5 Mistakes We All Make When Cooking
We’ve been to his restaurant, we’ve got the book and we’ve seen the TV show, but we still can’t quite cook like Enzo, The Sicilian Chef!
Celebrity TV chef, Enzo Oliveri shares 5 common kitchen mistakes – and how to fix them!
1. Seasoning food incorrectly
We either forget to season at all or are too heavy handed with the salt, pepper and herbs. It’s important to remember the natural salt/piquant content of the ingredients you are using so you only add what is needed. Otherwise you run the risk of overpowering all the wonderful flavours of the dish. That said, salt, in particular, is there to bring out the flavours of the food, so don’t be too shy either!
2. Cooking meat straight out of the fridge
Steak, fish, chicken and any other meat you’re using needs to come to room temperature before you cook it. This takes at least 15 minutes but big items like whole chickens or joints of meat for roasting should be left out for longer.
3. Adding oil to the pan too soon – guilty as charged!
It’s tempting to put the oil in as soon as you put the pan onto the heat but, actually you need to heat up the pan to your optimum temperature before you add the oil.
4. Overcooking the chicken
The fear of salmonella poisoning has probably tarnished us forever where cooking chicken is concerned; best to crucify it than undercook it, right? Using Sicilian cooking methods, there are plenty of ways to slow cook chicken on the grill, preserving flavour and moisture. Use a thermometer and cook at the recommended temperature of 165F, if you really want to be precise.
5. Forgetting about the presentation
You’ve spent an hour cooking a lovely meal then, in a rush to serve it up, you slop it onto an ill-sized plate with sauce dripped all over the edges. Presentation is everything. Sight is the first sense, alongside smell, when it comes to cooking. Always use a bigger plate than you need, stack the food or lay them against each other, and don’t forget to wipe the edges of the plate!
A recipe for you!
Tasting Sicily Enzo’s Kitchen brings the best of Sicilian culture to the capital, and is only a 3 minute walk from Piccadilly Circus Tube Station and Leicester Square. Can’t wait to visit? Well, why not try Enzo’s secret recipe for Lemon Granita – something to make at home to cool off this summer!
Allison Hay
I joined the "My Weekly" team thirteen years ago and, more recently, "The People's Friend". I love the variety of topics we cover both online and in the magazines. I manage the digital content for the brands, sharing features and information on the website, social media and in our digital newsletters.
