How to Cook Like You’re a 5-Star Chef

How to Cook Like You’re a 5-Star Chef?

The difference between average home cooks and five-star chefs? Skill. But what exactly makes a chef’s cooking so special? The ability to taste the difference between an expensive bottle of wine and an inexpensive one? The talent to chop an onion into tiny pieces in the blink of an eye? No, it’s none of these things—it’s all about technique. 

Are you passionate about cooking and want every meal to taste like it’s the best in the world? Michelin star, 5-star chefs?

The key to cooking like those chefs are figuring out their techniques, and the way they like to cook food, and then emulating exactly how they do it. Learn how to cook like you’re a 5-star chef with these tips and tricks from professionals who know their way around both cutting boards and pots and pans.

The Best Tips to How to Cook Like You’re a 5-Star Chef?

    1. Keep your mise en place ready at all times

    As a culinary student, you'll learn a lot about how to put everything in its proper position.  

    In a commercial kitchen, it's the easiest method to maintain your composure.  

    As a chef, you spend a lot of time prepping your ingredients for use in a dish. If you're not prepared, you'll be overwhelmed and, in the weeds, which usually means your chef will shout at you a lot as well.  

    A more organized kitchen means less stress and more time spent in the kitchen.

    If you want to learn about kitchen organization you can read this book.


    1. Get to know your spices

    You must experiment with various spices and understand which ones work best together if you want to elevate your cuisine to a new level.  

    Don't be afraid to experiment and try new things; a dash of nutmeg or cumin may do wonders for your cuisine. 

    Why not make slow-roasted duck legs with spices and orange sauce for a gourmet dish?  

    Even the most discerning gourmet eater will be impressed by this dish's nuanced flavors and touches of citrus and cinnamon. 

    1. Make use of high-grade fats and oils

    Using high-quality safflower oil or olive oil may convert a meal from mediocre to excellent in a matter of minutes, according to several top chefs.  

    Butter, lard, and duck fat are other common fats used in gourmet cuisine since they enhance the flavor and texture of food, while extra-virgin olive oil from Crete is always a safe bet. 

    Wagyu beef tenderloin with sesame oil and ginger comes to mind when thinking of a gourmet entree to wow dinner party attendees.  

    With its tender Wagyu beef and mouth-watering sesame oil glaze, this beautiful entree is excellent for special occasions. 

    1. Take the time to thoroughly prepare your ingredients before using them in your recipes

    Chefs, on the other hand, realize that appropriate preparation is essential if you want to produce genuinely great meals.  

    This includes everything from peeling fresh tomatoes and seeding them to chopping veggies properly and meticulously cutting meat. 

    Preparation is key. 

    A gourmet recipe for lobster thermidor is a great meal to practice your ingredient prep on. It's important to know how to cook and shell a lobster before you can use it in this delectable recipe, but once you do, you'll be on to a winner. 

     

    1. Use a cooktop with a high-temperature setting

    Even if you don't like cooking at high temperatures, you won't be able to properly cook a steak if you don't cook it quickly enough.

    There are times when you need to crank up the heat, but you shouldn't be scared to do so. 

    To put it another way, how do you know whether to cook on medium or high?  

    Think about the final result's texture.  

    A roast will be more tender if cooked slowly over low heat rather than over high heat. The deeper the crust, the more heat is needed. 

    1. Create your stocks

    To save time, most home chefs opt for the canned or boxed kind when calling for beef, chicken, or vegetable stock.  

    However, handmade stock and broths taste better and add more flavor to the completed meal than store-bought stock and broths.  

    To ensure that they have enough stock on hand, most commercial chefs cook a big quantity at least once a week. 

    You don't need to spend a lot of money to make your stock, and it's a lot simpler than you would think.  

    Bones from the meat you've cooked over the week, as well as any scrapes, ends, or spare bits of fruit, may all be used. Put everything in a saucepan, add water, and bring to a boil for an hour or two. 

    1. Salting

    If you don't season your dish till the very last, it will taste salty rather than seasoned.  Instead, season as you go.  Add a little sprinkle of salt to the onions while they sweat. Add a little teaspoon of salt and pepper to the meat before cooking and a last tiny bit after deglazing.  Your dish will be elevated to a new level of taste complexity by the time you're done cooking. 

    No one said cooking at home would be easy, but with these four tips, you'll never have to worry about following complex recipes or feeling like you're missing out on your favorite dishes ever again. I can't help but feel inspired each time I take a moment to look up some cook-like chef recipes online. With so many options of dishes to pick from, it can get overwhelming trying to decide which ones are worth attempting this week.

    Take your time, save some dish ideas for next week (if you're not already), and make sure that this week's experiment is an informed one by considering the following four tips before you whip up a homemade masterpiece. One way to ensure your culinary creations live up to their 5-star potential is to think about how you cook when preparing food for guests.

    If something takes less than five minutes, don't waste any more time thinking about it--give it a try and see what happens! Who knows? You might end up adding another flavor profile to your repertoire in the process.

