How do I make a curry from scratch?
The structure behind most curries — base, spices, liquid, simmer — so you can cook one without following a recipe exactly.
beginner1 hr3 min read
Techniques
Roasting, frying, braising and why temperature matters.
234 guides in Food & Cooking
How do I make a curry from scratch?
The structure behind most curries — base, spices, liquid, finish — so you can cook without a jar or a recipe.
intermediate1 hr2 min readHow do I roast a joint of beef, pork or lamb?
Choosing the joint, the two-temperature method, and the internal temperatures for each level of doneness.
intermediate2 hr 30 min2 min readHow do I roast a leg of lamb so it is pink in the middle?
The temperatures that give rare, pink and well-done lamb, why a leg is thicker at one end on purpose, and the resting that decides whether it is juicy.
intermediate25 min4 min readHow do I cook fish without drying it out?
Why fish overcooks so easily, how to judge doneness, and the methods that are hardest to get wrong.
beginner20 min3 min readHow do I cook pasta al dente consistently?
Why the packet time is a maximum, testing rather than timing, and finishing pasta in the sauce.
beginner20 min3 min readHow do I make a good chilli?
Browning, spicing and slow cooking a chilli that has depth rather than just heat, and how to fix one that is flat.
beginner1 hr 30 min2 min readHow do I stop mushrooms going soggy in a pan?
Why mushrooms release water, the pan conditions that drive it off, and when to add the fat and salt.
beginner20 min3 min readHow do I stop noodles going gluey in a stir fry?
Undercooking, rinsing and oiling the noodles before they meet the pan, and why a crowded wok steams them into a lump.
beginner25 min4 min readHow do I use umami to improve a dish?
The savoury depth that makes food taste substantial, where to find it in an ordinary kitchen, and how much to use.
beginner10 min2 min readWhy did my cheese go stringy or oily when melted?
Which cheeses melt and which do not, and why heat is what separates smooth from oily.
beginner10 min2 min readWhy does my pasta bake dry out?
Pasta keeps absorbing liquid in the oven, so the sauce has to be looser than looks right — plus covering, timing and rescuing one that is already dry.
beginner50 min4 min readWhy does my risotto go stodgy?
The four causes of a solid risotto — wrong rice, cold stock, too much liquid at once and serving it late — and how to loosen one that has already set.
intermediate35 min5 min readHow do I brown meat properly?
Getting a real brown crust instead of grey steamed meat — the drying, the heat and the batches that make the difference.
beginner20 min2 min readHow do I caramelise onions properly?
Why it takes forty minutes rather than the ten most recipes claim, and how to get there without burning them.
beginner45 min2 min readHow do I cook pork ribs so the meat comes off the bone?
The three rib cuts you will see in a British supermarket, why the membrane has to come off, and the low-and-slow-then-glaze sequence that works in an ordinary oven.
beginner25 min4 min readHow do I cook sausages properly?
Low and slow rather than hot and fast, and why pricking, boiling and high heat all make sausages worse.
beginner30 min2 min readHow do I fix a sauce that is too thin or too thick?
Correcting consistency in both directions without ruining the seasoning or the texture.
beginner10 min2 min readHow do I make a stew that is actually good?
The cut, the browning and the very low simmer that turn cheap meat into something tender and deeply flavoured.
beginner3 hr2 min readHow do I make good burgers?
Fat content, minimal handling and a hot pan — the three things that produce a juicy burger rather than a dense puck.
beginner30 min2 min readHow do I barbecue food without burning it?
Two-zone cooking, timing by ingredient, and the food safety that matters more outdoors than in a kitchen.
intermediate1 hr 30 min2 min readHow do I cook mince properly?
Getting browned, flavourful mince instead of grey boiled crumbs, which comes down to the pan and not stirring.
beginner20 min2 min readHow do I fix undercooked food after serving?
What can be rescued, what must go back to the heat, and the things that are not safe to serve at all.
beginner20 min3 min readHow do I reheat food in an air fryer without drying it out?
The air fryer is the best reheating tool in most kitchens for anything that was once crisp — with settings by food type, and the cases where a microwave or an oven still wins.
beginner12 min4 min read
Going deeper: PizzaHQ
Dough hydration and fermentation schedules, flour selection, oven types and bake profiles.