Are oysters safe to eat at home, and how do I open one?
The honest risk picture for raw oysters, why the R-months rule is mostly a myth, and a shucking method that keeps the knife away from your hand.
intermediate15 min5 min read
Preparation
Knife work, prep order and getting ahead.
57 guides in Food & Cooking
How do I take the skin off a fish fillet?
The grip, the blade angle and the sawing motion that separate skin from flesh cleanly — plus the two cases where you should leave the skin exactly where it is.
intermediate5 min4 min readDo I need to salt aubergine before cooking it?
Modern aubergines are not bitter, so the original reason has gone — but salting still collapses the sponge structure that soaks up oil, which is a real benefit for frying.
beginner5 min3 min readHow do I clean and prepare a whole squid?
The five parts of a squid, which of them you eat, and the pull-and-strip sequence that turns a whole squid into clean tube, wings and tentacles in a couple of minutes.
intermediate10 min4 min readHow do I truss a chicken, and does it actually matter?
A one-piece-of-string method that takes under a minute, plus an honest account of what trussing helps with and what it makes worse.
beginner5 min3 min readShould I wash mushrooms or just brush them?
Wash them. The idea that mushrooms absorb water like sponges does not survive testing — what matters is drying them before they hit the pan.
beginner5 min3 min readHow do I cook and pick a whole crab?
Buying a good crab, cooking it without a fight, and a picking order that gets all the white and brown meat out — plus which parts are inedible and why.
intermediate45 min5 min readShould I peel vegetables or leave the skin on?
A vegetable-by-vegetable answer rather than a rule, based on what the skin does to texture, appearance and how the dish is cooked — plus the few where peeling is not optional.
beginner5 min3 min readHow do I wash leeks properly?
Grit sits between the layers, not on the outside, so rinsing a whole leek does nothing. Three methods depending on whether you need the leek whole, sliced or in lengths.
beginner5 min3 min read
Going deeper: PizzaHQ
Dough hydration and fermentation schedules, flour selection, oven types and bake profiles.