Whether it's for a romantic dinner at home or a quiet night in, there's nothing better than a home cooked meal. With the right tools and know-how, you can cook and serve up professional-quality dishes to impress your friends and family. If you're just getting started in the kitchen or want to upgrade your skills, we've put together our top tips to help.
Our list of basic kitchen essentials will ensure you have everything you need to achieve restaurant-quality food for any occasion. We've also collected some helpful cooking tips and tricks, as well as professional food presentation ideas, to help you cook and serve up skilfully made dishes.
basic kitchen essentials
Before you start cooking, it's important to make sure you have all of the right equipment. This doesn't mean that you will need lots of fancy gadgets, but ensuring you have all the essential tools for each task can help you cook and serve all of your dishes like a professional.
Having the right equipment can make cooking much more efficient. Some tools can also bring out more complex flavor profiles that can lift your dish from a simple homecooked meal to a masterpiece your favorite chef would be proud of.
Some of the most essential kitchen tools you might need include:
- A set of pans — including a large and small saucepan as well as a frying pan
- An oven or roasting tray
- A ceramic baking dish that can be used to cook and serve your meals in
- A wooden spoon
- A set of kitchen knives
- Serving utensils
- A set of chopping boards
- A cheese grater
- A colander
- Measuring cups or spoons
- A pestle and mortar
- A squeeze bottle or reusable piping bag
cooking tips
If you keep the following cooking tips and techniques in mind while you're in the kitchen, you're bound to prepare a delicious restaurant-quality meal that is sure to impress.
- Read the recipe in advance
- Have your ingredients within reach
- Clean up as you go
- Use a pestle and mortar
- Know when to add your seasoning
- Use the right knife for the job
- Add butter to your sauces
read the recipe in advance
The first time you make a dish, you might want to follow a recipe so you can work out the basics before you start to add your own flourish. Some recipes might require you to prepare elements in advance, such as marinating meat overnight, so reading beforehand means you won't miss out any vital steps. This also ensures that you can be ready with all the right equipment, so there'll be no surprise steps when you're cooking and you can keep on top of your timings. To make sure you're fully prepared, read the full recipe at least a day before you plan to make the dish.
have your ingredients within reach
If you've ever wondered why your favorite chefs look so relaxed while cooking on the television, it's not just because they're professionals. Chefs always have their ingredients on hand so all they need to do is add them to their pan as and when they need them. Experts call this 'mise en place', which is French for 'setting up', and it's one of the most important kitchen tips for easy cooking.
After having a read through your recipe wash and chop all your ingredients before you start cooking. Place them in bowls and on plates on your worktop so you don't need to juggle multiple cooking and preparing tasks at once. Gathering all your ingredients together like this also means you can double check you've got everything before you begin.
For other ingredients, such as seasonings and oils, place these right next to you ready to grab when you need them. Storing your salt in a salt pig means you've always got a dash of flavor within easy reach, while ceramic oil bottles are also decorative so you can display them on your worktop or shelf.
clean as you go
Cooking like a professional requires some focus. While you're preparing your ingredients, aim to clean up as you go. Not only does this mean you can cook more efficiently, but a tidy workspace can remove distractions and make it easier to concentrate on the task at hand.
Instead of taking multiple trips to the bin, keep a bowl next to you while you peel and chop. Add your scraps to the bowl and dispose of them once you've finished chopping to keep your workplace tidy.
You can also make use of any downtime in the cooking process to complete extra cleaning tasks. For example, you can get a head start on washing dishes while you're waiting for the oven to heat up or your food to cook.
pestle and mortar
Instead of simply chopping your herbs and spices or adding them to your pan whole, griding them in a pestle and mortar can lead to a much more flavorsome dish. This is because you will grind and crush your ingredients, bruising them as you go. This can help release more of their essential oils compared to chopping or using a food processor and can add more body to your dish.
To use a pestle and mortar, place your ingredients into the small bowl (the mortar) and grind them with the pestle (the club). Because you're grinding it with your hand it's much easier to get the right consistency, so you have full control over the final result.
know when to add your seasoning
Seasoning is essential to create a balanced flavor profile for any dish, but it's important to add it in at the right time to get the best taste.
