No one wants to hear that they're a bad cook, especially when it comes to simple-sounding
dishes like these. Spare yourself the embarrassment and share a slice of humble pie
as we break down the common mistakes people make with these staple foods
A lot of home cooks avoid making fried chicken because the task can seem too daunting
but it's not as hard as you think if you take into account a few handy tips
Take chicken from the fridge, dredge, and fry, right? Nope. Before you do anything to the chicken
at all, do yourself a favor and let it sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes
When you fry cold chicken, the temperature of the oil drops drastically
As a result, the chicken cooks unevenly and you definitely don't want that
Patting your chicken dry with paper towels seems like a small, inconsequential step
but it's actually quite important to do before you get to the dredging stage
By ensuring the surface of the chicken is completely dry, you get an even coating of flour instead
of ugly, irregular lumps. Sure, the fried chicken emoji on your iPhone is a drumstick, but that doesn't mean you should
only fry up drumsticks. You should make use of all the chicken parts
For large breast pieces, be sure to cut them into smaller chunks so they can cook evenly
and at the same rate as the rest of the bird. If you don't want to end up with dry, tasteless chicken, use a well-seasoned brine
It's a surefire way to make any meat cook up tender and succulent
In addition to adding moisture, the brine injects salt into the meat, essentially breaking
down the proteins and tenderizing it. Don't skip this crucial step. In addition to seasoning your brine, be sure to season the flour as well
While you can season the dredging flour with whatever spices your heart desires, at the
very least you ought to use a liberal amount of good kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Fried chicken is best with a light coating of flour. going for that light, crispy, addictive crust. Using too much flour for dredging results
in wet, soggy, greasy crust. Simply throw your seasoned flour into a large resealable
plastic bag, add the chicken pieces, and shake gently. While you might think you need to lug out your biggest pot in order to fry the chicken
in gallons of oil, you might be surprised that a big pot isn't necessary for small batch
frying. Unless you're making enough fried chicken to service a large crowd, a skillet
will do just fine. That way, you can easily flip the pieces without scary oil splatters
You gotta, I say you gotta keep on your toes. Toes, that is
Be sure to fry your chicken in refined oils with high smoking points. The smoking point
simply refers to the temperature at which the oil starts to break down and emit unpleasant fumes
Sesame, peanut, and canola oils are all great for frying chicken. Extra virgin olive oil? Not so much
Invest in a cooking thermometer to make sure you're cooking fried chicken at the right temperature
which is between 300 and 325 degrees Fahrenheit. At this heat, the chicken gets a nice, crisp crust with no burning
and the inside is delightfully cooked through. One of the keys to even cooking is avoiding an overcrowded pan
Work in batches in order to leave plenty of space between chicken pieces
You want to have ample room for flipping the chicken to ensure it's an irresistible golden
brown all over. Biting into hot fried chicken is tempting, but you're better served if you wait
You won't burn your mouth eating piping hot meat, plus the resting time gives the juices
a chance to redistribute, rewarding you with super juicy chicken. While many of us instinctively drain fried foods on paper towels so they can absorb the
excess oil, fried chicken should be drained on a wire cooling rack
Letting those crispy chicken pieces sit on a wad of paper is one surefire way to create
steam, resulting in soggy crust syndrome. After all that hard work? No thank you
Banana bread is the epitome of comfort food. To be sure it comes out perfectly, there are a few tips that novices and experts alike
need to keep in mind. Jake, Jake, Jake, Jake! What, it's yummy? No, but there's more than muffins
There's banana bread too! What? First things first, banana bread, of course, requires bananas. After all
that's what gives your loaf its flavor and its lovely texture. But can you just grab any bananas from your kitchen counter fruit bowl and get to baking
Or even just grab a few at the store for your baking project? Absolutely not
Banana bread requires super-ripe bananas. We're talking ripe enough that they're starting to get
brown spots on the peel. You want no green on the peel, but you also don't want your bananas
ripe enough that they're rotten. As a banana ripens, the starch in the fruit turns to sugar
Ultimately, they become sweeter the riper they are, which is why those brown spots are utilized to add great flavor to baked goods
Part of making banana bread is all about incorporating the sweet, ripe bananas flavor throughout. In order to achieve that, it's important to introduce
