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.
How to make gougères
Learn how to make gougères. These cheesy, cloud-like and moreish canapes hail from France and are easier to make than you might think.
How to prove your sourdough and troubleshooting tips
Find all the tips you need for proving your sourdough, plus how to tell when your dough is under- or over-proved.
An introduction to sourdough with Elaine Boddy
New to sourdough? It can be overwhelming! Sourdough expert Elaine Boddy talks you through everything you need to know.
The 5 classic French mother sauces you need to know
Sauces are key to good gastronomy. The five classic building-block recipes here - fish velouté, mayonnaise, chicken jus, hollandaise and beurre blanc – are easier to make than you might think.
Best of the best: how to make the ultimate smash burger
There’s just something so appealing about a good smash burger – it’s quick, hot, handheld, endlessly customisable, provides a balance of salty and sweet.
How to burn your food… in a good way!
Our food team explain how to burn your food in a good way... and share recipes which celebrate burnt food in all its dark glory.
Why we love to infuse our booze
Infusing booze with your own bespoke flavours is easy – and seriously rewarding. Learn more about the process then get inspired by six infusions that prove going beyond sloes and other berries is the way forward.
How to get the best out of your herbs
Adding fragrance, freshness and colour, herbs can transform a dish from dull to dazzling, so it’s no surprise we’re using more of them in our cooking – but what’s the ethical and environmental impact?
How to make fresh ricotta
Learn how to make fresh ricotta with Tom Aiken's step-by-step guide. It's easy to make once you know how and so versatile.
How to make Paul Hollywood’s sourdough using the fold technique
Master the one and only Paul Hollywood's baking fold technique with this step-by-step guide on how to make sourdough loaf.
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