Professor: “I’m new to cooking and using recipes, but I have already had several dishes that didn’t come out as I had hoped. Is there any way to fix or correct a recipe?”
Chef Alex: “No matter how experienced you are in the kitchen, mistakes happen. In a kitchen, it can be catastrophic to the point where there is no way to fix it. Luckily, it is mostly minor details that are easily fixed. When following a recipe, it’s not uncommon to encounter issues or end up with less-than-desirable results. You can easily achieve the desired outcome with a few simple adjustments and troubleshooting techniques.
The first step in fixing a recipe is to identify what went wrong, taste the dish, and identify what seems off. Issues such as the dish being too salty, sweet, dry, bland, or having a strange aftertaste are common. By pinpointing the problem, you can better understand how to find a solution.
If the result of your recipe is not what you had expected, it is usually one of two things or maybe both.
- The recipe is incorrect. Maybe it is not you, but a poorly written recipe. There are so many bad recipes floating around on social media. It can be missing ingredients, incorrect measurements, or misleading directions, including time and temperature.
- You made a mistake. Maybe the oven was too hot, or you got the measurements wrong. Maybe you got distracted and forgot the pot on the stove or in the oven.
Professor: “What can be wrong with the recipe?”
Chef Alex: “In theory, a recipe is supposed to be a map for you to go from A to B to C. However, many recipes are dreadfully written.
Some recipes can be too vague and use words and culinary terms only professional chefs would know. If the directions call for deglazing the pan with wine and then adding demi-glaze, it would have been nice to be told how deglazing is done and what demi-glaze is. This is often seen in many older recipes. Conversely, sometimes recipes can be too detailed and use too many adjectives. ‘A wonderful bright orange carrot, expertly peeled and cut into cute little rounds,’ is just too much.
The biggest problem is when recipes are incomplete. Most often, recipes don’t tell you how many servings, the amount, or the yield. (Is that chicken dish 4, 6, or 8 servings?).”
Professor: “How do you find out?”
Chef Alex: “In that case, we look at the main item in the ingredients list. If the amount of chicken is 3 pounds, and we count six ounces per person, it would be 8 servings.”
Professor: “What else can be incomplete?”
Chef Alex: “Missing, wrong, or vague amount of ingredients, ‘2 packets of spinach’ doesn’t tell me what size or if it is fresh or frozen. ‘A bit of this and a handful of that’ requires some guesswork. Often, ingredients are missing either in the ingredient list or the directions. Such recipes have probably not been tested, so reading the recipe before starting anything is essential.
Temperature and time are other areas of a recipe to pay attention to. I recently saw a recipe for a chicken thigh that was cooked for 15 minutes in a pan and then finished in a 475°F. oven for 50 minutes. Obviously, there was something wrong. Someone made a mistake, or maybe it was a typo. Should it have been 15 minutes instead of 50 minutes? Or perhaps the temperature should have been 275°F. As I have said before, I highly recommend using a meat thermometer. Take that chicken thigh to 165°F. and you are good to go.”
Professor: “What if you don’t have all the ingredients in a recipe?”
Chef Alex: “Most, but not all, food items can be substituted if necessary. Dietary restrictions sometimes dictate an item to be substituted. It can be done without problems in most cases, but sometimes, it will not work. Knowing how ingredients work and interact with each other is as important as knowing how they will taste. Don’t even try to make pizza dough with gluten-free flour.
Good recipes will substitute hard-to-find items, and hopefully, the recipe has been tested with the substitute. Some recipes call for many different herbs and spices. If you don’t have all of them, you might be able to substitute some without jeopardizing the recipe.
If a particular ingredient is an issue, consider a suitable substitute. However, be aware that ingredient substitutions can alter the flavor and texture of the dish.
Also, remember we are all different, and taste is subjective. With a little experience, you can look at a recipe and decide if it will suit your liking.
Professor: “So, what if the recipe is good, but something still went wrong?”
Chef Alex: “Maybe you didn’t follow the recipe strictly. Did you use all the ingredients and the right amounts? Double-check the recipe and ensure you didn’t miss any crucial steps or ingredients.
Did you use the right ingredients? All-purpose flour or cake flour, granulated sugar, or powdered sugar.
