5 Essential Cooking Skills That Every Cook Should Know

Much like balancing your budget or keeping houseplants alive, cooking is a skill that requires both knowledge and practice. And while it might be a joy to attend cooking school, who’s got the time? We did the work and boiled the world of cooking down to 10 basic skills that will make your meals so much easier (and delicious!). Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, bone up on these 10 essential cooking skills.

1. Master the Art of Boiling

We know, boiling seems beyond basic; What could be more essential than filling a pot, putting it on high, and letting the water rip? Boiling water—and lower-temperature techniques like steaming and poaching—opens up tons of delicious meal options. When you learn to harness the power of boiling you can make delicious weeknight pasta dishes, make basic stocks and brothspoach eggs for brunch and fish for dinner parties. You can meal-prep basics like hard cooked eggs or steam simple vegetables like broccoli and sweet potatoes for the weeknight side. And how can we forget soup? Boiling is essential to soothing, budget-friendly pots of soup and beans.

Here’s what you need to know about boiling: For cooking, there are three types of boils: rolling, slow, or simmer. A rolling boil is the classic 212 F pot of rumbling, vivacious bubbles. A rolling boil is most often used for cooking pasta and hard-cooking eggs. Pro tip: Water will come to a boil faster without salt, so salt your pasta pot after it is actively boiling. A slow boil is approximately 205 F and most often used for making broth and stock. A simmer ranges from 205 to 190 F. You’ll want to know how to simmer for cooking dried beans as well as creating rich, meaty braises.

2. How To Cut an Onion the Right Way

Basic knife skills are essential to faster, easier cooking because when your onions (or carrots or chicken cutlets) are all about the same size they cook more evenly. An onion is almost always used as the example of proper knife skills because it is also the most basic aromatic for everything from everyday chili to holiday roasts. But the fundamentals of cutting an onion apply to other produce as well: Remove the stem and peel, cut into manageable pieces with a flat steady side and then cut it into smaller pieces methodically.

3. Salt Your Cooking as You Go

Why learn to salt as you go? If you ever wondered why restaurant food tastes so much better than home cooked foods, here’s the secret: Chefs season food at almost every single step. That, partnered with more fat and acid, makes for incredibly flavorful food. Knowing the basics of salt, which to use when, and how to season your food from before you cook right up to serving is probably the easiest way to up your cooking game.

4. Make a Basic Vinaigrette

Don’t assume “vinaigrette” means that this essential cooking skill is all about leafy salads. While it will help you there, the fundamentals of building a dressing will teach you everything you need to know about emulsions so you can make more complex sauces like aioli and teach you a thing or two about balancing fat and acidity too.

Here’s what you need to know about making a basic vinaigrette: The classic French rule for vinaigrettes say you should have a 3:1 ratio of oil to vinegar, but more modern recipes call for a 1:1 ratio with the caveat that you’ll also be adding some other flavorful ingredients such as honey or mustard to balance out the two. Ultimately, your desired ratio might depend on how you plan to use it: A more acidic vinaigrette is ideal for bitter salad greens, while a sweet and balanced version is ideal for coating roasted or grilled vegetables.

5. Harness the Power of Roasting for More Flavorful Vegetables

Roasting makes everything taste better! With help from heat and oil, your oven can make vegetables caramelized and crispy. Roasting is also a great way to cook a lot of food quickly, use up the bits and bobs of your produce drawer, and is the basis of many sheet pan meals. But beware: Too low a temperature and you end up with steamed or stuck on vegetables; too high and your carrots are burning before they’re cooked through.

Here’s what you need to know about roasting: Roasting should be done between 375 and 425 F (don’t rush the preheat process unless you want sticky steamed sweet potatoes). Before you get your vegetables on a sheet pan, make sure they are cleaned, peeled, and even cut. Dividing your vegetables between two baking sheets—one for quick cooking vegetables and the other for heartier vegetables—will help with cooking times too. Before you put the veggies in the oven make sure they are coated with oil (we like canola or olive oil) and seasoned well. A good rule of thumb is a tablespoon of oil and a half teaspoon of kosher salt for every pound of chopped vegetables. You can always add additional salt before serving (see above!). Roast the vegetables for 10 to 12 minutes before flipping them and continuing to roast until caramelized.

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