As a cookery writer, I ask myself: what is it that makes my recipes stand out – what helps them work a bit harder, or take a classic to the ‘next level’? It comes down to an arsenal of skills that I use almost on autopilot. Once you start working them into your kitchen routine, they’ll make you a better cook, too. So if you’re hoping to up your game in the kitchen this year, here are my top 10 tricks.
Meet Barney
As the longest serving member of Good Food, skills and shows editor Barney has written and tested thousands of recipes, worked with practically every British celebrity chef, as well as making countless videos and hosting live events. Barney started his cooking career alongside Jamie Oliver at Westminster Kingsway College completing a chef’s diploma, before going on to work at top restaurants in London, France and Australia. Barney draws on his years of experience and brings expertise to the more specialist sides of food with his knowledge for things like sourdough baking, foraging, seasonal ingredients and open fire cooking.
1. How to cook mince properly for ragus and sauces
Just like an expensive steak, the time you spend browning mince properly pays you back in flavour. That’s down to the Maillard reaction – the complex chemical changes that occur when the proteins and natural sugars in the meat are exposed to heat. It’s not just colour — you’re creating a new flavour compound that gives deep, savoury, roasted taste.
The conventional way is to chuck it into a red-hot pan, but that tends to sear unevenly and often leaves the mince stewing in its own juices. My way (and I’ll admit, very few things in the kitchen are truly original, but I’ve not seen this written down anywhere else) is to render it: you let all the liquid cook off and reduce into flavour, then allow the mince to sizzle in its own fat, which is when the real browning begins.
Heat oil in a pan over a medium-low heat, crumble in the mince and cook for 15-20 minutes. At first, it will release liquid, which is pure flavour. Once that bubbles down – leaving you with what’s essentially a reduced beef stock glaze – the mince will start to crackle in the fat and properly brown. At that stage, stir well and often with a wooden spoon, scraping the bottom of the pan so the browned bits are worked back in. (Depending on the fat content, you may want to splash in a little extra oil.) Once it’s evenly speckled with crisp brown bits, you can add veg and aromatics.
2. Salt seasons sweet as well as savoury
The reason we’ve all gone mad for salted caramel and pretzels with chocolate is simple: salty-sweet tastes delicious. Salt doesn’t just add its own flavour, it amplifies and balances the flavours already there, whether that’s savoury or sweet. In desserts, where sugar can sometimes overwhelm, a pinch of salt reins it in and lets the other ingredients shine.
Scientifically, salt reduces bitterness and balances sweetness, so flavours like vanilla, fruit or spice pop more vividly against the sugar. Whenever you’re baking, a small pinch of salt can make a big difference. And, with anything involving caramel, chocolate or coffee, a more generous seasoning takes it to another level. Remember: it doesn’t always have to mean flaky salt – it can be salted butter, miso, salted nuts, anchovies (okay, maybe not anchovies!) or soy sauce.
3. Re-salting or dry-brining
For years, the conventional wisdom with seasoning animal protein was to do it seconds before applying heat, otherwise the salt would “dry it out” and make it tough. But, science shows this isn’t true. Samin Nosrat’s Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat is a good place to read more on this. Salt draws out a little surface moisture at first, but given time, the liquid dissolves the salt and is then reabsorbed into the protein. This means the seasoning penetrates deeper, flavouring the meat all the way through, rather than just coating the outside. In fish, it also firms up the flesh.
Use the same amount of salt you’d normally season with, just apply it earlier. How far in advance depends on the size and structure – a turkey or large fore rib of beef can be salted two days ahead, while a chicken or pork rack is best done 24 hours before. For a fillet of fish or individual steak, an hour is ideal. And, when it comes to crackling or poultry skin, salting in advance and leaving the meat uncovered in the fridge dries the skin, too, so it roasts to a crisp finish. It only takes seconds and the difference is surprisingly noticeable.
4. Stir-fry in stages
Properly stir-fried food should have a bit of char – that smoky, savoury edge that comes from the Maillard reaction (see tip 1). That’s why, in a professional kitchen, it’s done over a roaring heat with flames licking the ingredients as they’re tossed in the air. Even then, the frying is done in stages so the wok doesn’t get overcrowded.