Were the ingredients at the right temperature when you mixed them? When it comes to baking, having all the ingredients at the right temperature can be critical. Pay attention to any temperatures listed in the ingredients.
Did you mix the items too long or not long enough?
Did you add your item to hot water or cold water?
Did you follow the steps as written, or did you forget an item and then added it later?”
Professor: “What about equipment?”
Chef Alex: “It is important to use the right equipment.
If the recipe called for a 6-inch pie dish and you used a 9-inch pie dish, the pie will not come out as intended. Most modern recipes will tell you what type and size to use when using pots, pans, sheets, scoops, and similar items.”
Professor: “You mentioned temperature earlier.”
Chef Alex: “Recipes assume that everyone’s oven works the same, even though we know that’s not the case. My oven at home works differently than an oven in a bakeshop. I know my oven is about five degrees colder than the setting. I know this because I always use an oven thermometer. I don’t know how often I have heard a cook claim it wasn’t his fault that something got burned; it was because the oven was too hot. Of course, it is the cook’s responsibility to make sure the oven is at the right temperature.
I always recommend using oven-thermometers and even to move them around in the oven to see if there are any hot spots.
It is not only the oven that needs to be at the right temperature. A mistake I often see is pans and grills that are not hot enough. You can’t get a good sear on a piece of meat if the pan or grill is not ready.”
Professor: “Some recipes have a time listed.”
Chef Alex: “Prep time, cook time, and total time are nice to know, but more important are the times listed in the directions. How much time to mix, cook, bake, rest, cool, etc., is vital information, more so in baking than cooking.
Remember that cooking times can vary depending on your equipment and altitude. Even the temperature in your kitchen can affect the timing and play a role when working with delicate confections and chocolates. So always refer to the recipe as a general guide and use a kitchen timer. When busy in the kitchen, a kitchen time can save the day.”
Professor: “I have already learned to pay extra attention to measurement.“
Chef Alex: “As any good woodworker will tell you, measure twice and cut once.
Most recipes use volume measurements instead of weight. Using spoons and cups is not always accurate. A cup of water is 8 ounces, but a cup of flour can be 4-5 ounces, depending on what kind it is and if it is sifted or not. In baking, it is the weight that counts. Professional bakers use scales, not measuring cups. Even eggs, milk, and water are measured by weight for accuracy.
I don’t know what made you pay extra attention to measurements, but I have witnessed people use teaspoons instead of tablespoons and vice versa.”
Professor: “I know you are big on balance, but what does that mean in a recipe?”
Chef Alex: “First, the balance of the dish itself. You might want to add some color if everything in the dish is brown. If everything is soft, you need to add something with a crunch. If it is a full meal, we like to see it balanced with grains, vegetables, protein, and fruit.
And then there is the balance of flavors. Is your recipe primarily sweet, salty, savory, or sour? Is one flavor so overpowering that you can’t identify any else? Eating chili so hot you can only taste chili might be macho, but the dish is way out of balance. There is nothing wrong with spicy food, but it still needs to be balanced.”
Professor: “What can be done if a dish is too spicy?”
Chef Alex: “If your dish is too spicy, there are a few things you can do, depending on how spicy it is and how spicy you would like it to be.
Add more of the main ingredients in the dish, vegetables, or liquids to dilute the spices.
Add sugar or honey in small amounts to counteract the heat. If you add sweetness to the dish, you might also have to add a little salt or lemon juice to correct the balance.
Dairy is one of the best ways to counteract the heat in peppers. Try milk, cream, yogurt, sour cream, cheese, or coconut milk.
Acidic liquids can sometimes cut through the heat. Try tomatoes or tomato puree, lemon or lime juice, and vinegar.
Nut butter is another option. The fat content can help tame the flame, tahini, peanut butter, or almond butter.
Serve a spicy dish with starch. To neutralize the spiciness, serve with something like rice, pasta, grains, or bread.
With several options to reduce the heat, use whatever is compatible and will complement the flavors of your dish.
Treat spiciness like salt and add it gradually, with final adjustments toward the end of cooking.”
Professor: “But what if there is no flavor at all? Just very bland?”