the bananas in a way that can be easily incorporated, rather than having to break
them down in the mixer with the rest of your ingredients. If you want to have banana bread
with completely smooth bananas throughout and no chunks, mashing them in a separate bowl before
introducing them to the mixture is the best way to go. Using the back of a fork will do the trick
wonderfully, or you can opt to use a potato masher. Baking truly is an art form, but there
is quite a bit of science to it as well, and if certain ingredients aren't introduced in the right
order, they work differently with the other ingredients. Much like baking a cake
baking banana bread requires a specific order of operations. Adding the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients allows for better introduction and incorporation
According to Cook's Illustrated, that order is actually crucial. If you were to instead
add the wet ingredients to the dry bowl, you end up with pockets of flour rather than a smooth
distribution. Plus, it's easier to fully mix things together without over-mixing, which can definitely hamper your banana bread's texture
As simple as the ingredients are for banana bread and as achievable as the method seems
banana bread can be a bit finicky. Whether you opt to make your banana bread in a stand mixer
or you're simply using a bowl and a spoon, the key to a beautiful
fluffy, moist loaf is to not over-mix the batter. According to Southern Living
the reason for not over-mixing is all about the gluten. As you mix, the gluten begins to develop
When too much gluten develops before baking, you can end up with a dense
chewy loaf rather than the soft and delicious banana bread you were hoping for
When it's time to add the dry ingredients to the wet, gently fold them in
He folds it in. I understand that, but how do you fold it? Do you fold it in half like a piece of paper
and drop it in the pot? Or what do you do? too." Maybe even using a spoon and not a mixer just until everything is fully incorporated Whether you using a metal or a glass loaf pan greasing your pan with oil or butter will help your banana bread come out smoothly Either using canned oil spray or simply rubbing
butter or shortening along the insides of the pan will create a layer of oil that makes
for easy release. Sprinkling the pan with flour after buttering will really make sure
nothing sticks while baking. Lifting for parchment paper is another possibility as well. According to Bon Appetit, that's the
way to go, allowing for a smooth release by just lifting up the paper. Whichever way you
choose is up to you, but definitely be sure to choose one. Digging your banana bread out
of the loaf pan with a fork really isn't the best way to eat it
Most banana bread recipes call for it to be baked at 350 degrees for 50 to 70 minutes
And while that may seem like a huge range, there's a reason for it
According to The Kitchen, your bake time will depend on your banana's sugar content and
how moist they are. Often, if you make banana bread and cut into it only to find a gooey, underbaked center
that's the reason. It's thanks to those bananas not having enough time
It's best to begin checking your banana bread sooner rather than later, but don't pull it
out of the oven until you've checked that it's fully baked. The top and sides will be a caramel dark brown with a yellow bread color in the center, but
But check it using the classic toothpick method to be sure it's done
If it's clean, or if there are only a few crumbs, it's ready to pull out
You've selected the perfect ripe bananas, mixed your batter, and baked your bread
It's time to eat it once you pull it out of the oven, right? After all, what's better than warm, freshly baked banana bread
I've made her banana bread. Why? Because I love her. Well, not so fast
As with many of the steps of baking banana bread, there's a science to it. Because you
pair sugar with banana in your batter, the bananas tend to caramelize while baking. This
also creates a bit of gooeyness to the bread if you were to slice it right when it came
out of the oven. It's best to let your loaf sit in the pan to finish baking for a few
minutes on top of the oven, solidifying the banana mash. According to Livestrong, letting your bread sit for 15 minutes before removing it from
the pan is best. From there, you can invert your loaf pan onto a plate or tray, use a
spatula to get the loaf out if needed, and then let it rest a bit longer. It's best to
eat banana bread when it's completely cold so you get a nice, clean slice
Those directions on the bag? They're steering you wrong. They don't tell you about air fryers
or seasoning. Toss those instructions out and watch to learn how to do frozen fries right
You know how sometimes frozen pizza cooking instructions will suggest cooking the pizza
directly on the oven rack if you want a crispier crust? Well, the same goes for frozen french
fries. You have two options. Either place a cooling rack on top of a baking sheet so
