Why does restaurant food taste better than home cooking?
Restaurants season boldly, use high heat, finish with fat and acid, and prep everything before cooking. You can do the same.
Start here
Mostly because restaurant cooks season more, cook hotter, finish with care and prepare everything before the heat goes on. None of it is magic. Much of it works at home.
The usual differences
- Salt. Seasoned at each stage, not just at the end.
- Heat. A properly hot pan gives browning, and browning gives flavor.
- Finishing. A knob of butter, a squeeze of lemon or fresh herbs right before serving.
- Prep. Everything chopped and measured first, so nothing overcooks while you search for an ingredient.
Try this tonight
Preheat your pan longer than feels right. Do not crowd it. Taste the sauce before serving and ask whether it needs salt or acid. Usually it needs one of them.
Where home wins
You can cook exactly to your taste, use the best of the season and serve it the moment it is ready. That counts for a lot.
The same ideas sit behind how we judge food.
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