Chef Alex: “Most likely not enough salt. Easy to fix; add more salt, a little at a time. During the first couple weeks working as a young line cook in Paris, France, the chef demanded to taste all the sauces I made. In the beginning, it was ‘more salt, more salt’; he taught me to add salt, a little at a time, all the way up to the point before you can actually taste salt. But be careful if your ingredients include salty items such as bacon, soy sauce, anchovies, and Parmesan cheese. Be cautious when adding salt; it’s best to start with a little and adjust gradually. Remember, it is always easier to add salt than to remove it.
In addition to salt, many other items can be added to enhance flavor. Spices, herbs, wine, vinegar, and sugar, to mention a few. Experiment with different seasonings until the desired flavor is achieved. If your dish needs more than just salt, try items such as miso paste, Parmesan cheese, soy sauce, or fish sauce. These items will add salt plus more depth and flavor to the recipe.
You can get some great umami flavors and texture with cream sauces or soups, such as N.E. Clam Chowder. But if you still think it is missing something, add a few drops of lemon juice or hot sauce. Not much, just enough to spruce up the flavors or try my all-time favorite, a little splash of dry Sherry at the very end.”
Professor: “So, what can you do if it is salty?”
Chef Alex: “If the recipe is only slightly salty, you can try to balance the flavors with a squeeze of lemon or a pinch of sugar. However, in most cases, the only way to save salty food is to add non-salty items. Make the recipe again, this time without salt and salty items. Slowly add the salty batch into the new one, a little at a time, until it reaches the desired taste.
Cream can dull the saltiness in some dishes. If your tomato sauce or soup is a little too salty, make it a creamy tomato sauce or soup by adding cream, but no more salt.
You might have heard you can save a salty dish by adding raw potatoes and cook it a little longer. It has been scientifically proven not to work; save your potatoes for something else.
If you make a dish and feel it is a little salty, even before you add salt, check the ingredients list. Did you use salted butter instead of unsalted butter? Does your recipe include several salty items, such as bacon, soy sauce, and Parmesan cheese?”
Professor: “I don’t care much for sweet food unless it is dessert. Is there anything I can do to make a dish less sweet?”
Chef Alex: “For a dish that is too sweet, add a splash of vinegar or citrus juice to counterbalance the sweetness. In case the dish is sweet but lacks seasoning, gradually add small amounts of salt, pepper, or herbs until the flavors are enhanced and more balanced.
Not sweet enough. Add sugar, honey, syrup, or molasses, but also consider stevia, fruit, juices, and sweetened condensed milk.”
Professor: “I made some mashed potatoes the other day, but after it sat for a little, it got dry.”
Chef Alex: “That happens a lot with starchy dishes. If the dish is too dry, add some moisture by incorporating additional liquid, such as broth, milk, water, or sauce.”
Professor: “But then, what do you do if something is too thin?”
Chef Alex: “If the consistency of your sauce, stew, or soup is too thin, you can thicken it with cornstarch, flour, or tomato paste. The fastest and easiest method is to mix cornstarch with cold water and add it directly to the dish, a little at a time, until thickened to the desired consistency. Another method is to make a paste of equal parts soft butter and flour and add it to the dish. The cornstarch slurry works immediately, but when using flour, it needs to simmer for a few minutes. More advanced options include egg yolks, butter, cream, vegetables, or fruit purees. Starchy roots such as rhizomes and potatoes and many spices and herbs are also used as thickening agents. Filé powder and ground dried sassafras leaves are often used in Creole dishes.
Some sauces can be thickened by reduction (concentrating), but be aware that by reduction, the flavors are also concentrated. That includes salt and spices.
Sometimes, something gets too thick. Luckily, this is one of the simplest cooking mistakes to fix: All you need to do is add more of the recipe’s cooking liquid — such as wine, broth, or cream. But remember that the flavor must be adjusted anytime you add something.”
Professor: “I overheard a couple of cooks talking about a broken sauce. What is that?”
Chef Alex: “Cream sauce and soup, and egg-based sauces such as Hollandaise, break (separate) easily if the proper temperature is not maintained.
Cream sauces and soups can break if reduced too much, held at too high a temperature, or cooled and then reheated. In most cases, it can be fixed by whipping it back together with a little fresh cream; it can also be fixed by blending it.