there is space between the surface of the rack and the pan, or just cook the fries directly
on the cooling rack. Cooking the fries on a rack, as opposed to directly, makes space
for more air circulation and gives the moisture released from the fries somewhere to go besides
pooling underneath the fry, potentially making it wet. The moisture instead drops into the pan
which, in turn, creates steam. And this helps ensure even crisping and browning on all sides
of the fry. It's fried potato magic. In general, when it comes to frozen french fry cooking methods
we prefer to trust the potato country's potato experts. According to the Idaho Potato Commission
while you technically can let a frozen french fry thaw out before cooking it
It's not the ideal scenario. The potatoes cook faster when thawed, but if they're still in a
completely frozen state when they hit the heat, the fry's surface remains sealed as it cooks
which yields a crispier, this-is-what-a-French-Fry-Should-Always-Taste-Like final product. The same goes for baking or air frying the fries. Get everything heated, prepped, and ready before
you pull out the fries so there isn't too long of a lag time between frozen and starting the
cooking process. If you cook frozen fries in an air fryer as opposed to the oven
there is a greater chance the entire surface of the fry will get cooked due to the design
of the air fryer, which features an effective heating element and a fan that quickly circulates
air within the chamber and around the items in the basket. You'll end up with all-around
crispier fries that don't require much added oil, just a spritz of cooking spray on the basket of
the air fryer and the fries, and some shaking of the basket halfway through the cooking process
that end result? Irresistible. Where'd you get these? Can I have them? No
It's the universal truth that French fries are nothing without a generous sprinkling of salt
Having said that, if you are using frozen fries that are plain and not pre-seasoned
it might be worth adding an acidic component as part of your seasoning in addition to salt
An acidic ingredient like lemon juice, for example, combined in a very small dose with the oil used to cook the fries, can bring out the flavor and potentially keep the fries from browning too much
Vinegar is another acidic ingredient that can bring out the best in French fries
Just look at what the combination does in potato chips. Tomatoes are an acidic food, which might explain why ketchup is such a delicious accompaniment to fries
Honestly, this might be hard to hear, but one of the biggest reasons why your store-bought frozen
french fries might not taste nearly as good as the fries you order at a restaurant is that you're
not using an actual deep fryer. They're called french fries for a reason. If you want legit
delicious fried potatoes, you have to, well, fry them. Yes, the oil will splatter, and yes
the cleanup might be a bit harder, but how badly do you want it? We're just pointing out
you always have the option to actually dip those frozen fries into a vat of hot oil
in order to achieve the perfect flavor and texture. If you don't have a commercial or
small home-friendly fryer, you can always use a sturdy pot or pan
By preheating the pan in the oven at 500 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 minutes
in a perfect world before you put the frozen fries on it, you are more likely to guarantee
the fries developed a seared, crunchy outer layer that doesn't require any actual frying on your part
Tossing the potatoes halfway through the cooking time is still necessary to get an even cooking if
you go this route. Just be sure to never underestimate the power of a very hot pan
And of course, be safe and have your oven mitts on and ready when pulling the preheating pan out
of the oven. Salt is an essential ingredient for the perfect french fry. A common misfire in the
world of frozen fry preparation is assuming you need to salt the fries before you cook them
But it's best to apply the salt to the fries as soon as they emerge from the oven
deep fryer or air fryer. Salting the fries as soon as they're done cooking helps the salt stick to
the fries better. While it's possible your fries come pre-salted, it never hurts to still add a
dose of salt when you cook them. And the best time to do this is when the fries are hot out of your
chosen cooking receptacle not any time sooner You might not even consider the source of the frozen french fries as a reason why they might not be as tasty as the restaurant kind But there is some validity to the notion that where you buy the frozen fries can affect the eventual outcome of its frying
It's actually kind of important to skip the smaller corner stores when buying frozen fries
and instead pick them up from a larger store that will have more regular turnover
and in turn, fries that haven't been sitting in a freezer for who knows how long
Also, the freezers are better at bigger grocers, and this information is simultaneously mind-blowing
