Cooking 101: Nail These 5 Basic Techniques

Conquer the kitchen by mastering these simple cooking skills. Cooking and baking are both very technical, so clock in some kitchen time and practice until you get these right. Once you do, everyday cooking will be a total breeze!

1  Braising

This is a recipe instruction you will see very often in many cookbooks: "boil and simmer." Braising is almost effortless: sear or brown your meat well and then let it simmer in liquid with a cover on. Season, then cook it low and slow until all the flavors develop and come together. 

2  Frying

Easily the most versatile cooking method, frying allows you to cook almost everything from meat, poultry, fish, and vegetables. Just remember to thaw all your frozen ingredients before frying them!

3  Roasting

This cooking method is among the healthiest ones because when you roast meat, the fat drips away. Use lots of herbs to season your meats and bake or roast them in a hot oven to cut excess oil and unecessary artificial and sodium-packed seasonings. 

4  Grilling

Smoky meats and veggies are great for sunny weekends and entertaining. Plus, the flavor you get from grilling is delicious! Pan- or stove-top grilling is a quick and simple way to get lots of flavor at home if you don't have a charcoal or outdoor grill. 

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5  Poaching 

Poaching means to cook food (usually poultry, eggs, and fruit) in hot liquid (water, stock, milk, or wine) gently. This is a common method used for healthy cooking because of the lack of oil. 

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Tips originally appeared in the July 2015 issue of Yummy magazine.