Herbs should be added to your food just before you finish cooking to get the right amount of flavor, however hardier herbs, such as rosemary and thyme, can usually withstand the whole cooking process. Use fresh herbs over dried whenever you can, as they can add a more professional finish to your dish. Our guide on the 11 essential herbs to grow indoors has all the advice you'll need to grow your favorite fresh herbs at home.
For spices, you can either use fresh or dried. No matter which spices you use, frying them off before adding the rest of your ingredients can release their essential oils and make your dish much more flavorsome. After grinding them in your pestle and mortar, add your spices to the pan and fry them for about a minute before adding the rest of your ingredients.
use the right knife for the job
While it can be tempting to reach for the closest knife to you while you're cooking, each knife shape has a different purpose that can make preparing your food much easier. Using the right knife can help to improve the overall taste and texture of your dish, as each one has been designed to cut your ingredients in the right way for maximum flavor and texture
Paring knife: This small, smooth knife is great for small vegetables, such as shallots.
Chef's knife: This large, smooth knife is best for chopping harder vegetables, such as carrots and potatoes.
Small utility knives with a serrated edge: These are best for softer vegetables, such as tomatoes, as they won't crush them while you're chopping.
Carving knife: These long, narrow knives are best for slicing meat, but their size also makes them a good option for cutting cakes.
Bread knife: The long, serrated blade of a bread knife makes it the perfect tool for cutting into hard crusts without squashing the soft and fluffy middle.
You may want to use a knife block on your kitchen counter to protect your knives. Not only does this help to keep everything organised, but it makes it much easier to reach for the right knife while you're cooking.
add butter to your sauces
If you want to make your tomato sauces rich and flavoursome, there's one cooking tip that chefs love: adding butter. This will help cut the acidity of the tomatoes, giving your sauce a luxurious, velvety texture that you'll often find in restaurant dishes.
It's important to add the right amount of butter at the right temperature to avoid it separating. To do this, take your pan of sauce off the heat and gently stir in half a tablespoon of butter at a time until you reach the perfect taste and texture.
Storing your butter in a butter box will help protect it from exposure to the air and light, as well as maintain its temperature. This means you can take your butter out of the fridge as you're preparing your ingredients, so you've got it within easy reach for when you need it.
food presentations ideas
Once you've prepared the perfect dish, the next step to consider is how to make your food look good on the plate. A great dish should appeal to almost all the senses, including taste, smell, sight, and touch. The right plating and presentation can help to make your meal more inviting as well as ensure you can capture the perfect food shot for instagram.
To make sure your recipes look the part, focus on five essential factors of food presentation:
- Choosing the right tableware
- Getting the proportions right
- Choosing where to place each element
- Creating the right balance
- Adding some garnishes
These food plating ideas are perfect for both desserts and mains and can add to the whole dining experience. Learning how to plate food takes some experimentation and each chef has their own different plating style. While you might want to bear these five factors in mind, it's also important to embrace your own creativity and have fun.
choosing the right tableware
The first plating technique to think about is choosing the right tableware. Your ceramics can determine the overall atmosphere of your meal, so think about what kind of theme you're going for and choose plates, bowls, and serveware to match.
For relaxed and rustic meals, our styles such as Studio Craft, Studio Blue, and Studio Grey would be perfect. For casual dining, you could also consider presenting your dishes on a wooden serving board or ceramic serving platter. This is a great option for meals that you'd like everyone to help themselves to, such as charcuterie boards.
If you'd like to create a feeling of fine dining, you can add a more formal tone to your meal using sleek ceramics with clean designs. Neutral tableware, such as Denby White or Natural Canvas would be perfect. However, you could also go for colorful or contemporary designs such as Halo, Impression, or Elements.
getting the proportions right
Once you've decided what kind of atmosphere you'd like to create, your next step is to focus on proportions. Not only does this mean getting your portion sizes right, but also ensuring your plate is the right size for your food.
Your plate should be large enough that it doesn't look overcrowded, but small enough that it doesn't detract from your dish. As a general rule, leave at least half an inch of space between your food and the edge of the plate.