and the most logical thing we've ever heard. The moral of this story is, support the small local businesses, but not when you're purchasing
frozen french fries. Poached eggs are such a simple dish, and yet when cooked right, they can be sheer perfection
somehow combining the best elements of boiled and fried eggs and managing to transcend both
Not to mention, a perfect poached egg is crucial to creating that queen among brunch dishes
Eggs Benedict, and it can also enhance anything from avocado toast to a salad
The problem with poached eggs is that while the cooking process itself is not overly complex
it's still surprisingly easy to screw up. So, while you may have to crack a few eggs to perfect
your poaching technique in your quest to right all the egg-cooking wrongs you've been making
it's worth spending a little time practicing. Before you get started, though
you'll want to make sure to avoid the biggest egg poaching mistake you can make — not using enough
water. To poach correctly, an egg needs a lot of room to float, and it can't be crowded. You'll
first need to make sure you select the right size pan, which means you'll at least need to use a deep
wide skillet that's at least 3 inches tall. The height requirement is actually a must-have
since poached eggs require 3 inches of water to cook. But it's a balancing act — you don't
want too much more water, because that might make the egg difficult to remove. But use less than 3
inches and it's just not going to set up right, since there won't be room to perform the signature
swirl. Wait, what? Swirling the water? Uh-oh, don't say you've been forgetting to do that step
too. Before you add your egg to the poaching pan, you'll need to use a fork, spoon, or whisk
to swirl the simmering water gently until it creates a vortex. The water's circular motion
will help to keep both yolk and white together as the egg starts to cook. If you skip the swirl
the raw egg will just drop to the bottom of the pan and start dispersing
It's a beautiful moment and you've ruined it. You ruined it. As for water temperature, you don't want the water boiling hot, since the eggs just won't
poach right if they're fully cooked within seconds of being dropped in the pot
On the other hand, the cooking water shouldn't be too cold, either. What you're looking for
is a nice simmer, which is that gentle bubbling that comes before a rolling boil. For those
who like exact numbers, that's about 195 degrees Fahrenheit. The water is going to lose some heat once the cold egg hits it, so it needs to be hot
enough to compensate for that. Although you can, and should, help to offset this heat
drop by using eggs that have been out of the refrigerator long enough to reach room temperature
As a general rule, whenever you're baking with eggs, it's best not to break them directly
into the mix, since if you get a bad one, doing so is going to spoil your entire recipe
Instead, it's advisable to break each egg first into a cup or small bowl
When you're poaching eggs, this method is still something you should be employing
since if you break an egg directly into the cooking water, the egg will separate
with the yolk dropping to the bottom, in much the same way that it will if you fail to swirl
the cooking water. An added benefit of breaking the eggs before you add them to the pot is that
this can help you poach a bunch of eggs more quickly, assembly line style. Hey
you never know when some friends are going to drop by for a spur-of-the-moment party
In order to get your poached egg whites to set up nice and firm around that tender yolk
it helps to add some vinegar to your cooking water. Just plain old distilled white vinegar
works just fine. No need to use a pricey flavored or specialty vinegar
since the taste is just going to be diluted by the water in the pan. Now you know. Just a few simple tips and tricks, and you'll be poaching eggs like a pro in no time
It feels like it's never a bad idea to fire up the grill and cook up a heaping helping of corn
on the cob — as long as you do it right, anyway. We've put together some of the top
mistakes you could be making when grilling yours. Quite a few grilled corn on the cob recipes will advise you to soak or even
parboil your corn on the cob before the vegetable hits the grate on your grill
Some say that this helps to keep your corn from burning or drying out too quickly. But is that
true? Epicurious took on various corn-on-the-cob grilling methods in its test kitchen and found
that most of the time, soaking and boiling does little to help you achieve that perfect grilled
ear of corn. When it came to soaking the ear of corn before grilling, the testers found that
soaking an unhusked ear for even as long as 10 minutes didn't really do anything to help prevent
burning or charring. So if you're grilling your corn unhusked and uncleaned, why bother
To achieve that smoky grilled flavor, you can just skip the soak, save your time
and plop those ears right on the grill grate. As for boiling, the testers tried both blanching
ears of corn in a mixture of milk and water, as well as boiling the ears in plain, unadulterated
