Fixing common mistakes
Most kitchen mistakes can be fixed by changing one thing at a time. Add a small amount, stir, and taste before you add more. A large correction usually pushes the dish too far the other way.
Fixing thin and thick sauces
To thicken a thin sauce, simmer it down or whisk in a slurry: about 1 tablespoon of cornstarch in a splash of cold water per cup of liquid. To loosen a thick one, stir in stock a splash at a time.
Test yourself
Questions from the interactive lesson, with the answer and the why.
Your soup is too salty. What's the best first fix?
Add unsalted liquid or plain ingredients. Extra liquid or unsalted ingredients lower the salt in every spoonful.
True or false: A raw potato dropped into salty soup absorbs the salt, so the soup tastes less salty after you remove it.
False. The potato absorbs salty water along with the salt, so the soup stays about as salty.
What went wrong? You pour dry cornstarch straight into a hot sauce. It fills with slimy lumps that won't whisk out.
Dry starch clumps as soon as it hits hot liquid. The outer grains gel and seal dry powder inside. Mix cornstarch with cold water first.
Fill the blank: Cornstarch stirred into cold water first is called a ___, so it spreads without lumps.
Cornstarch stirred into cold water first is called a slurry, so it spreads without lumps. Cold water keeps the starch grains apart so they spread without clumping.
Your tomato sauce tastes too sweet. What helps?
A splash of vinegar or lemon juice. Acid balances sweetness. Add a teaspoon, then taste.