Getting portion sizes right not only helps you cut down of your food waste, but it can also help make your dish look more appetising. For good portioning:
- ½ of your plate should contain vegetables or salad
- ¼ of your plate should be protein
- ¼ of your plate should consist of complex carbohydrates
choosing where to place each element
The next plating tip to consider is deciding where to put each element. Before you add your food to your plate, think about presenting your sauce. If you're going to try out some creative sauce plating techniques, then you might want to do this before you add your food on top.
the sauce
While thin sauce, such as a jus, can be poured over your dish or served on the side and there are a few simple gourmet plating techniques that are great for thicker sauces that will help to uplift your whole dish.
The smear: To achieve a smeared finish, use a squeeze bottle to create a thick circle of sauce. Place the back of a teaspoon in the middle of the sauce and quickly drag it across your plate with a flourish.
The swirl: To create an artistic swirl, fill a squeeze bottle with your sauce and swirl it around your plate. This is a great option if you're using more than one type of condiment. For a more even look, you can place your plate on a cake turntable and turn it as you squeeze.
The dot: You could consider placing small dots of sauce, using a squeeze bottle or piping bag, interspersed between your food. To do this, place your food on your plate first so you can see where there is empty space to fill with delicious and decorative dots of sauce
The side: If you have a thicker sauce or don't have much room on your plate to present it artistically, consider serving your sauces and condiments on the side. Small saucepans or jugs are perfect for this purpose and mean your guests can add as much or as little as they want.
the food
Once, you've plated your sauce, the next step is to move onto presenting your food. The key to an appetising dish is making sure everything is creatively plated so that your eye is immediately drawn to the main element, such as your protein. This should be the focal point of the dish, so it’s best to place this either in the middle of your plate and surround it by sides and garnishes, or towards the front of the dish.
Some chefs suggest thinking of your plate as a clock face, placing the main element at the front between three and nine. Then, place your vegetables on the right between 12 and three, and your carbohydrates on the left between nine and 12. This is the most traditional plating style, but you can also opt for a more asymmetrical approach if you'd like a contemporary look.
Another way to add interest to your food presentation is by creating height. To do this, you can build a base of your sides, placing the meal's focal point on top. If you've opted for softer sides, such as mashed potato, you can use a ring mould for a more professionally uniform finish.
Creating symmetry can help make your dish look more pleasing to the eye. For food such as spaghetti, you can use a pair of tongs to twirl the pasta into a pleasing symmetrical nest before adding an extra serving of sauce on top.
Our eye is also naturally drawn to odd numbers, so it can be a good idea to serve your food in odd quantities, for example serving five of each vegetable instead of four or six.
getting the right balance
Attractive food plating includes plenty of variety and color as well as different textures. However, sometimes the simplest dishes can be the most appealing, so it's important to consider the right balance.
Having at least two or more contrasting colors on your plate can help make your dish look more appetizing, so having a mixture of different ingredients is a good idea. Vegetables such as carrots, cauliflower, beans, and tomatoes come in a variety of different colors, so consider sourcing more unusual ingredients to brighten up your dish. You can also incorporate an extra splash of color by adding a garnish.
Texture is another important consideration when it comes to food plating at home. Mixing crunchy foods with softer elements can help to boost the overall experience of the dish. For example, combining smooth ice cream with a crunchy meringue, or serving crisp vegetables with mashed potato.
adding some garnishes
Once you've found the perfect way to present your food, the final step is to add some finishing touches. Not only can garnishes help to add visual appeal to your food, but they also help give a hint as to what kinds of flavors are in your dish.
Herbs are the most common garnish so, if you're using any in your recipe, consider putting a handful aside to sprinkle over your food when it’s plated up. Other garnish ideas include salad leaves or a wedge of lemon or lime.
Edible flowers, such as marigolds, violas, lavender, roses, violets, pansies, and cornflowers, can add a stunning seasonal touch to your spring and summer dishes, especially desserts. You can buy these in punnets from your local farmers' market or online. You could also consider growing your own at home.
By following these chef tricks and techniques, you can make a restaurant-quality meal right at home. With the right tools, know-how, and a little creativity, you can produce dishes that are guaranteed to impress.
Our range of expertly made cookware, tableware, and serveware has everything you need to prepare and present your favorite dishes.
Our modern designs are created to be beautiful while also being the perfect choice for every day. This makes Denby ideal for any occasion.