water. The result? Corn that tasted like, well, boiled corn. Even after some time on the grill
that bland flavor profile remained. So put that stock pot away, at least at this point
in the process. Instead, skip the soaking and pre-boiling and just grill your corn
It'll save you both time and disappointment. Many grilled corn on the cob recipes will tell you to completely shuck and clean your corn before
grilling. Or you may encounter other tips that say to leave the husk completely on when you throw
the cobs on the grill. But it turns out the best method may be somewhere in the middle
The Epicurious Test Kitchen found that removing all of the husk and silks led to overcharring and
easy burning, making for some seriously nasty flavors. Meanwhile, leaving the husk and silks
completely on led to a lackluster flavor, as that smoky grill goodness couldn't really reach the corn
kernels. The best option for perfectly flavored grilled corn was to pull back the husks on each
cob, remove all the silks, push the husk back in place, and then grill away. This allowed for just
enough protection from the grill heat to keep the corn kernels themselves safe. At the same time
it allowed for enough exposure to imbue each kernel with that delicious grilled flavor profile
Take a couple of the husks off, some of the outside husks, and then you leave the rest
on to protect it. Imagine this scene. You sit down to your dinner, grab a fresh grilled ear of corn
slather on some butter, and watch it melt down onto your plate. You take a bite, expecting some
late summer or early autumn glory, but then you're immediately greeted by a mouthful of hair-like
corn silk. You spend the rest of the meal picking the bits out of your teeth. Who wants that? If
you intend to partially remove the husk before grilling, then you'll want to be extra careful
when removing all of those corn silk fibers The kitchen found that the easiest way to remove the silks is by cooking the corn with them on either in boiling water or in the microwave then removing them before eating We don want to eat that
If you're grilling your corn, though, this isn't exactly an option. So, go with the next best method by using some rubber gloves. Use a latex-free glove
the kind you can purchase in a pharmacy or big box store, to rub all up and down each ear of
corn. The friction of the rubbery glove material will remove the silks with ease
Dinner plans can be tough to pull off. We're all busy people, so it can often seem pretty
sensible to get some ingredients days in advance and store them in the fridge or freezer until
you're ready to use them. Unfortunately, that's not what you want to do if you plan to grill some
corn. Bon Appetit recommends that you enjoy your corn the same day that you bought it. Otherwise
you risk that corn decreasing in quality and sweetness the longer you allow it to sit in the
cold, dry environment of your refrigerator. If you absolutely must store your corn for a few days
before finally chowing down, be sure to keep the husks intact and store the corn in your
fridge's produce drawer. To further protect those fresh kernels, Epicurious recommends plopping the ears into a tightly wrapped plastic bag. Whichever method you plan to use when
grilling your corn, there's one area where you won't want to deviate from our advice — picking
out the best, freshest corn possible. According to Allrecipes, fresh corn is typically in season
between May and September. What's more, you'd ideally be eating your corn within eight hours
of it coming from the field. Of course, in the real world, this isn't very realistic unless you
happen to own or live next to a cornfield. So if you're shopping around your local grocery store for
some corn on the cob, there are a few things to look for. Firstly, look for ears of corn that have
a bit of oomph to them. That means they should feel a little weighty when you pick them up
The silks at the top should be fresh and green, not dry and yellow. The husks should feel tight
too. And while you may feel the temptation to pull back those husks to get a glimpse of the
kernels, restrain yourself. Instead, squeeze the outside of the husk around the end of the
corn to check for plumpness. An accomplished home cook or professional chef will tell you
that a fantastic dish starts with patience and careful attention to detail. You can't just rush
through a recipe and expect greatness. The same holds true for grilling your corn on the cob
When Mashed interviewed Publix corporate chef Tom Donnelly on grilling corn on the cob
he advised home cooks not to rush their corn. Instead, you should handle each step of the
process with attention and care, all in the name of a better end product. In other words
this means thinking carefully about each choice you make. For instance, if you go with shucked
corn straight on the grill grate, you'll have to cook your corn at a lower temperature to avoid
burning, if you do indeed want to avoid a lot of char. If you go with corn cooked fully in the husk
