Ever found yourself in the middle of cooking only to realize you're missing a key ingredient? Don't panic! Food substitutions can save the day. Let's explore how to navigate these culinary detours and keep your meal on track.
Your guide to cooking substitutions when you’re missing an ingredient
Chef and author Kenji López-Alt and cook and food writer Deb Perelman walk us through the basics of food substitutions.
- When you get to that point in the recipe where you realize you’re out of white wine/fresh garlic/brown sugar/whatever you absolutely MUST have for this recipe, being able to swap in another ingredient can really come in handy
- Swap out ingredients based on what you’ve got on hand or if you’re cooking for someone with dietary restrictions or allergies
How you cook your food is just as important as what you put in it
Flavor isn’t just about the ingredients in a dish, but also about the technique used to prepare it.
- Searing or browning before adding other ingredients can add a more robust flavor to a dish.
Remember that recipes – and recipe writers – “are not God”
A recipe is there as a guide, but it’s not the law
- “We just write this stuff down because we want it to be the best-case scenario for you,” says Perlman.
- Ultimately, “you should make food the way you want it,” says Perelman.
Get to know your tastebuds
Ask yourself: What does the flavor hit your tongue, what do you smell, what impact does the smell have on what you taste?
- Acids are flavors that add a brightness to a dish
- Aromatics affect the way your dish smells
- Salt comes in many forms
- Fats are great to soften vegetables over high heat
- Butters, oils, margarine, ghee all count as fats
- Sweet ingredients include sugars, maple syrup, honey or molasses
Taste as you go – and adjust seasoning accordingly
One foolproof way to get seasoning just right is to keep tasting the dish as it cooks
- You want your dishes to be under-seasoned through the cooking process so you can adjust seasoning at the end
- When in doubt, start with less seasoning and add more once the dish is done cooking
