Skipping a step
July 20, 2016 by Darcie
Recipe instructions run the gamut from sparse to confusing to insanely detailed. But no matter how specific the instructions, there are seven steps that Tommy Werner at Epicurious always skips. These instructions either waste time or actually do more harm than good. Washing chicken falls into the latter camp. While it may remove bacteria from the skin, it can also splash those same bacteria all over your sink and counter top, so it’s best to just skip that step entirely.
Several of the steps that Werner doesn’t bother with involve peeling various foods. Ginger generally doesn’t need to be peeled if you are grating it or making a paste from it. The thin skin won’t be noticeable in these applications. If you are using a garlic press (whether a press is good or bad is a discussion saved for another day), you don’t need to peel garlic, either.
Sifting flour is another mostly unnecessary task. You can usually just use a whisk to blend dry ingredients and remove any lumps. Werner saves the sifting for special applications like making angel food cake, “where properly sifted flour can guarantee a light, springy texture.”
One thing that I often forego is a complete mise en place. Professionally-trained chef and popular TV cooking show host Sara Moulton backs me up on this, noting that in the home kitchen, fully completing all prep in advance can cost a lot of precious time. What recipe steps do you usually skip?
Categories
- All Posts (6626)
- Antipasto (1990)
- Author Articles (241)
- Book News (919)
- Cookbook Giveaways (947)
- Cookbook Lovers (247)
- Cooking Tips (97)
- Culinary News (298)
- Food Biz People (538)
- Food Online (758)
- Holidays & Celebrations (258)
- New Cookbooks (140)
- Recipes (1444)
- Shelf Life With Susie (231)
- What's New on EYB (129)
Archives
Latest Comments
- trudys_person on Flavor – Sabrina Ghayour – Cookbook Giveaway
- jberry on Zaytinya – Cookbook Giveaway
- jberry on Anything’s Pastable and Pasta Giveaway
- jberry on Food Gifts Cookbook and Gift Box Giveaway
- jberry on Mother’s Day Gift Guide and Giveaway
- jberry on Pizza Night and Emile Henry Pizza Stone Giveaway
- Acarroll on Cook Simply, Live Fully – Cookbook Giveaway
- KelPot on Pizza Night and Emile Henry Pizza Stone Giveaway
- KarenGlad on How well do you know eggs?
- KarenGlad on How important is the recipe’s photo?