and its silks, you'll want to plan for properly removing that corn silk after the cooking process
Without that careful attention to detail, it's all too easy to overcook your grilled corn on
the cob. And we're not just talking about overcooked to the point that your corn kernels
are visibly blackened and charred. The sad truth is that corn can be entirely overcooked and not
even show it, making that strict attention to your cooking process all the more necessary
According to Betty Fussell, who spoke to the Chicago Tribune about all things corn
some varieties of sweet corn can actually be eaten raw. This means that there's no need to
worry about cooking your corn into oblivion. Plus, the longer you cook your corn, the more
the sugars inside the kernels will break down, and the less sweet it will be when you eat it
Heat quickens the process of sugar converting into starch, so more time on the grill results
in less of that flavorful sugar. Fussell says that usually, you just need to cook your corn
until it's warmed through. Or in the case of grilling, that would be until you reach your
desired level, if any, of char. As you could likely guess, you also don't want to cook your
corn at too high a heat. Not only does it increase the chances of overcooking the corn and breaking
down the sugars within the kernels, but it can quickly lead to an ear of corn that's
just not as tasty. The Spruce Eats advises cooking your corn on the cob over indirect heat, as opposed to
a full flame. You can even potentially cook your corn on your grill's warming rack
Remember, you really only need to warm the corn through, not necessarily cook it until
it looks crispy and black. So a relatively gentle process may be all that you want or need
If you cook your corn over indirect heat on a grill, the process should only take about
10 minutes for shucked corn on a medium heat grill. If you're simply warming your corn through
on your grill's warming rack, you can typically double the amount of time. And if you're cooking
your corn in the husk, you'll likely want to skip the warming rack, but should still go for about a
20-minute cook time and watch carefully to make sure that there isn't a ton of direct flames
striking the corn cobs. If you don't leave your corn on the grill for very long in the interest
of preserving the flavor, how is it going to get all smoky and delicious? Isn't that the whole point
of grilling corn on the cob? Good question. If you're willing to sacrifice some of your corn's
sweetness, you can go ahead and leave it on the grill longer, allowing more smoke to infuse itself
into the kernels. However, there's another way. If you want the best of both worlds
you can cheat your way to smokiness with a spice rub. To achieve that trick
Cooking Light recommends using a mixture of salt, chili powder, paprika, cumin, and pepper
Blend those spices with some butter and slather it on each ear of corn before they hit the grill
those spices will help you achieve a smoked flavor profile. You can either add the butter
mixture to your half-shucked corn before folding the husks back, sealing the butter inside
or you can cook the butter-coated corn straight on your grill grate. You can also wrap the buttered
up corn in aluminum foil if you want to keep them totally free of the flames
Sure, we know that this is all about the biggest mistakes to avoid when cooking your corn on the
cob on the grill, but one of the mistakes you could be making is simply sticking to the grill
for the rest of your corn cooking life. For instance, if you love the smoky flavor of grilled
corn on the cob, why not try smoking your corn too? According to the Washington Post
when it's compared to grilled corn, smoked corn has a more multidimensional flavor
It also tends to hit the plate with plumper, juicier kernels. Because the smoking adds flavor
as does the caramelization that occurs during cooking, there's no need to further season your
corn on the cob either. A little butter or olive oil and perhaps a few pinches of salt or pepper
added at the table is all you need. You can smoke your corn using either a smoker or a grill
outfitted with a smoker box and some hardwood chips. If you've avoided all of these mistakes, then you may well have prepared a heaping bounty of delicious
perfectly cooked corn on the cob. You're really close, but there's one thing left to do. While
flavorings like butter, salt, and a bit of pepper are all well and good for topping off your corn
on the cob, why stop there? Why not get a little creative with your toppings? You might just find a
favorite combo that takes your grilled corn to the next level. We have a few suggestions for you
that will really pump up that grilled corn experience. You might roll your ears of corn
in lime juice, olive oil, chili powder, cumin, paprika, and sea salt for a little Mexican-style
chili lime flair, or you might lean into Italian flavorings with some parsley
red pepper flakes, garlic, and Parmesan cheese for a savory, umami-rich experience