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Practical Skills

The Essential Techniques: Chop, Stir, Simmer, Season

Ages 8–12 25 min read Beginner

Cooking isn't about following recipes. It's about mastering a handful of basic techniques that you can apply to thousands of dishes. Learn these, and you can cook almost anything.

The Five Essential Techniques

1. Chopping

Three basic cuts cover almost everything:

  • Dice: Small cubes (for onions, carrots, potatoes). Cut into strips, then cross-cut into cubes.
  • Slice: Thin rounds or half-moons (for mushrooms, zucchini). Even thickness = even cooking.
  • Mince: Very fine chop (for garlic, ginger, herbs). Rock the knife back and forth over the pile.

2. Sautéing

Cooking food quickly in a small amount of oil over medium-high heat. The key: don't overcrowd the pan. Food needs space to brown, not steam. If you hear sizzling, you're doing it right. If you hear nothing, the pan isn't hot enough.

3. Simmering

Cooking liquid at a temperature just below boiling — small bubbles gently rising. Used for soups, sauces, stews, and cooking pasta. Boiling (large, rolling bubbles) is too aggressive for most cooking and breaks food apart.

4. Roasting

Cooking in an oven with dry heat (180-220°C). Coat food lightly in oil and season before roasting. The dry heat creates browning (the Maillard reaction) which adds flavour. Roast vegetables at 200°C for 30-40 minutes until golden.

5. Seasoning

The most important technique of all. Season as you go — add a little salt at each stage, taste, adjust. Most home cooking is underseasoned. Seasoning is not just salt: acid (lemon, vinegar), pepper, herbs, and spices all count.

The Three Things That Improve Every Dish

  1. More salt (within reason — add gradually, taste constantly)
  2. A squeeze of acid (lemon juice or vinegar at the end — brightens everything)
  3. Finishing fat (a drizzle of good olive oil or a knob of butter at the end — adds richness)

Tonight's Question

"Which of these five techniques did we use to make tonight's dinner? Can anyone name all the steps involved?"

Technique Practice Night

  1. Buy simple ingredients: onion, carrot, potato, garlic, chicken thighs, olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon.
  2. Practise each technique: dice the onion, slice the carrot, mince the garlic, sauté the vegetables, roast the chicken.
  3. Season at every stage. Taste as you go.
  4. Finish with a squeeze of lemon.
  5. You've just made a roast chicken dinner using only basic techniques!

Go Further

  • YouTube: Jacques Pépin's technique videos — the master of French cooking basics.
  • Book: Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat (2017) — the definitive guide to cooking fundamentals.
  • Challenge: Cook one meal using only the five techniques and no recipe. See what happens.
  • Research: What is the Maillard reaction? Why does browned food taste so good?

What We Simplified

  • There are many more techniques. Braising, poaching, steaming, grilling, deep-frying, blanching — we covered the basics. More will come with experience.
  • "Just add salt" oversimplifies. Some dishes need less salt (if using salty ingredients like soy sauce or parmesan). Balance is the real goal.
  • Technique takes time to develop. Your first diced onion will look messy. Your hundredth will look professional. Cook often.

Sources

  • Nosrat, S. (2017). Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat. Simon & Schuster.
  • McGee, H. (2004). On Food and Cooking. Scribner.
  • Pépin, J. (2004). Complete Techniques. Black Dog & Leventhal.

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