Egg sauces in the beginning stages of separation can be whipped together with a little cold water. It got too hot if it is separated with the butter fat floating on top. It can be saved by skimming off the butter and letting it cool a little. To get it back together, start with a raw egg yolk and a little cold water, add the egg mixture a little at a time, and then slowly add the butter. Egg sauces such as Hollandaise and Bearnaise are best kept at around 145°F.
Homemade mayonnaise that starts to separate can also be whipped back together with a little cold water. If you make mayonnaise with olive oil, make sure it is refined olive oil. Un-refined olive oil in mayonnaise will separate after about an hour.”
Professor: “Sometimes it is hard to know if an item is cooked enough or too much.”
Chef Alex: “I highly recommend using a thermometer for almost everything you cook. Even if you have a good recipe, there are many variables when cooking and baking. Thickness, density, moistness, temperature, time, altitude, to mention a few.”
Professor: “Some recipes take a long time to cook, and it can be hard to get the timing right.”
Chef Alex: Timing is a big part of cooking. You had planned on making that five-hour slow-cooked pot roast, but life happens, and now you are looking at the recipe and a large piece of raw meat on the kitchen counter, knowing you only have 30 minutes to cook it. This is more of a case of modifying than fixing a recipe. Obviously, the larger the meat, the longer it takes to cook. Therefore, shish kabob and stir-fries are some of the quicks to cook. Sometimes, we have to adjust. If you forgot to take the hamburger patties out of the freezer, you can cook them frozen. It will take a little longer, but still a shorter time than thawing them and then cooking them. Cooking a frozen item is a safe and approved method of thawing food. If an item is undercooked, return it to the stove or oven and continue cooking. If a steak or any meat or chicken is still raw in the middle and you need to serve it immediately, you can cut it in half, lengthwise, or butterfly it and then sear it on the raw side.
If an item is cooked or baked at too high a temperature and the outside is burned, but the inside is good, you might be able to salvage some of it by cutting off the burnt part. Did you overcook the vegetables and now have a mushy, bland mess? Drain as much water as possible, and puree it in the blender with a little cream or butter, some herbs, spices, salt, and pepper, and you have a wonderful vegetable puree.”
Professor: “Why do some soups and stews taste better the next day?”
Chef Alex: “Sometimes ingredients need more time to break down, release flavors, and mingle. Give it time; patience is key when making soup, sauces, and stews. If the flavor is lacking, let it simmer a little longer to give it more taste.”
Professor: “Is there ever a time when something is so bad it has to be thrown out, and you have to start over?”
Chef Alex: “There are times when a dish cannot be saved. If your cream soup or sauce is burnt to the point where you can smell and taste it, you might as well take your losses and start over. If you left the roast in the oven too long and it is now well-done, there is no way to make it medium-rare. However, you can use it in a soup, stew, or maybe shredded and mixed with your favorite barbecue sauce.
As frustrating as it may be, mistakes can help you become a better chef.”
Professor: “If you had to mention three things to avoid making mistakes, what would it be?”
Chef Alex: *Read and understand the recipe before you start.
*Watch the food as you cook.
*Taste as you go.
Remember, cooking is an art, and all chefs tweak recipes occasionally.
Don’t be afraid to experiment and adjust the recipe according to your taste preferences when fixing a recipe. There are many things that professional chefs do in the kitchen to create amazing plates of food, but one of the most important is tasting. Chefs taste everything they make multiple times before any restaurant patron even receives their dish. To cook like a chef, don’t just taste your food before serving; taste it at every step! Each ingredient you add will alter the dish’s flavor and feel, so you need to constantly adjust the seasoning to balance sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. Keep track of your changes so you can make the improved version next time.
Remember that fixing a recipe is often a trial-and-error process, so be patient and open to trying different approaches until you achieve the desired outcome. You’ll become more confident in fixing and improving recipes to your liking through practice and experimentation.”
Professor: “I didn’t think fixing a recipe would be this complicated.”
Chef Alex: “Don’t get discouraged. If the recipe is good, it is easy, but not all recipes are good or to your liking. However, fixing a recipe doesn’t have to be a daunting task. Make it fun and try to remain flexible, adjust seasonings and flavors, and be willing to experiment until you achieve the desired taste and consistency. With practice, you’ll become more adept at fixing recipes and transforming them into delicious culinary creations.”
So, let’s hear it. What are your thoughts on recipes, and what makes them better or worse for you? Go to Contact and please share the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.
