What kind of basic recipe can you not cook?

[OnlineMadNess]

Omelettes :( They either burn or they're raw in the middle.

Another for poached eggs, like a previous poster no matter what I try, they are either rock hard or a snotty mess.

I have an egg poacher. One of those pans where ther is water underneath and little pockets to drop th eeggs into.

It is STILL really hard to get them right, as the top of the white cooks and you can't see the yolk.

dropping them in to swirling water gives you a very master chef type finish, but personally I don't liek the swirly bits. I want my poached egg to be a lovely domed thing.

For dippy eggs, my dh bought me a gadget. It is a solid egg shaped thing, and the face changes colour from the outside in as it heats up.
Put egges and gadget in cold water (putting them in boiling gives you split eggs) and keep an eye (need a glass lideed suacepan though) When the colour line has crept in about as far as the edge of the white would be, remove your egg. It really does work. But you have to watch, which when cooking for children is a nightmare

For those saying pancakes... I used to struggle until I got a proper pancake pan (completely flat, non stick) it's foolproof!

I cannot for the life of me master meringues!

A roux, can't do it.

Poached eggs!

Scones: mine were very hit or miss until I found this recipe (recommended on another thread here during lockdown). This works brilliantly. Best scones I've ever made, and immodestly I could say best I've ever tasted too.

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/classic-scones-jam-clotted-cream

Meat loaf. It's either sloppy or dry. And I can't make 'real' gravy - I've given up trying and stick to granules now.

@BamboozledandBefuddled

Meat loaf. It's either sloppy or dry. And I can't make 'real' gravy - I've given up trying and stick to granules now.

I've never made meatloaf. I have to say I am not even really sure what it is. You see it all the time on American programmes/books. Anyone got a nice recipe?

I can't do poached eggs, but I do THE best yorkies.

Toad in the hole.
Always end up really stodgy and dense in the middle and burnt on top.

Decades since I last tried making a meatloaf, but from memory you mix raw mince with chopped onion, breadcrumbs, seasoning, beaten egg to bind, dollop of ketchup or relish. Then pack into a loaf tin, suitably greased/lined, and bake in the oven. When cooked, should be solid enough to slice. Not unlike making meatballs, really.

@PumpkinsMum18 this beef stew hasn't failed me yet. Just make sure to check and stir every so often so it doesn't catch on the bottom. If it's too liquid then I take the lid off near the end of cooking
I add mushrooms and sometimes lea and perrins or a bit of marmite
https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/beef-recipes/beef-and-ale-stew/

Pastry! Both my nana & DM made the best pastry and would whip up plate pies, quiches and jam tarts at the drop of a hat! My pastry just doesn't work.

Even ready made stuff, I have to buy the ready rolled because I can't even be trusted to roll it out from the block!
My quiches are always crustless now, it's not worth the stress!

Please someone help me with a fried egg!
Every time I crack the egg I somehow split the yolk when I pour it in the frying pan so it goes everywhere.
Then I am never sure the yolk is cooked so I flip it over to cook and it ends up a mess with the yolk spilling everywhere.
I want a runny yolk but I'm scared if I don't flip it it won't be cooked.

I always do high heat as when I do medium heat the egg white goes rubbery but then on high heat the egg white is crispy as hell and burnt !

Custard.

I want a runny yolk but I'm scared if I don't flip it it won't be cooked.
I used to do this but really you just have to feel the fear and (not) do it anyway. Get a spoon and put some of the hot fat onto the egg yolk but don't flip it if you want it runny! Honestly, unless it's an egg from a friend's chicken or something I wouldn't be too worried about it being cooked. It will be fine.

To not split the yolk, just don't drop it from a great height and it should be fine.

Rice and Toad in the Hole are my 2 worst things.

Rice is a lot easier when you realise it just needs to be taken off the heat, covered and left.

Another one for omelettes!!!

White sauce/cheese sauce here too. I don’t know why. Doesn’t help that I don’t actually like it that much anyway

Rice was an issue until I started doing the 5 min steaming at the end - makes all the difference.

Flapjacks. Just can't do it. My eldest makes them really well though so at least we don't have to go without.

@CoodleMoodle

Lasagne. I've tried it so many times, with loads of different recipes. It never, ever tastes right. I hate when pasta goes crunchy and the sheets always seems to, no matter what I do with them. Bleurgh.

Get fresh pasta then you have no problem with crusty pasta sheets.

To my shame, I can't do Yorkshire puddings and I'm from Yorkshire!