At home, we tend to think of stir-fries as quick and easy, and they are, but that’s no excuse to throw everything in at once and steam it into submission. Overcrowding the wok traps moisture, which means veg is limp rather than charred and crunchy, and meat stewed instead of browned.
The best way to do it in a home kitchen is to have everything prepped, then cook a handful at a time over the highest heat you can manage. Tip each batch into a bowl as soon as it’s charred. Once everything has had its turn, return it all to the wok at the end, along with any aromatics or sauce ingredients to finish and bring the flavours together. You’ll be amazed at how much fresher and more vibrant your stir-fries taste.
5. The power of pasta water
The starchy water your pasta is cooked in is the secret to a silky, restaurant-quality sauce. I like to undercook my pasta slightly, scoop out a good mugful of the water, then return the pasta to the empty pan with some of that liquid. Let it bubble briefly, then stir in the sauce until glossy, and suddenly, it tastes like something you’d get in a good trattoria.
And, forget that classic image of plain pasta with a neat puddle of sauce spooned over the top – pasta should always be finished in its sauce. A good bowl of pasta should feel like one dish, not two separate parts. So, undercook your pasta, let it finish cooking in the sauce (stirring vigorously like you would a risotto), then finish with fat (see below).
6. Acid amplifies
One of the quickest ways to make food taste brighter and more balanced is to finish with a touch of acid. A squeeze of lemon or lime or splash of vinegar can transform a dish from good to great. Acid works by sharpening flavours, tempering richness and giving the palate something to cling to. It doesn’t have to come from liquid alone – you can build it into the dish with ingredients like tomatoes, yogurt and crème fraiche, or by serving with something sharp, such as tangy pickles or a spoonful of chutney. Think of acid as your secret seasoning weapon.
7. Finish with fat
Whether it’s olive oil, sesame or chilli oil, a knob of butter or handful of parmesan, fat makes food taste more delicious and gives a richer mouthfeel. So, as well as adding fat at the beginning to fry ingredients, use it to enrich at the end of cooking. That could mean a good glug of olive oil stirred through a tomato-based sauce or drizzled over a dish to finish, tossing vegetables in butter or serving a dessert with a spoonful of something thick and creamy.
8. Add umami
The so-called “fifth taste” is best described as savouriness: that moreish quality that makes food irresistible. Certain ingredients are naturally rich in umami, and using them cleverly can transform a dish from good to unforgettable.
Whenever I’m working on a savoury recipe, I ask myself, ‘can I sneak in a little umami to boost the flavour?’ It might be a touch of Marmite in a cheese dish, dash of soy in gravy, mustard whisked into a dressing, dried mushrooms blended into anything mushroom-based or – don’t tell the Italians – a spoonful of miso stirred through risotto. None of these should dominate the taste; they’re only there to add depth and savouriness in the background.
One of the best beef sauces I’ve ever eaten, courtesy of Beth O’Brien at The Fat Badger pub, owed its incredible flavour to a small amount of anchovy butter whisked in at the end. A double win, adding umami and finishing with fat (tip 7).
9. A sharp, fine grater is an essential bit of kit
I haven’t finely chopped garlic, ginger or chilli in years; instead, I grate everything. It saves your chopping board from reeking of garlic, it’s infinitely quicker and means you can ditch the most irritating gadget of all: the garlic press. Best of all, you can grate straight into the pan or bowl. With garlic, I don’t even bother peeling – the papery skin slips off as you grate. Ginger goes in, peel and all, and I like to keep chillies in the freezer so I can grate them into a flurry of spicy snow. And, of course, the grater’s original party trick is turning a block of hard parmesan into a cloud of cheesy goodness, which is still as impressive as ever.
10. Remember, the best ingredients make the best dishes
Buy what you can afford, but remember that the best ingredients will give you the best results. Whether that’s Japanese soy sauce, bronze-cut pasta or Italian canned tomatoes, when you start with the right building blocks, half the work is already done.
And, there’s a big difference between cost and value: if something is cheaper but far lower quality, is it truly good value? Often, paying a little more pays you back with superior taste. Supermarkets don’t always carry the finest examples of pastes, sauces or condiments. That’s where the fun begins; going to specialist shops or browsing online to track down the best of their kind. With fresh produce, it’s about seasonality and provenance — knowing what’s in season is the first step to buying better.
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