeze of lemon or a dash of vinegar can brighten and lift the flavour instantly.

3. Master the heat

Never just drop food into a cold pan unless a recipe specifically tells you to.

🔥 Get the pan hot first, then add your fat (oil or butter) and wait a moment until it's simmering before adding your food.

🙉 Listen to your food. Your eyes and ears will tell you a lot more about how cooked your food is than a recipe's estimated time.

4. Embrace mistakes

Cooking is an experiment, not an exact science (unless you're baking). 

Burnt a sauce? Over-salted a stew? Use it as a learning opportunity. Mistakes teach you how to adjust heat, how ingredients behave and how to fix future dishes.

Develop your skills by following our STUDENT COOKING masterclass recipe videos, where a group of our students learn from professional chefs: 

• Butternut squash risotto
• Chicken saltimbocca
• Tiramisu

For more tips, tricks and updates on everything delicious, check out our food page and follow us on Instagram @uon_catering.