Let’s share our best cooking tips

[Metoodear]

Never put milk in mash when making a shepherds or cottage pie just butter you want a stiff robust mash that will support the pie
Creamy mash is for sides not on top

Teaspoon of marmite in cheese sauce really lifts it and gives it a certain je ne sais quoi.

Ok this one seems really icky I know but if you've got no hollondaise you can substitute for salad cream on your poached eggs

When making poached eggs, boil the eggs in their shell for 20-30 seconds before breaking them into the water. It starts the white setting and means the egg stays together better in the pan.
Also, I second what kernowsailor says about having salad cream with them! Oh, and chopped chives is also a nice addition!

Sprinkle raw cous cous on potatoes once they e been coated in oil before roasting,the texture cones out super crispy but you can't taste it once cooked

Buy lazy garlic and chilli in the jars. Last ages in fridge - no chopping and tastes exactly the same!

If you're making a tomato based dish (pasta sauce, Bolognese, chilli etc) always wrong for the best quality tinned tomatoes/passata you can find. Makes an average meal much better.

Forget cinnamon in chilli - smoked paprika is much nicer!

That should say always spring... not wrong!

When making a white sauce , heat the milk before adding it to the flour/butter = no lumps
Add a dash of lemon to a cheese sauce to make it taste cheesier

A workmate was saying how making a roux for cheese sauce is a bit of a faff. It hasn’t always worked for me in the past, so for simplicity I just use cornflour in milk (1 dessert spoon per half pint) and add grated cheese to taste once the milk has boiled and the sauce has thickened. Doesn’t taste any different to a roux based cheese sauce to me.

I can't get my head around putting milk in mash.... I always use cream!

Marmite in spag bol. Hate marmite otherwise

If you're baking and your cake starts to brown on the top too quickly- cover with tin foil! But not before it's risen properly

A cup full of water helps when caramelising onions.

Squirt of Yoghurt Mint sauce in spaghetti bolognese, makes it taste like minted chops.

What??

Why do you want bolognese to taste like minted chops?

Never throw away the parmesan rind - add it your next ragu to simmer away for a few hours.

A cup full of water helps when caramelising onions

I'm curious but can't figure out how this works?!

Soften butter quickly by cubing it and putting it in a bowl of lukewarm water.

Use cumin and chocolate in chilli.

I make ace tomato sauce for pasta with cheap tinned toms, just let it simmer for an hour.

Marinading always makes meat taste amazing.

Slice fresh lemons and add to basmati rice when cooking - it gives it a nice zingy, fresh flavour.

Teaspoon of sugar in spag bol to neutralise the acidity of the tomatoes. On a recent thread I had a spag bol, a lot of MNers said to use white wine instead of red - I haven't tried that yet though.

As far as making a cheese sauce, just bung it all in together (milk, flour, butter, cheese etc) stir vigorously, it never has lumps!

To make it extra tasty, I always use Colmans english mustard powder, about a level teaspoon, it adds a tang and makes it extra cheesy. Delicious!

Dried fried onions (used in Indian dishes) thicken stuff & give a nice boost of flavour. They are probably a bit naughty though!
Black pepper in fruit salad
If you wrap fresh coriander in damp kitchen towel & store it in a bag in the fridge it will keep for ages

I put White wine and milk in my bolognaise. Lush.

Swap mince for braising steak when making bolognese. Cook long and slow on the hob.

add a splash of balsamic (in winter) or white wine vinegar (in summer) to bolognaise, it 'lifts' it.

Bovril do a chicken or beef 'drink'; add a spoonful to anything you would also put stock in (casseroles, sauces etc)

cut onions (diagnonally rather than vertically/horizontally) on the bias & you get smaller chunks

Add a generous splash of milk top tomato based sauces. Cuts the acidity and for some reason makes them richer.

Batch cooking

Add lentils and grated courgette and carrot to dishes, bulks it out and tastes good.

Grate onions

Quiche doesn't need cheese.

I've learned loads recently

Add phili cheese instead of cream to curries

You don't have to peel garlic for the garlic press.

The £4 I spent on the measuring cup in Tiger, just for rice (although it does have other measures) was well worth its money. Need one for pasta...

If you roast a banana in its skin for about 20-30 minutes (180 degrees) it turns out very sweet - just like baking it with butter/lemon/sugar, only fewer calories. Makes a lovely pudding with a spoonful of crème fraiche or Greek yoghurt.

The banana should be ripe, but not too ripe - if it's starting to brown it might burst its sides in the oven.