Skills
Ready to improve your cookery skills? Helping you Be a Better Cook is one of our most important missions. We love to share knowledge from the experts with you to help boost your kitchen prowess.
- Master classic techniques such as making the five French mother sauces, perfect shortcrust pastry or a really good stock.
- Challenge yourself with one of our cookery projects. Learn to prepare roti canai and udon noodles from scratch with expert-led guides or discover what makes caramelised white chocolate or burnt butter brilliant additions to your cooking.
- Browse our Best of the Best series, where we take a deep dive into a classic recipe, examining how to make the ultimate version of lasagne, carrot cake, fish pie and more.
- Learn how to use up a whopping 250+ different leftovers – from blue cheese to the remnants of a roast chicken.
- Let’s get started: search for the technique you’re looking to tackle and discover our skills guides.
What’s fond – and why is it the secret to making incredible sauces?
It’s the key to making great pan sauces and reason why a stainless steel pan is a must-have – but what is fond and how do you create it?
Best of the best: how to make the ultimate steak tartare
Learn how to make the best steak tartare on the planet with our in-depth guide to the classic recipe.
Metal, ceramic, glass, enamel: What type of bakeware is best?
What your baking dishes and tins are made from makes a difference. We explore the merits of various materials to ensure a perfect bake.
5 freezer tips that will make you a better cook
Discover our freezer tips – including why freezing can improve ingredients, and which foods cook better from frozen.
How to plate like a top chef
A meal at a Michelin-starred restaurant is a feast for the eyes and taste buds – but how do top chefs work out how to plate their creations?
Cook these 3 hero recipes, master 12 skills
Learn to cook the best-ever eggs florentine, sausage rolls and baked alaska – and master 12 key cookery skills in the process.
How to season without salt
When it comes to savoury seasoning, there’s a whole world out there beyond salt. And the results can be far more flavourful.
How to use every part of a whole chicken
Buying a whole chicken is often better value than specific cuts. Learn how to make the most of it – skin, fat, carcass and all...
How to pick the best pan for the job
Learn how to choose the best pan with our expert guide. Tom Shingler weighs up the pros and cons of cast-iron, non-stick , ceramic and more.
How to make the best chicken of your life
Tips and tricks for how to cook chicken: the whole bird, chicken thighs and chicken breasts, with simple recipes that – we promise – will be the best you’ve ever tasted
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