4 TIPS TO CORRECT THESE COMMON COOKING MISHAPS

Simple ways to fix these common mistakes

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Did you accidentally make your dish (way) too salty? Don’t fret. We have solutions for your run-of-the-mill cooking slip-ups.

OVERSALTED YOUR FOOD
Don’t worry if you were too eager with your salt grinder. Oversalting your food is one of the easiest mistakes you can make, but luckily, it’s an easy fix. If you have room in your pot, bulk up your dish with more of everything else. Making a stew? Add more vegetables. Bulking up your dish will reduce the salt per portion. If that doesn’t work, add an acidic ingredient such as lemon juice or vinegar to neutralise your dish. Start with a dash of lemon juice and taste as you add it.

SPICY FOOD
You don’t have to get out of the kitchen if the food is too hot. Tone down the spiciness of your dish by adding dairy. The active ingredient in chillies (capsaicin) binds itself on to a compound in milk, which will balance out the burn. Dairy products such as yogurt, sour cream or crème fraîche are perfect to add to a stew or curry if you accidentally made it too spicy.

OVERCOOKED PASTA
Nothing ruins a good spaghetti bolognaise like overcooked pasta. But before you throw it away – there is a way to salvage your mushy pasta. Scoop your pasta into a strainer and rinse it with cold water. Pour a splash of olive oil in a frying pan and get your drained pasta in there. By frying your soft pasta, the surface will crisp up – perfect to use in your yummy pasta dish.

BURNT THE BOTTOM OF YOUR PAN
It happens to the best of us, but you don’t have to throw away burnt food. Generally, it would only be the bottom of your dish that is burnt. Salvage most of your dish by scooping out the food that is not burnt and transfer it to another pot.  If you’re left with a burnt taste, add extra spices and herbs to mask the flavour.