    1. Before using, lightly toast the spices to release their flavor

    You can never have too many spices on hand, but using them towards the end of the cooking process might be a bad idea. If you don't activate their essential oils and aromatic ingredients, they might come out dry and chalky in flavor.  

    Toast the entire spices in a dry pan before grinding them. 

    Alternatively, add the ground spices for a minute or two before deglazing the pan after sweating the onions in oil.

    To learn more about spices I highly recommend you to read this book on Chef's Guide to Herbs & Spices.

    1. Everything should be browned in butter

    Butter is often cited by chefs when discussing what separates restaurant meals from home cooking. Unlike olive oil, which has a lower smoke point, this oil offers a far broader taste range. 

    Sauces benefit from the smooth, creamy texture that butter provides, as well as the additional flavor and depth it imparts. If you're still unsure, do a little test on your own. 

    1. The importance of visual appeal cannot be overstated

      It doesn't matter how much time you put into preparing the finest components; if you don't think about how they will appear on the plate, you're losing out.  

      Take your time and think about how you may best exhibit your components in terms of color, arrangement, and presentation. You'll do yourself and your work a lot of good. 

      And lastly, don’t forget to use the commercial grade chef knife set to properly cut/chop fruits and vegetables. I just love how it feels in hand and can’t recommend it more highly.

      If you want to cook like you’re a 5-star chef then you would need to learn proper knife skills as well. You can learn it from one of the best-seller books on Amazon. 

      Click here to get yours.

      Have Fun In The Kitchen

      No matter how many cooking lessons you take, cooking can be a very intimidating task. You don’t need to become a 5-star chef to cook well. Cook like you’re in your kitchen at home with these simple tricks that anyone can master!
      All it takes is learning the basics, some confidence, and patience to start cooking like you're a professional. Remember that it may not be easy at first but once you get the hang of it, cooking becomes so much more fun! Cooking from scratch is one of the best ways to cut down on your grocery budget as well as improve your health. One great tip is to use chicken or vegetable broth instead of water when cooking rice or pasta.
      The flavor will greatly improve and you will save money by avoiding buying cans of pre-made broth. Another thing you can do is buy meat in bulk when it's on sale, cook large batches and then freeze them individually for future use. For example, instead of having just hamburgers every time they are on sale buy three packages at a time to make six meals worth.
      Then divide each package into six individual servings and freeze them according to the instructions given by the manufacturer before being cooked. When needed, just remove one package from the freezer per meal (depending on how big your family is) to thaw overnight in the fridge before frying or baking them up fresh again!

      Share Your Masterpieces with Others

      Eating healthy doesn't have to mean boring, flavorless meals. By cooking like you're a 5-star chef, you can easily create recipes that are hearty and delicious. So next time you feel like your skills in the kitchen are lacking, think again! With these tips and tricks from The Food Institute at Cornell University’s department of food science, you can cook better than any professional chef with these 10 quick cooking hacks. Here's how to become a master of your craft with just one reading.
      A) Cook vegetables with water First, cook vegetables in a pot of boiling water to stop them from burning on the pan. Place them as far away from the edge as possible so they don't end up sticking or spilling over while they cook. Add spices or oil when they begin to soften (about five minutes).
      B) Let raw eggs stand at room temperature before using If you don't know if an egg is fresh enough, put it in cold water - if it sinks then it's still good, but if it floats then discard it immediately. To help eggs stay firm when boiling them, add salt or baking soda (one teaspoon per gallon) beforehand.

      Final thoughts

      Ready to cook like a five-star chef? This is not as complicated as it may seem! All you need are some basics, which we will go over in detail below. Trust us, with these tips and tricks, you will soon be cooking like a pro.
      Start by prepping your ingredients and have everything ready before you start cooking. Chop up all your vegetables first, peel any fruits or veggies that require peeling, and shred any fresh herbs you may need.
      You don’t want to get halfway through cooking only to realize you’re missing an ingredient or utensil.
      The recipes themselves can also give you guidance on what kind of pans, pots, and other tools you will need (though of course there are always exceptions). Keep in mind how many people this dish is supposed to serve and what level of difficulty it has (e.g., beginner, intermediate) so that when it comes time to cook, you have all the necessary equipment at hand.
      You should also set aside time beforehand so that when things get busy while cooking, there isn’t anything else distracting you from finishing the meal properly.

      Cooking like a 5-star chef isn’t easy but it’s possible. 

      And if you follow the above tips from this article on how to cook like you’re a 5-star chef, you’re well on your way. 

      Here’s a recap of those tips: 

      • Keep your mise en place ready at all times.  
      • Get to know your spices.  
      • Make use of high-grade fats and oils.
      • Take the time to thoroughly prepare your ingredients before using them in your recipes.  
      • Use a cooktop with a high-temperature setting. 
      • Create your stocks.  
      • Preparation of the salt. 
      • Before using, lightly toast the spices to release their flavor.  
      • Everything should be browned in butter.  
      • The importance of visual appeal cannot be overstated.

         

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